The Paul Kane Blues are on a mission in high school men’s basketball.
“We came to play this year. We’re done getting trampled on and we’re done learning lessons. We’re going to start teaching lessons,” trumpeted Grade 12 standout Quinn Peterson after the Blues beat the Bellerose Bulldogs like a drum Wednesday.
The 89-65 show of force in the Battle of St. Albert marked the metro Edmonton division one season debut for the Blues after exhibition action.
“This win means a lot actually. It shows us where we’re going to go as a team and what we have to work on,” said Grade 12 gunner Aaron Larose.
Thursday the Blues defeated the division one Leduc Tigers 74-66 at the 22nd annual Totem Hoop Classic at Ross Sheppard High School.
Friday the Blues hooked up with the host Thunderbirds, the fourth-place finishers at the 2014 4A provincials, but the score was unavailable at press time.
Today the Blues play the Harry Ainlay Titans, the defending 4A champions, or Magrath Zeniths at 3 p.m. in the third-place game or in the 7 p.m. final.
Last year the Blues finished fourth at 1-2 in the eight-team draw.
“We want to win it and show that we’re ready to play this year,” said Peterson of the team’s first tournament.
Last season the Blues placed eighth out of 14 division one teams and finished 6-8 overall after losing by 23 points to Ainlay in the quarter-finals.
“It was a tough year but it was better than my Grade 10 year when we barely won a game (3-8 in the premier conference),” Peterson said. “Now we’re Grade 12 loaded and we’re coming for that provincial championship.”
The 13-man roster includes nine returnees and three graduates from the 2014 division two junior finalists
“We have a lot of veterans on our team. We only had one (Grade 12 in 2012/13) and then two or three last year so having eight this year is really going to help us,” Larose said.
The game plan is to run teams into the floor.
“We play faster than anybody else. We have the better athletes and better conditioning,” Peterson said. “As long as we keep running the ball and pushing the ball teams are going to have to start playing with us instead of us playing with them.”
There were more positives than negatives against the Bulldogs.
“We drove the ball well and we had good shooting. We also played as a team and worked together,” Larose said. “We have to work on less turnovers and we have to move the ball faster.”
The Blues ended the first quarter with a 7-4 run in the last two minutes for a 20-15 advantage and at halftime led 40-35 despite going 1-for-6 at the free throw line in the last 78 seconds.
In the third quarter the Blues buried the Bulldogs during a 29-12 scoring spree with 10 field goals, six free throws and the fourth of Peterson’s five three-pointers to lead 69-47.
“It was a close first half. We didn’t come out very well but once we found our rhythm we kind of got into it,” said Larose, 18, a rugged shooting guard who nailed two threes in the first quarter while draining 13 points overall. “The third quarter is when we really started pressing them. We got a couple of turnovers right away and some fast breaks and then it kind of opened up from there.”
The Blues refused to let off the gas while pulling away from the beleaguered Bulldogs.
“Props to them. They kept us going but in the second half we just opened up and our tempo took over,” Peterson said. “At practice we preach tempo and push the ball as much as you can and that’s what we did all game. We just knew they were going to fall off at some point and that’s what happened.”
The entertaining affair in front of a spirited crowd brought out the best in the Blues while the Bulldogs have the potential to do some damage.
“It was a good atmosphere. It was a fast pace game between two St. Albert high schools. It’s their first year in Div 1 (after playing in Division 2 last season) and we don’t get a chance to play them that often since the (metro and public) divisions got together (in 2013) so it was nice to play them with their young talent,” Peterson said. “What this win means is St. Albert is still run by PK right now. They’re an up and coming program and they’ll be good soon but right now Paul Kane is here to stay.”
Peterson, 17, led all scorers with 25 points. He drained three threes and 13 points in the first half.
“They gave me open looks and it’s my job to capitalize on them. I got a couple of open ones I didn’t expect and then I just got into a rhythm and as a shooter you just want to get into a rhythm and then it was just a subconscious thing,” said the six-foot-six Peterson who listed his position as guard.
Graeme Scheffer recorded 13 points and Shayden Phillip added 11 for the Blues.
Monday the Blues host the Edmonton Christian Lions at 5 p.m.
FREE THROWS: The female Blues tipped off the Totem Hoop Classic in Thursday’s 70-51 victory over Magrath.
Friday the Blues played the Spruce Grove Panthers, the defending metro division one champions and fourth-place finishers at 4A provincials, but the score was unavailable at press time.
Today the Blues are in action against the Strathcona Lords or Leduc Tigers in the third-place game at 1 p.m. or the 5 p.m. final.
Last year the Blues lost the final to the Panthers.
