SFX High School – It was a slam dunk repeat for the St. Albert Skyhawks at the 17th annual Mike Dea Classic.
The defending champions dominated the 12-team women’s draw while averaging 87.3 points and only 27.6 against in three decisive victories.
“It’s a really big thing that we started off like this. It really sets the tone for the rest of our season,” said tournament MVP Jamie Bain after the Skyhawks whipped the Bev Facey Falcons 103-25 in Saturday's final.
Last year’s season opening Mike Dea tournament kicked off an incredible 30-5 run for the Skyhawks as provincial bronze medallists in their 4A debut after four straight 3A championships.
“I feel like we’ll go far in our upcoming tournaments and even provincials,” said Grade 12 post Riki Steward, a commanding presence in the paint for the 2014 metro Edmonton division one finalists. “This was just the beginning for us. We’re gelling as a team and we’re learning how to play together. It was really like bonding time for us.”
After losing two players to graduation the Skyhawks added four Grade 10s to a roster of eight returnees, including five stellar Grade 12s.
“Just because we have more rookies on our team than last year doesn’t mean we’re not going to come out as strong as we did last year,” Steward said.
The final was done like dinner after the first 10-minute quarter with the Skyhawks flying high at 22-4 on eight field goals, three free throws and the first of three three-pointers by Bain to make it 19-3.
“We came out strong. We definitely wanted to work together more on offence,” Steward said.
The 44-12 halftime advantage ballooned to 69-20 after three quarters as the Skyhawks shredded Facey’s lineup of two Grade 12s, four Grade 11s and six Grade 10s.
With under four minutes to play the Skyhawks closed out the blowout with 10 unanswered points to reach triple digits. Grade 12 co-captain Marinya Marcichiw converted two free throws with 54.2 seconds remaining for the team’s 98th and 99th point. After a timeout by Facey, Grade 10 guard Alexie Pusch picked off an inbound pass in front of the midcourt line and waltzed in untouched for the layup with 46.3 seconds to go as the Skyhawks surpassed the 100-point mark.
Marcichiw’s field goal with a few ticks on the clock completed the carnage.
Ten of the 11 Skyhawks dressed for the final registered points, led by Bain and Steward with 17 apiece and Marcichiw’s 14.
Brielle Wise, a Grade 12 co-captain and tournament all-star, tossed in 12 points in the second half. She also nailed a pair of threes in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter.
Pusch sank 11 points overall and Grade 12 co-captain Jessa Ivicak added 10.
“We had some so low points but we played pretty well,” said Bain.
The player of the game for the Skyhawks put on a show in the second quarter with three nifty baskets in a row with a slick jumper, an acrobatic one-handed driving layup and a heads-up play off a turnover in the Facey zone.
Bain also fired her second three of the night in the second quarter to extend the lead to 40-11 with 2:19 remaining until halftime and the last three made it 80-20 during a 15-0 run to start the fourth quarter. It was her last basket before fouling out with 6:12 to play.
“Our main point guard was missing so I had to start today. I usually don’t start and I guess I did OK,” said Bain, who filled in for starter Sam Dargis, a Grade 11 Skyhawk who had her wisdom teeth yanked out earlier in the day.
Bain also tossed in 11 points in Thursday’s tournament opener, 97-33 against Luther College of Regina, and in Friday’s semifinal registered 13 points in the 62-25 decision against the Jasper Place Rebels.
Bain, 16, was honoured for her efforts as the recipient of the coveted tournament MVP bathrobe, presented by Mike Dea during Saturday’s post-game ceremony.
“I was really surprised when they called my name but I’m happy,” Bain said. “It means a ton especially because I’m only in Grade 11.”
Marcichiw was the top scorer against the Rebels with 16 points and Ivicak chipped in with nine.
The Skyhawks will cross paths with the Rebels and Facey in the metro league.
“This is a good tournament to get an idea about some the teams we’re going to play in league,” said Bain, a setter on the Skyhawks’ volleyball team. “We did pretty well. It was a really good start to our season.”
Steward, 17, rattled off several positives about the team’s tournament performance.
“We played good defence, we pushed the ball well, we really ran the floor and even if we had easy looks we ended up taking those back and we would set up for plays,” she said.
Visit www.stalbertgazette.com to view the team picture.
FREE THROWS: League play starts Monday as the Skyhawks visit the Leduc Tigers at 5 p.m.
There are 14 teams in division one, one more than last season.
The Battle of St. Albert between the Skyhawks and Paul Kane Blues is Feb. 9 at Paul Kane. Last season the Skyhawks beat the Blues, winners of the 4A consolation final, by margins of 38 in league play, 25 in the final of the Skyhawks’ tournament and 17 in the division one semifinals.
The next tournament for the Skyhawks is the 33rd annual REB Invitational next week at Jasper Place. Last year they edged the Raymond Comets 70-69 in the final. The Comets are the defending 4A provincial champions.
