February 4 is the date the Lorne Akins Gators dedicated the rest of their season to winning the crown jewel of SAPEC junior high basketball.
The 51-43 loss to the ESSMY Leopards in week four of the SAPEC schedule left one of the best female Lorne Akins’ teams in years standing at the crossroads of a city championship.
And in the rematch against ESSMY the Gators willed their way to their victory in Wednesday’s Tier I final.
“We’ve been working hard for this one game because we lost to ESSMY before so we knew it was going to be tough but we pulled through and we’re really, really happy about that,” said Grade 8 guard Kaitlyn Kluttig, one of three Gators to score 10 points in the 42-29 decision at the SkyDome.
The 22nd win in 24 games was also the seventh banner in team history and the first since 2011.
“It’s very exciting for all of us,” said co-captain Alesha Stanley. “It just sums up all of our hard work and we’re really proud to win it. We’ve done very well as a team.”
The Gators were on a mission after suffering their second loss of the season.
“We had more practice to get better after that game (against ESSMY) and we also had more intensity in this game,” Kluttig said. “We got better as a team and we worked together better.”
“We weren’t on our game as well. We weren’t talking. We weren’t playing our normal game like we did today,” Stanley added.
The Gators hit their stride in the second half after clinging to a two-point advantage and outscored ESSMY 13-8 in the third quarter to lead 31-24 with nine minutes remaining.
The Leopards clawed their way back to trail by three before the Gators closed out the win with an 11-1 run.
“It was a very good game. ESSMY brought it and so did we. We played very good and so did they,” said Stanley.
Her clutch three-pointer from the corner of the floor in front of the Lorne Akins’ bench with 1:59 to play not only signaled the beginning of the end for ESSMY but it also marked the first points for the Gators in the last quarter.
“It got us going and feeling it,” Stanley said.
Flashy dribbling by Kluttig while running the floor before kicking the ball out for Stanley to launch from long range was worth the price of admission.
“I know Alesha can shoot the three so when I saw her I just passed it to her and she shot it,” Kluttig said.
Madi Sadlowski’s field goal 34 seconds late put the Gators up 36-28.
Lily Armstrong drilled a three-pointer with 68 seconds to go after a free throw by ESSMY for its last point of the match.
Stanley’s second three from the same spot as her first one was the icing on the cake with 41 seconds on the clock.
The late-game scoring feats by the Grade 9 forward was a shot of adrenaline.
“It was a pretty exciting feeling to have that rush go through my arms like that,” said Stanley, who scored all 10 of her points in the second half.
Armstrong also tossed in 10 points overall and Kluttig deposited five of her 10 points in the opening quarter while the Gators built up an 11-6 lead.
Beth Crothers of ESSMY pumped in a game-high 13 points, including a three-pointer to close the gap to 26-23 with under five minutes left in the third quarter.
Bronwen Barter rattled off 10 points and Kenzie Thera chipped in with five as ESSMY suffered only its third loss of the season.
“We came in here with high hopes,” Barter said. “It was a tough ending for us but we worked really hard and we kept our heads high.”
ESSMY hung tough with the Gators but let the game slip away down the stretch.
“Our defence definitely could’ve picked up in the end,” said the Grade 9 post. “The big court didn’t help either. We had to run a lot so I think it was just us being tired at the end.”
ESSMY made a rare appearance in the city finals and what looked like the entire student body turned out in full force in support of the Leopards, 8-2 in league play.
“It’s crazy. We had a pep rally. We had a bus from the school come here. Everyone was ecstatic. We haven’t been in the final since maybe 10 years ago,” Barter said. “We couldn’t have been any better than we could’ve this year. We just went out there and gave it our all.”
The final also brought together several players from the 17-0 SLAM midget A team. The Edmonton Youth Basketball Association champions are competing at provincials this weekend in Calgary.
“It’s definitely competitive when we play against each other but at the end we’re best friends. On the court we’re not friends but afterwards it’s all hugs and it’s all good,” said Barter, 14, a SLAM standout.
“It’s kind of funny to play against our own teammates and then play together. It’s actually a lot of fun too,” said Stanley, 14, another SLAM player and one of six Gators back from last year’s team that finished 19-5 overall after losing the city final 60-22 to the Vincent J. Maloney Marauders.
This year the Gators went 9-1 in league play and in four tournaments won three of them and lost the Spruce Grove Power of 3 final to VJM 33-32.
“It’s been really fun,” said Kluttig, 13. “We’ve been working hard all year.”
Dan Wiles, the longtime Lorne Akins’ head coach, said this year’s edition of Gators ranks among the top female basketball teams in school history.
“They work hard, have great skills and a drive and desire to perform at their best in each and every game. They’re all great kids too,” Wiles said.
Visit www.stalbertgazette.com to view the Gators’ team picture.
