SFX Sports Centre – The St. Albert Skyhawks tipped off the season with a bang at the 17th annual Mike Dea Classic.
The defending tournament champions exploded for 97 points in Thursday’s quarter-final rout of Luther College of Regina.
It was a runaway at halftime after the lady Skyhawks outscored Luther 25-5 in the second quarter to seal the deal at 52-11.
“It was actually a good game for us to settle in, run our plays and work together as a team,” said co-captain Jessa Ivicak after the decisive 64-point margin of victory.
Luther recorded only four field goals and three free throws in the opening 20 minutes and scored 10 of its 22 second-half points in the last quarter for a paltry 33 overall.
“It wasn’t too hard of a team to play against for our first game so after three weeks of practising it really helped us,” Ivicak said.
Down the stretch the Skyhawks were gunning to hit the 100 mark but a three-point attempt by Aphia Ward bounced off the rim for a defensive rebound with 30 seconds remaining.
Because of sketchy scorekeeping at the minor official’s table the unofficial top point producers for the Skyhawks included Marinya Marcichiw and Brielle Wise with 15 apiece, Ivicak added 14 and Jamie Bain tossed in 11.
Depending on Friday’s semifinal result against the Jasper Place Rebels the Skyhawks will play the host St. Francis Xavier Rams or Bev Facey Falcons today in the third-place game at noon or in the 6 p.m. final.
Visit www.hooplife.forumotion.ca or Fxramsmensbball on Facebook for results in the 12-team draw.
The tournament is the first of six for the Skyhawks in preparation for their second 4A provincials in two years, March 19 to 21 at Jasper Place High School.
Last season the Skyhawks finished 30-5 overall as the metro Edmonton division one finalists and provincial bronze medalists in their 4A debut after four consecutive 3A championships.
Only two teams beat the Skyhawks: Spruce Grove Panthers three times and the second loss to the Chinook Coyotes of Lethbridge was 72-69 in the 4A semifinals.
The Coyotes went on to lose the final to the Raymond Comets and the Skyhawks beat the Panthers 56-51 for bronze. It was a rematch of the division one final, a 70-65 win by the Panthers to stop the Skyhawks’ two-year reign as metro league champions.
The Skyhawks graduated only two players from arguably the most successful high school women’s basketball team in St. Albert history.
The current roster of 12 players, two more than last season, features eight returnees and the five Grade 12s include Marcichiw and Wise from the Team Alberta bronze medallists at the 2014 Canada Basketball U17 nationals.
Four players from the 24-0 SAPEC Tier 1 city champion Vincent J. Maloney Marauders also cracked the lineup.
“I’m excited for the season. It’s a good bunch of girls,” said Ivicak, a rugged Grade 12 wing. “We’re a deeper team. Our Grade 10s are up there with us. They know the calibre that we’re at. They’re really good.”
Ivicak, 17, believes the Skyhawks are destined to finish higher than bronze at provincials.
“We have a good shot at getting gold. We’ve got the right group of girls this year and we’re dedicated,” she said. “Last year was our first year going 4A and that was just the taste of it. This year we’re kind of more used to it. We just need to focus more.”
Head coach Paige Gaudreau is also confident the team will improve on last season’s success.
“We definitely have the potential to exceed where we were last year and the girls will be working to do so. With the veterans having experienced 4A for a year now they will be able to prepare the new players for what is expected and what’s to come,” said the St. Albert Catholic High School teacher. “With our veterans being really great inside and our newbies being very quick we’ll be very versatile in terms of the things we’ll be able to do on offence and on defence.”
