The St. Albert Skyhawks remain perfect in high school women’s basketball after their most impressive victory this season.
Wednesday the defending metro Edmonton premier conference champions improved to 10-0 in league and tournament action with an overpowering 70-22 performance against the Archbishop Jordan Scots at the SkyDome.
“We were all up for this game. We played them last year in the (premier) final and we wanted to send a message,” said Amber Easthope, a Grade 12 guard who poured in a game-high 20 points. “We were very consistent. Our effort was definitely there. We were trying hard the whole game and the score showed.”
A smothering defence by the three-time reigning 3A provincial gold medallists stymied the Scots. They were limited to a meagre five points in the opening 10 minutes and 12 overall in the first half with one three-pointer, a field goal and seven free throws.
In the last quarter the Skyhawks outscored the Scots 22-3 on the strength of a 20-point run before the game ended with a free throw by the Scots with 10 seconds to play. The majority of the points were off turnovers as the Skyhawks switched to a zone defence.
“Our defence was really awesome. We didn’t let them have anything easy. We had them work for every point,” said Easthope, the defensive ringleader with a handful of steals that resulted in baskets. “Against every team we play like that. It was basically man-to-man. Everyone was playing hard, and when you do that it pays off.”
The Skyhawks tacked up 14 points in the first quarter and added 21 the next quarter to lead by 23 at the break. The score after three quarters was 48-19.
Easthope sparked the offence in the first half with 14 points. Kayla Ivicak finished the game with 16 points and Paige Knull dropped in nine of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, including the team’s only three-ball to make it 66-21. Brielle Wise also scored all of her eight points in the last 10 minutes against the Scots (2-2), a 4A team that won the recent Ross Sheppard Totem Invitational Tournament.
Last weekend in Camrose the Skyhawks captured their second tournament title in a row by defeating the Edmonton Christian Lions 57-25 in the final. Easthope, the tournament MVP, was the top scorer with 22 points against the Skyhawks’ perennial main challenger in the Edmonton zone elimination tournament for provincial berths. Knull, the team’s player of the game, added 13 points.
“When it was close we never lost our composure and finished strong, just like we did in this game,” Easthope said.
The Skyhawks also whipped the Leduc Tigers by 73 and the Holy Trinity Trojans by 60. In the semifinals the Skyhawks played as hard as they had to in beating the Camrose Trojans 61-48.
“We didn’t play our best that game,” said Easthope, 17.
It was one of the few times the Skyhawks didn’t perform to their potential as a team to fear. Despite a roster turnover of eight players, with five Grade 10s and two Grade 11s joining three returnees, the Skyhawks are as good, if not better, than the 34-6 team that went undefeated in premier last season.
“After losing so many really good Grade 12s (five), everyone has filled in the spots. The Grade 10s are doing really well and they’re adjusting really good,” said Easthope, a third-year Skyhawk who joins Knull as the only Grade 12s in the line-up. “The big thing is we work unbelievable hard against each other in practice as a team and it pays off. We’re each other’s biggest competition.”
This weekend the Skyhawks are hooping it up at the Salisbury Sabres’ tournament.
The next league game is Monday against the Paul Kane Blues at 6:15 p.m. at Paul Kane. The Blues are 1-2 in premier and 7-3 overall.
“It will be a good game. They’re always good,” Easthope said of the Blues, winners of the Rise Up tournament at Sturgeon Composite High School last weekend. “It’s always the Battle of St. Albert. Everyone wants to do their best and pull out a win. We’re going to be ready for that game for sure.”
FREE THROWS: The Skyhawks men’s team is 1-2 in premier after beating the winless Bellerose Bulldogs 75-63 Wednesday at the SkyDome. Cam Vilcsak tossed in 24 points and Roberto Sanchez-Enkerlin had 10 for the tournament winners at Strathcona Christian Academy last weekend in Sherwood Park. Vilcsak was the tournament MVP and Sanchez-Enkerlin was an all-star team selection.
Monday the Skyhawks play the Blues (1-2), the two-time defending premier champions, at 4:45 p.m. at Paul Kane.
