The St. Albert Skyhawks resumed league play this week in the metro Edmonton premier conference with victories by the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Wednesday in a battle of 3A-ranked men’s teams, the Skyhawks overcame a slow start to defeat the Leduc Tigers 93-86 in Leduc.
After giving up 28 points in the opening quarter, the Skyhawks clawed their way back from a 15-point deficit to lead 51-48 at halftime. They extended the lead to 10 points in the third quarter and then to 15 halfway through the last quarter before the Tigers started to make some noise.
Cam Vilcsak was the top scorer with 21 points and Brendan Thera-Plamondon drained 18.
In the 3A provincial rankings the Skyhawks (3-3) are ninth in 3A and the Tigers are sixth. The No. 1 team is the Edmonton public league’s Edmonton Christian Lions.
Thursday the lady Skyhawks crushed the winless Salisbury Sabres 88-21 in Sherwood Park.
Amber Easthope led the attack with 19 points. Kayla Ivicak sank 18 points, Paige Knull added 16 and Marinya Marcichiw had 10 for the 2012 premier champions and three-time reigning 3A provincial gold medallists.
The Skyhawks are 6-0 in premier and 16-0 overall this season as the No. 1-ranked 3A team in Alberta. The victory also extended the team’s winning streak to 24 games, dating back to late February of last year.
On tap next for the Skyhawks is their second annual invitational tournament for male and female teams, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the SkyDome and Morinville Community High School.
Matt Murray of the St. Albert Sabres stopped a game-high 45 shots in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the 2012 provincial champion SSAC Southgate Lions at Millwoods Arena.
The Sabres were credited with only 15 shots against SSAC netminder Stuart Skinner.
The first-place Lions (23-0-2) scored three times before the Sabres (6-14-6) rebounded with power-play markers by Ryan Cox late in the second period and with 13:18 to play in the third.
Sunday the Sabres host the Maple Leafs (16-6-3) at 4 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The last Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League game before the John Reid Memorial Tournament for the Sabres is Tuesday versus the Canadian Athletic Club (10-13-2). Faceoff is 8:15 p.m. at Bill Hunter Arena.
The Paul Kane Blues snapped a four-game losing streak in metro Edmonton premier women’s basketball in Thursday’s 65-57 win over the O’Leary Spartans at Paul Kane High School.
Co-captain Josee Larson scored a game-high 29 points for the Blues (2-5), who led 36-27 at halftime.
The momentum shifter was Larson’s three-pointer with five minutes remaining to make it 54-48. Clutch free throws by the Grade 12 guard sealed the win.
Sydney Hurlburt tossed in 20 points and Tiana Woyewitka added eight against O’Leary (3-4), the No. 8-ranked 4A team in Alberta.
The Blues are now 8-6 overall.
The day before, the Blues lost 57-46 to the St. Francis Xavier Rams (5-2) at Paul Kane.
The next league game after the exam break is Feb. 4 against the Archbishop Jordan Scots (5-2), ranked fourth in 4A, at 6:15 p.m. at Paul Kane.
The Wade White rink is representing the St. Albert Curling Club at the senior 50-plus men’s Edmonton and area zone playdowns this weekend at the Avonair.
White, third Doug McLennan, second Dan Holowaychuk and lead George Parsons are competing for a berth at northerns, Jan. 24 to 27 at the Thistle.
Provincials are Feb. 13 to 17 at the Granite.
Last year at zones McLennan’s rink of third Wilf Gunderson, second Don Johnston and lead John McKenzie defeated three teams from the Thistle in the A bracket for their second northern berth in three years.
This is the first year in the senior playdowns for White and Holowaychuk, a St. Albert resident and former fifth man for the Ferbey Four.
Last weekend White’s bonspiel rink of third Kevin Tym, Holowaychuk and lead George White qualified for northerns as one of the two C event winners at zones at Jasper Place.
St. Albert product Glen Kennedy also won a northern berth in the C event. Kennedy curls with last-rock thrower Nathan Connolly, second Brandon Klassen and lead Parker Konschuh.
Northerns start Thursday at the Ottewell.
Provincials run Feb. 6 to 10 in Leduc. The winner advances to the Brier, March 2 to 10 at Rexall Place.
Jamie King’s St. Albert rink of Blake MacDonald, Scott Pfeifer and Jeff Erickson will challenge Kevin Koe and Kevin Martin for a Brier berth.
King (No. 2 in Alberta Curling Tour standings), Koe (defending champion), Martin (Canadian Team Ranking System points leader in Alberta) and Brendan Bottcher (No. 1 on the ACT) have already qualified for provincials.
