The rematch of last year’s metro Edmonton premier women’s basketball semifinal between the St. Albert Skyhawks and Paul Kane Blues tips off today at 4:45 p.m. at the SkyDome.
The winner advances to Saturday’s final at 5 p.m. at O’Leary High School.
Last year the Blues upset the Skyhawks 75-66 in the playoffs and in the final lost 66-48 to the O’Leary Spartans.
In the only tilt this season between the St. Albert rivals, the Skyhawks humbled the Blues 98-48 in December.
The Blues are 6-4 in premier after silencing the Sturgeon Spirits 63-52 in Monday’s playoff in Namao.
The Skyhawks are ranked No. 1 in 3A as the two-time defending provincial champions. They are 10-0 in premier and 27-6 overall after crushing the St. Francis Xavier Rams 87-33 in Monday’s playoff in St. Albert. Haley England led all scorers with 16 points. Paige Knull sank 14, Katie Burak added 13 and Amber Easthope had 12.
Last weekend at the 3A-level Wetaskiwin tournament the Skyhawks beat the Camrose Trojans and Holy Trinity of Okotoks before falling to the No. 2-ranked McCoy Colts of Medicine Hat 68-66 in the final. After the Colts jumped into an early 10-point lead the Skyhawks changed defences, forced McCoy’s big player into foul trouble and pulled even at 34-34 at halftime. The teams exchanged three-point leads throughout the second half and with five seconds to play the Skyhawks had a chance to tie it, but failed to sink a shot and were then called for a flagrant foul. The Colts missed both free throws and then put the ball in from the side to end the game.
The previous weekend, at the Spruce Grove Panthers tournament, the Colts edged the Skyhawks 55-53 in the first meeting between the 3A rivals since the 2011 provincial final, when the Skyhawks repeated as gold medallists with a 74-63 decision. The Skyhawks let a 12-point halftime lead slip away from them in the tournament semifinal.
Not in the line-up last weekend was co-captain Kendall Lydon. The Grade 12 scoring ace is still recovering from a concussion suffered in the second quarter against McCoy in Spruce Grove.
A trip to the metro Edmonton premier final is at stake today when the Paul Kane Blues host Bev Facey Falcons at 4:45 p.m. in the premier men’s semifinal.
The final is Saturday at 7 p.m. at O’Leary High School.
In last year’s final the Blues knocked off the Falcons 72-69 for their third premier title in five years.
The Blues are 9-1 in premier and 19-11 overall as the eighth-ranked 4A team in the province after taming the Leduc Tigers 76-62 in Monday’s playoff at Paul Kane. The Falcons are 6-4 in premier.
Earlier this month the Blues downed the Falcons 69-63 in Sherwood Park.
The Bellerose Bulldogs pounded the mats for seven medals at the recent Edmonton zone wrestling championships in Stony Plain.
Silver medallists were Katrina Austyn (female 61 kilograms), Emily Riehel (female 65 kg), Katie Gillespie (female 70 kg), Robert Blunden (90 kg) and Jack Hanna (120 kg).
Cast in bronze were Grace Vandervelden (53 kg) and Jake Mentz (82 kg).
The medal winners advance to the March 9 provincials in Okotoks.
