Basketball at PK
Today’s doubleheader for the Paul Kane Blues is also the metro Edmonton league home opener for the senior men’s and women’s teams.The division two men play the Millwoods Christian Royals at 5 p.m. and the division one women welcome the Harry Ainlay Titans at 6:30 p.m.
League play started Monday with away games for the Blues. Scores were 92-67 for the Paul Kane men against the J. Percy Page Panthers and the 67-59 loss for the lady Blues against the Jasper Place Rebels.
Last weekend Paul Kane won the Queen Elizabeth men’s tournament by defeating the McNally Tigers 110-53, the host team 71-51 and the Lloydminster Barons 69-48 in the final.
Grade 12 forward Jack MacPherson received tournament all-star recognition.
Wolves Rise Up
The Morinville Wolves rose to the challenge as the Rise Up men’s tournament champions.The Wolves clipped the Bev Facey Falcons 84-76 in Saturday’s final at Sturgeon Composite High School.
Five players scored in double figures against the metro Edmonton division two team.
Matthew Osunde, the tournament MVP, led the way with 15 points and recorded nine assists. Russ Foisy tacked up 14 points and Jacob Christensen added 12 points while pulling down 19 rebounds.
The Wolves started off Rise Up, which dates back to 2009, with the 65-60 victory over the Spruce Grove Panthers, the 2018 metro division two champions.
Osunde pumped in 28 points and Christensen netted 11 while racking up 19 boards.
The semifinal was 89-59 over the Memorial Marauders as Osunde produced 26 points, Foisy drained 15 and Christensen tossed in 12 while grabbing 17 rebounds against the metro division two team.
The Wolves have five players back from the 2018 North Central zone championship team that finished 10th at the 3A provincials.
Chris Ogie, the team MVP the past two seasons, was eligible to return but accepted a scholarship to Halifax Prep.
Meanwhile, the lady Wolves finished third at Rise Up by defeating the Sturgeon Spirits 72-63.
Laura Stalzer led the Wolves with 32 points while Makayla Attfield sank 16 and took three charges to help slow down the 2018 metro division two champions.
The lady Wolves are returning seven players, including four starters from the 2018 North Central zone champions that placed sixth at the 3A provincials.
Thursday the lady Wolves are playing the host team at the Louis St. Laurent tournament.
REB Invitational
The Paul Kane Blues and St. Albert Skyhawks are on the same side of the women’s draw at the 37th annual REB Invitational at Jasper Place High School.The round of eight tips off Thursday with Paul Kane, the defending champion, up against the Harry Ainlay Titans at 2 p.m. and the Skyhawks face the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Clippers at 4 p.m.
Depending on the results, the teams will play Friday at 2 p.m. in the consolation round or in the 8 p.m. semifinal.
The St. Peter the Apostle Spartans of Spruce Grove, Western Canada Redhawks of Calgary, Centennial Collegiate Chargers of Saskatoon and the host Rebels are on the opposite side of the draw.
Skyhawks game
The St. Albert Skyhawks begin defence of their metro Edmonton division one women’s championship today against the host Archbishop MacDonald Marauders at 5:30 p.m.Last weekend the Skyhawks finished third at the Victoria Christmas Tournament after downing Brookswood of Langley, B.C., 92-64.
Teå DeMong averaged a team-high 21 points over four games and Annacy Palmer was the second-leading scorer averaging 16 points per game.
Additional tournament coverage for the Skyhawks will appear in Saturday’s edition.
Meanwhile, the 4A provincial bronze medallists will be without DeMong, a 2018 Metro Athletics all-star and second-team All Canadian at U17 nationals, and a pair of U15 Team Alberta players in Palmer and Morgan Harris for the REB Invitational at Jasper Place High School because of commitments with the women’s national age-group assessment camps at Humber College in Toronto.
