Ranked No. 2 for much of the year, there was only one obstacle the Kelowna Owls had yet to clear during the high school basketball season.
On Saturday in Langley, the KSS senior girls crossed that final and triumphant hurdle with a over the favoured and top-ranked Walnut Grove Gators in the B.C. AAA championship game.
KELOWNA WINS! win the Provincial title 67-61 over the Gators. Stay tuned for MVP announcements 馃弳
乌鸦传媒� BC AAA Girls BBall (@BCAAAGirlsBBall)
The Owls, who had lost to the Gators in two previous meetings this season, put on a stifling defensive display乌鸦传媒攃omplimented by a finely-tuned, opportunistic offensive attack乌鸦传媒攖o give KSS, Kelowna and the Okanagan their first ever provincial AAA girls乌鸦传媒� title.
乌鸦传媒淚 am just so proud of our team,乌鸦传媒� said Owls乌鸦传媒� senior Taya Hanson. 乌鸦传媒淎ll the work we put into it, just all being together and playing as one, it was an unreal experience.
乌鸦传媒淚t really felt like the work all paid off,乌鸦传媒� she added. 乌鸦传媒淭o represent Kelowna and the Okanagan and win that championship, will definitely go down in history for us.乌鸦传媒�
Hanson, who returned from a year of basketball in Ontario to play out her Grade 12 season in Kelowna, sealed her high school career in style with 18 points, 11 rebounds and MVP honours for the provincial tournament.
Your Tournament MVP: Taya Hanson of the . In the final game she had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists 馃帠
乌鸦传媒� BC AAA Girls BBall (@BCAAAGirlsBBall)
Grade 11 post Kennedy Dickie delivered one of her best efforts of the season, leading the Owls with 21 points in the final, while Grade 12 guard Dez Day tossed in 11 points, including three conversions from beyond the arc.
Dickie and Jaeli Ibbetson both earned tournament all-star recognition, while Darren Semeniuk was named the top coach.
The Owls, coached by the son and mom team of Darren and Heather Semeniuk, and Quentin Thiessen, made a commitment to a full-court, pressure defense approach after Christmas. It turned out to be the perfect solution against the talent-laden Gators, featuring the likes of Tavia Rowell, Nathalie Rathler and Jessica Wisotzki.
乌鸦传媒淲ith Darren乌鸦传媒檚 leadership and Quintin乌鸦传媒檚 work on defense, we always believed defense was where the answer was,乌鸦传媒� said Heather. 乌鸦传媒淎 credit to the girls, they responded, followed the plan and believed in it, too. That was a really good team we beat.乌鸦传媒�
For seniors Hanson, Day, Rachel Hare and Kasey Patchell, it was their final games at KSS. With most players on the Owls coming up through the club system together, Semeniuk said it was among the tightest-knit, committed group she乌鸦传媒檚 had the pleasure of working with in all her years on the hardwood.
乌鸦传媒淭his is a very special and unique group, these girls are all really dialed into the sport, they乌鸦传媒檙e all really invested in it,乌鸦传媒� Semeniuk said. 乌鸦传媒淭o get to that stage, to that big game and see how they competed, and then come through with the win was really special to see.乌鸦传媒�
For Hanson, who played at a prep school last year in Brantford, ON, it was the ideal conclusion to her high school career.
Next season, she乌鸦传媒檒l join the Arizona State University Sun Devils program in Tempe, AZ.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 so happy I came back, what an amazing way to finish it off with just a lovely group of girls and people,乌鸦传媒� Hanson added. 乌鸦传媒淲e want to embrace this and make it last. We wanted to win this for each other. It乌鸦传媒檚 something I乌鸦传媒檓 sure we乌鸦传媒檒l never forget.乌鸦传媒�
In reaching Saturday乌鸦传媒檚 B.C. final against Walnut Grove, the Owls posted convincing wins at provincials over Heritage Woods, Argyle and Semiamhoo.
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