SG Basketball D2: Fighting Until “The End”

So we didn't. Instead we planned for the blitz that we knew Collège Sacre-Coeur was going to throw at us in this battle for the RSEQ bronze medals. Last time we’d played them they beat us pretty good, 51-33, with a barrage of quick threes and crashing the boards.

And in addition to being a very strong, well-coached team, this was to be the last game in the history of their school, as CSC is closing for good at year’s end, so we knew emotions and intensity would be high.

 

But despite this, we still felt we had a better shot this time. Even though we were still extremely rusty from the 27-day March break layoff, this time Sacre-Coeur wasn’t playing at home, in their tiny gym, with the old 3-pt line that is much closer. I mean, they had to shoot worse this time, right?

Yeah no. Nine minutes and six (!) picture-perfect threes later, CSC had bombarded us to the tune of a 20-4 shellacking barely a minute into the 2nd quarter. The most lopsided start of any game this entire season. We were in real danger of being blown out of the gym.

And then captain Emily Willis, one of the smartest players I’ve ever coached, suggested trying a 3-2 zone defence to plant defenders exactly where our opponents loved to shoot from. Even though we’d never played or even practiced it, it was a brilliant idea. We immediately switched, and it worked to perfection.

The CSC shooters had less room, our forwards rebounded fiercely, and when they tried to attack the soft middle, Kenz was at her elite, disruptive best – she played like she was 8 feet tall, deflecting anything remotely near to her, and putting on a rebounding clinic. Just how well did your Spartans play a defence they’d never tried all season? After giving up 20 pts in the opening 9 minutes, they allowed a paltry 16 pts the rest of the game.

Talk about getting up off the mat and fighting until the very end. At the risk of repeating myself, I could not be prouder of these players. But defence is only one half of a basketball game. You need to score. And unfortunately we couldn’t put the ball in the ocean yesterday. All of the rust that we somehow avoided in our semifinal vs La Ruche showed up. All the time off doomed us. 

We took 64 shots, inside & outside, many of them open, and made 11 of them. If we play this game before the March break, there is no way we shoot that poorly. Final score 26-36, and the season that started way back on Nov. 5t came to an end.

 

I’ve already spoken and written quite a bit about how much I’ve enjoyed this team, in particular at Senior Nite and Athletic Assembly, so I’ll finish with 3 things from yesterday that are just so Sr Girls Bball 2019:

- Abby being so violently ill that she couldn’t play, and apologizing over and over and over for it.

- Emily refusing to lose, trying so hard at the end and caring so little about herself that she broke her nose scoring the toughest hoop you’ll ever see (you are a true warrior, Em, get well soon).

- And finally Rosema, who didn’t come back on the bus with us, sending the team a post-game message of gratitude and love for the season, including the epic Rosema line “…it was an honour to share the court with women’s like you…”I agree. It’s been an honour coaching you young women’s this year. Great athletes and better people.

- Coaches Van Dyke & Wolfe

 

Final Season Statistics
Overall Record: 33 wins 8 losses
RSEQ League Play: 11 wins 3 losses
Points for per game: 38.1 Points allowed per game: 28.5
Stanstead Invitational Tournament CHAMPIONS
M.I.S. Tournament CHAMPIONS
BAILLY TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
MacLEOD PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS