The Comp Eagles senior boys won both of their games at the SHSAA 4A Regional Basketball Championships, hosted at the Weyburn Comp’s Eagle gym on Friday and Saturday, and are advancing to Hoopla, the SHSAA Provincial Basketball Championship this weekend in Saskatoon.
The host Eagles first trounced Nipawin on Friday evening by a score of 107-59, and then met up with Moose Jaw Vanier for the championship game on Saturday, and won 81-77.
Nipawin went on to play Humboldt for the consolation championship, and won 88-75.
“The Regional Tournament went well and the Eagles played consistent despite not playing a game for a few weeks,” said coach Lars Guenther, adding, “The lads had a solid weekend on defense.”
Coach Cory Olson stressed some points and the team executed well defensively in both games, especially in the final against Vanier.
“I was happy with the number of quality scoring opportunities as well, but I would like us to finish a bit more consistently, specifically inside the paint and on free throws. We will need to make the most of our scoring opportunities when we face the provincial number two seeded Notre Dame Hounds on Friday. I know the Eagles are very motivated to reach the final again and repeat as 4A Provincial Champions,” said Guenther.
The Comp senior girls team travelled to Prince Albert to take part in the 5A Regional Girls championships, and the Eagles beat Yorkton on Friday 65-39.
The Eagles then advanced to the semi-finals against Swift Current with the winner going to Hoopla and the final. The Eagles were close all game going into half time tied at 26. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Swift Current came out strong in the second half and ended up taking the win 67-47.
Coach Karly Johnson said the girls were disappointed with the end result.
“They played a tough match-up in the quarter final against Yorkton, beating them Friday night. Saturday morning the Swift Current Ardens brought their ‘A’ game and really played tough defence on us. The game was tied at half, but in the third quarter Swift started hitting some three pointers and slowly pulled away from us,” said Johnson.
She noted that Hailey Neiszner played a great offensive game, scoring 16 points, and “Arliss Sidloski also had a fantastic game, even though she was guarded by bigger defenders, scoring 24 points.”
Looking back on this season, Johnson said of the squad, “I really lucked out again this year, as I enjoyed coaching for another season. I seem to get the best kids! During practice, they worked hard and had fun, making my job pretty easy for the last four months. Each weekend, the girls meshed well on and off the court: laughing constantly in the van, cheering loudly on the bench, and being unselfish on the court.”
