The KVR Express Grade 8 girls basketball team pushed its record to 6-2 with a pair of wins in the Dr. Knox tournament over the weekend.
The Express opened with a 41-34 defeat at the hands of the South Kamloops Titans. Rylee McDonald was the Express' top scorer with nine points. Express coach Chris Terris said his group battled hard, but missed shots they normally make. Terris added that McDonald had her best game of the season as her aggressive play helped keep the Express in the game.
In their second game, Kayley Davies led the charge with 11 points, while Mckenna Clarke was named player of the game with five points, grabbing six rebounds and two steals.
“Mckenna plays hard at both ends," said Terris. "She’s strong and aggressive and difficult to play against. She contributes in a lot of areas.”
The Express also got a strong performance from Kalli Doell with six points, eight boards and three steals.
“Kalli has some intangibles—anticipation and timing—which are difficult to teach," added Terris. "It’s incredible how many deflections and steals she gets, and she rebounded the ball well in the Vernon game."
In the final match, a 56-30 win over the hosts, Emma Terris, Davies and Doell teamed up to score 10 points each. Jennifer Hayman led with six rebounds while also scoring eight points. Olivia Devito was named player of the game with five points and four assists. Terris said his group played a complete game with players such as Kaitlyn Hutcheson, Terris, Hayman and Devito being sick or hurt most of the week.
“We have a deep team and are hard to play against if everyone is contributing,” he said. “The girls are starting to develop some clear roles: Kate Coombes, who has developed into our most reliable defender, had another really strong weekend.”
The previous weekend the Express earned victories over Osoyoos and Skaha Lake. In league play, the Express is 2-0 and 6-2 overall.