A 74-16 victory over the Princess Margaret Mustangs Grade 9 girls basketball team improved the Pen High Lakers to 3-0 in league play.
A balanced attack led the Lakers to victory with Kali Loewen leading the way with 14 points, Jennifer Hayman with 13, Kayley Davies grabbing 12, while Emma Terris and McKenna Clarke chipped in eight and Rylee McDonald, five.
The Lakers traveled to Langley for Super Saturday at Brookswood Secondary School and won one of three games. The Lakers lost to the Sullivan Heights Stars 49-36. Davies led with eight points, Hayman had seven and Loewen, six.
“We got off to a great start, leading 19-10 at the end of the first quarter, before Sullivan switched to a zone defence which is not something we’ve put a lot of focus on early in the year,” said Lakers coach Chris Terris. “Understandably, we struggled to score after that, but the girls pushed one of the top teams in the province to make some adjustments, which is really encouraging.”
Against the Brookswood Secondary Bobcats, Loewen led with eight points in a 35-21 win. Clarke added seven points, while Hayman had six and Kalli Doell, five.
“This was a one-point game late in the fourth quarter before Clarke caught fire and scored seven straight points, including a key three-pointer to give us some breathing room,” said Terris. “Her offensive game continues to improve every game.”
In their final game, the Lakers lost 48-31 against Yale, one of the best teams in the province. Loewen scored eight points, Hayman seven, Clarke six and Davies four. The Lakers were in it, but ran out of gas, said Terris.
“It was just the weekend we were hoping for with three close, hard-fought games,” said Terris. “We were forced to raise our compete level and responded very well.
“The trip to the coast gave us a chance to see some of the top-rated junior teams in the province,” he continued. “Sullivan has been touted as one of those in the mix to take a run at the provincial title.”
After the Christmas break, Terris and co-coach Russ Reid will work on attacking zone defences. They return to host a tournament on Jan.8-9.
The Laker are 6-4 overall.