Princess Margaret Mustangs bested their cross-town rival Pen High Lakers during Mustang Mania.
The senior boys basketball teams clashed last weekend after the Mustangs dumped the Selkirk Secondary School Storm 81-39. The matchup against the Lakers was one coach Russ Reid said his players were excited about.
“At the senior level, we are not in a similar league with them so it is fun when we get the opportunity to play each other,” said Reid, whose team opened the tournament with a 67-57 win over Pleasant Valley from Armstrong. The Mustangs held a 10-point lead at the half, then extended it to 13 midway through the fourth quarter. The Lakers were able to shrink the lead to within five, but that’s as close as they got, losing 66-58.
“I was impressed with the team’s focus and effort throughout the game,” said Mustangs coach Brian Hurst. “We ran into foul trouble with some key offensive players, but as the case has been all year, we were able to go to our bench and not have much of a letdown.”
The bench was key for the Mustangs throughout the weekend and as the players wore down teams physically. Reid also liked that they were able to maintain a high tempo with an aggressive style.
“In the final, we were able to make key shots and free throws when Pen High mounted a comeback,” said Reid.
Jarret Cantelon, Conor Gahagan and Brayden Hearne received game stars for the tournament. Reid also noted the strong efforts of Cantelon, Mauro Patterson and Harman Randhawa.
The Mustangs began 2012 with a 65-35 league win over George Elliot. With the three wins in the Maggie tournament, they now have won four consecutive games.