In the end, it was the Kelowna Secondary School Owls emerging as the Okanagan Valley senior girls basketball champions, earning a spot in the B.C. finals.
The provincially-number five ranked Owls knocked off the Okanagan Mission Huskies (10) 69-58 in last Valley finals, hosted at Penticton Secondary School Feb. 14 to 16.
The Owls trailed by six after the first half and two after three quarters but outscored their opponents 13-1 in the final six minutes.
The Pen High Lakers, after getting off to a good start in the quarterfinal game and defeating Salmon Arm Golds 62-23, lost a 67-36 decision to the defensive-minded Huskies.
The loss doused the team’s hope of having a chance at the provincials, but they rebounded with a 64-57 win over the Mount Boucherie Bears to clinch the third spot.
“Emotionally, especially for the Grade 12s, it’s a tough game to play—their last game in a Pen High uniform,” said head coach Chris Terris. “But they bounced back and had a great second quarter. It was a very satisfying way to wrap it up.
“The girls were disappointed that we let OKM (Okanagan Mission) get away from us in the semi-final, but they are one of the better defensive teams in the province. They give up very few uncontested shots or easy buckets. They’re ranked in the top 10 of the province for a reason.”
Graduating seniors from the Lakers are Lea Breusing (German exchange student), Kalli Doell, Tegan Elder, Cassie Hannon, Jennifer Hayman, Kali Loewen and Emma Terris.
“These young ladies have left their mark on the Pen High senior girls’ program,” said Terris. “They won a lot of games in a Pen High uniform, going to two provincial tournaments and valley championship. It’s been a wonderful journey.
“At some point during the weekend, every girl had big moments. As a player, that’s how you want things to end. As coaches, we couldn’t be happier.”
The team finished the season with an overall record of 18 wins and seven losses, five and four in league play.
The Lakers got off to a slow start in their final game, trailing 18-5 after the first quarter but rallied to take the lead 32-27 at the half.
Doell led the way for the Lakers with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Emma Terris checked in with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jennifer Hayman and Maria Iannone each had seven points.
Terris and Cassie Hannon were selected to the second team all-star roster.
Related: Okanagan senior girls basketball Valley Championships in Penticton
Hannon led the Lakers scoring in their only tournament loss with 12 points, with Iannone and Jaden Yamamoto adding six and five points respectively.
Related: Lakers senior girls basketball on the home stretch to playoffs
In the win over Salmon Arm, Terris hooped 17 points, pulled down seven rebounds and four steals. Loewen had a dozen points, five rebounds and three steals. Hannon and Iannone had six points each.
The championship for the Owls qualifies them for the provincials, while Okanagan Mission played the Fraser Valley #8 team to determine the final berth in that tournament.
@PentictonNews
newstips@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
MarkBrett
Send Mark Brett an email.
Like the Western News on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.
