The VSS Panthers parlayed some late clutch shooting into a thrilling 87-81 win over the Immaculata Mustangs Saturday night in the finals of the Okanagan Mission Huskies Invitational Senior GirlsBasketball Classic.
The No. 5 AA Cats led the ninth-ranked Kelowna school by one when Megan Rouault hit a trey withnine seconds left. Kelsey Falk went 4-for-5 at the charity line in the final two minutes.
“Coach T (Dave Tetrault) and I are very proud of the performance the girls put forth in such ahostile environment,” said VSS head coach Lonny Mazurak. “It was a gritty effort by all the girls butespecially Mackenzie Horst, who was double- and triple-teamed all night. A special shoutout toGrade 9 standouts Kelsey Watts and Callie Bertram who filled in admirably with Maddy Smith inPanama and injured Brianna Falk.”
Rouault flushed 26 points, while Kelsey Falk delivered 19 and Mackenzie Horst added 18,
VSS earlier stopped No. 4 Duchess Park Condors of Prince George 58-24 with game star BriannaFalk canning 18 points. Rouault fired 19 points and Horst had 11.
The Cats knocked off second-ranked GW Graham Grizzlies of Chilliwack 59-49 with Kelsey Falkholding the top Grizzlie to seven points.
Game star Horst supplied 19 points, while Rouault nailed 21, Brianna Falk sank 17 and Kelsey Falkearned a dozen.
The Pen-Hi Lakers canned some last-second free throws to clip the Fulton Maroons 46-45Saturday in the consolation final of the 10-team Valleyview Vikings Invitational Senior BoysBasketball Tournament.
Tourney all-star Nate Banga drained 17 points for the Maroons, while Caden Doyle flushed 10. IkeOlson chipped in with 11 rebounds.
After the Lakers hit their charity shots, Landon Currie of the Maroons drove the basket but had theball knocked out of bounds at the buzzer.
Fulton stopped the College Heights Cougars of Prince George 77-49 earlier to reach the final.
“That was the best game of the season for us,” said Fulton head coach Dale Olson. “They were agood team. We dominated them defensively and played very well offensively.”
Banga dialed up 21 points and four assists, while Doyle recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds andOlson supplied 10 points and nine boards.
Banga drained 21 points as the Maroons mauled the Barriere Cougars 83-44 at noon Friday.
Currie sank a dozen points, while Doyle provided 10 points and 10 rebounds and Olson earnednine points and 10 boards.
The Maroons fell 83-65 to the NorKam Saints in their Thursday opener.
Banga pocketed 22 points and four assist, while Olson canned 10 points and 14 rebounds andHunter Krieger also sank 10 points.
The 17th annual Maroon Corporate Classic starts Thursday at 3:30 p.m. with Fulton going upagainst the Sa-Hali Sabres of Kamloops.
The VSS Panthers, led by Ben Hladik, Leon Schenker and Charis Ondrik, face the WestsydeWhundas at 5 p.m., followed by the South Okanagan Hornets of Oliver versus Similkameen Sparksof Keremeos at 6:30.
The Duchess Park Condors of Prince George tangle with the George Elliot Coyotes of Lake Countryat 8 p.m. to conclude Thursday’s six-team draw.
There are eight Friday tilts with Fulton playing Duchess Park at 1:30 and George Elliot at 7 p.m.The Panthers meet Similkameen at 9 a.m. and South Okanagan at 3 p.m.
The championship final goes Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Major sponsors are Tim Hortons, Buy-LowFoods, Westwood Electric and DCT Trucking.
Meanwhile, the host Seaton Sonics overcame a slow start to ground the Pleasant Valley Saints 59-39 in Saturday’s final of the 27th Street Invitational Junior Boys Tournament.
Landen Harison took home the player of the game award by pocketing 11 points and grabbingfour rebounds. His effort on the defensive end led to a number of turnovers as well.
Nakoda Parker jumpstarted things in the second quarter as the Sonics started to pull away, leading26-13 at the break. The Sonics played strong team defence and owned the boards on both ends ofthe floor.
The second half saw the Sonics share the ball effectively and continue to put defensive pressure onthe Saints holding them to 5 points in the third quarter.
“It was a good team game for us. We had contributions from everyone on both ends of the floor,”said Sonic head coach Erik Nielsen.
Simon Ufimsteff counted 12 points and a handful of rebounds, while point guard Jackson Soucyproduced eight points and a dynamic defensive presence.
Joshua Pringle led the Saints with 11 points and Hunter Housyo added six.