Scoring points has not been an issue for the New Westminster senior girls Hyacks this season – except for Saturday.
Caught in a stare-down with the Gleneagle Talons, the usually sharp-shooting Hyacks found the hoop a little smaller and the ball a little heavier in a bizarre 37-32 loss in the final at the Archbishop Carney Classic senior basketball tournament.
For a squad that has averaged 79 points per game this season, grinding out 32 seems like a return to Grade 8 scrimmage days.
“It was the weirdest game, even our legs (felt) heavier,” remarked New Westminster coach Doug Woodward of the loss. “I play four post players and normally they get their points, but this time they totalled zero. And it wasn’t just them.”
The positive was that the defence was up to the task, limiting the opposition to just 37 points – normally more than enough to guarantee a win. With both teams turning in San Antonio Spurs-like defence, it only required a bit of balance from the field, or a couple of huge outings. New West unfortunately only had four players register points on the day.
Grade 10 point guard Sarah Forgie counted 17 points, with player-of-the-game Madisen Obrovac scoring seven.
It was slim pickin’s after that.
Consider that to get to the final, they blew past Terry Fox 79-60 and host Carney 70-44 as Obrovac racked up 33 points over those two wins and Rhiannon Leidl tallied 22. The Hyacks do not suffer from a shortage of snipers. It makes the result all the more puzzling, and one to put in the ‘one-off’ bin.
“Fatigue was (a factor),” said Woodward. “We just didn’t run and that’s our game. Our transition from offence to defence was about four seconds, and its usually just over two seconds. You can’t operate that slowly and be effective.”
Forgie, who averaged 19 points per game, was named a Carney tourney all-star. Pretty impressive for a player who doesn’t even start.
“When she comes off the bench she makes an impact,” said Woodward. “She’s really good. When she’s on the court she leads pretty well, and she’s so quick and smart. Sarah knows what to do and when to do it.”
It was just the team’s second loss so far, with the previous one coming against Double-A ranked Seycove a month ago.
Still, as New West rolls under the radar with its 7-2 record, they continue to build a strong portfolio of experience that should prepare them for the playoff battles ahead. This week’s schedule is not different, and may be unprecedented.
Following yesterday’s league game against Burnaby Mountain, the Hyacks kick off the Centennial Top-10 tourney today (Thursday) against No. 5-ranked Riverside. A win would line them up to face either Handsworth or Panorama Ridge – both rated among B.C.’s top-10 AAA squads.
If they lose to Riverside, they get right back on the court to face the loser of that game at 5:30 (Thursday). Among all the teams entered in this year’s Top-10 showcase, New West and host Centennial are the only squads unranked.
“We’re just trying to build up our game for a tough Vancouver and District playoff run,” said the veteran coach. “For us, I think taking little steps and building up for it is the right way, but we’ll certainly get tested this week.”
