It wasn’t how they envisioned the first game going.
The New Westminster Hyacks will be battling for no better than ninth place after falling 74-60 to the Semiahmoo Totems on Wednesday in the first game of the B.C. 3-A senior girls basketball championships in Langley.
It ended like it started, but after the South Surrey squad took out an 8-1 lead, New West gave it a strong push and would tie the game 14-14 after one quarter. The Totems once again went on a streak, peeling off eight straight points before the Hyacks once again struck back. A 10-6 run got the underdogs to within four at halftime, but Semiahmoo came out for the second half recharged and built on its lead en route to a comfortable win.
““They didn’t do anything we didn’t know about. We told (the players) about (Semiahmoo’s Izzy Forsyth), but their big girl (six-foot-three Faith Dut) was just too big,” said Hyacks coach Doug Woodward. “(Dut) played in New West two years ago and (Wednesday) played a very good game. She has a nice touch and made a lot of good moves.”
The one-time Hyack finished with 20 points and displayed a lot of skill in blocking shots and winning boards. Forsyth led Semiahmoo with 35 points.
The top New West shooter was Sarah Forgie with 20 points, including three treys, while Devin Strome contributed 19 points.
“We just didn’t have enough. We had no finish today and a lot of turnovers, and that was a big thing,” noted Woodward. “There wasn’t any, I don’t know, we didn’t have a lot of jump today. I knew it would be hard to do a full-court press because they’re so well-coached.”
Semiahmoo is coached by former Canadian national team coach and longtime SFU bench boss Allison McNeill.
New West played Oak Bay on Thursday, past the Record’s deadline.
To follow the Hyacks journey at the championships, go to http://bit.ly/2GNNRIn, or at www.bchighschoolbasketballchampionships.com.
