Both the Senior Raider boys and Senior Raider girls kicked off their 2015/16 SHSAA basketball seasons this past weekend as the two teams travelled to Prince Albert to compete at the 2015 Carlton Invitational Tournament.
The two Raider programs found success at the competition with the boys winning the consolation side with a 2-1 record while the girls also went 2-1 but brought home third place.
Boys
The senior Raider boys opened the tournament up Friday evening knowing they were in for a tough game against the defending 4A SHSAA Provincial champion Melfort Comets.
Missing grade 12 starters Daniel Sparrowhawk, Tyson Black and Nick Payne, the Raiders battled valiantly, however the undermanned Raiders just could not contain the Comet offence, falling 64-37 to Melfort.
The loss dropped the Raiders to the consolation side of the tournament where they met up with the host Carlton Crusaders.
The Raiders used what they learnt in their opening game to put together several nice runs, eventually breaking away from the Crusaders for their first win of the season in the form of a 61-36 drubbing of the host Crusaders.
That victory sent the Raiders to the consolation side final against last year鈥檚 4A provincial runners up the Meadow Lake 鈥� Carpenter Spartans.
Both the Raiders and Spartans struggled to put together strong offensive surges throughout the entire game; instead it was the defence that stood tall on both sides with the Raiders eking out a narrow 40-37 victory for the Consolation side title.
Following the completion of the tournament YRHS Sr. Raider boys head coach Jason Payne told Yorkton This Week that he was happy with the way the team played in their first tournament of the season. 鈥淲e played well. We were missing a few of our grade 12鈥檚, but that allowed the younger players to experience the game at the senior level,鈥� mentioned Payne, adding that he was impressed with the way several of his depth players played when given more court time. 鈥淭he two Matthew鈥檚, Matthew Balysky and Matthew Mandziuk, both stepped in and played very well for being two grade 10鈥檚 at the senior level.
鈥淛ihwan Shin also did well. He played some really good defence, especially in the final game where he locked down their guy on defence and was a real pest, so there are a lot of good things there.鈥�
As for the rest of the season, Payne expects his team to continue to improve and believes that Hoopla 鈥� the SHSAA Provincial competition 鈥� is a definite possibility. 鈥淚 think we have a good chance, especially when our missing guys return,鈥� said Payne. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you ever start a season not wanting to go to Provincials.鈥�
The Sr. Raider boys will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Saskatoon for the Saskatoon Centennial Charger Charity Classic.
Lady Raiders
The YRHS Lady Raiders were also in Prince Albert this past weekend.
The Lady Raiders 鈥� coached by Jessica Kyle 鈥� went 2-1 through three games en route to a third place finish at the Carlton Invitational Tournament.
Grade 10 rookie Amber Tilcox led the Lady Raiders in scoring in all three games, first posting a double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) in a 66-35 tournament opening win over Kinistino, before scoring 12 points in a 61-38 Game Two loss to Prince Albert 鈥� St. Mary.
In the final game of the tournament, a 55-47 win over Melfort, Tilcox put up a team-high 17 points. 鈥淪he (Tilcox) played great this weekend,鈥� mentioned Lady Raider coach Jessica Kyle. 鈥淔or a grade 10 girl to lead the scoring in every game, that鈥檚 impressive.鈥�
However Tilcox wasn鈥檛 the only player to surprise the coach on the weekend. Grade 12 point guard Jess Lutz 鈥� in her first basketball season since grade nine 鈥� also caught the Lady Raider coach鈥檚 eye. 鈥淟utz hasn鈥檛 played basketball since grade nine, but she ended up coming off the bench for us in our third game and scored 14 points and had seven steals,鈥� offered Kyle. 鈥淪he was a huge reason why we came back and won that third game.鈥�
Coach Kyle then said that the strong start to the season is something that the Lady Raiders must continue should they want to reach their ultimate goal of competing at Hoopla. 鈥淟ast year we weren鈥檛 very consistent and it cost us,鈥� said Kyle, continuing, 鈥淭his year, with nine grade 12 players, I think we have what it takes to get to Hoopla. It won鈥檛 be an easy journey there but I think it鈥檚 something that we can definitely do as a team.
鈥淲e have the experience and the talent, it鈥檚 just the means of getting into those close games and coming out on the winning side of them.鈥�
The Lady Raiders will look to continue their hot start to the season this coming weekend when they travel to Swift Current for their second tournament of the season.
