MOOSE JAW - The LCBI Lady Bisons went the distance and gave their all, but they couldn't outmatch an impressive gameplan from their opponents in the 2A Girls Bronze medal game.
Of course, the game itself almost didn't happen to begin with as the SHSAA (Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association) announced earlier this week that if a resolution didn't come to pass in the ongoing drama between the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) and the provincial government. When the 3:00 pm deadline on Wednesday came to pass and there was still no progress, the SHSAA addressed the situation and offered apologies for the annual two-day event having to be cancelled.
However, the SHSAA had a backup plan that they offered schools from around the province who still wished to see their basketball athletes have a chance to play the games that they had worked to reach; a modified one-day version of Hoopla, slotting teams into Gold and Bronze medal games based on their division seeding.
The alternative seemed to please many schools from around Saskatchewan, as all but two decided to accept the invitation to play.
With games taking place in the city of Moose Jaw, the 2A Girls Bronze medal game saw the LCBI Lady Bisons matched up against the Norquay Knights.
Taking place at Riverview Collegiate High School on Saturday, March 23, the game kicked off with LCBI first on the scoreboard, but Norquay came right back in what would turn out to be a rather even affair in the early stages of this contest.
It wasn't long before the Bisons took the lead in the packed gymnasium, to the delight of a sizable number of supporters who made the drive down, but the Knights kept their cool and pushed, eventually taking the thin lead, but soon they were ahead by 10 points on the scoreboard, with LCBI needing to mount a solid comeback.
At the half, the score was 39-24 for Norquay, and it would soon be clear which team was likely leaving Moose Jaw with the bronze medal.
As the action heated up in the third quarter, the Knights forged ahead, but the Bisons didn't let themselves get discouraged. In two separate instances, LCBI #8 Olivia Hefner scored three-point shots that drew loud cheers from the Bisons' support system in attendance.
By the looks of the scoreboard minutes into the fourth, Norquay had come to take the victory and they weren't about to let up on LCBI, though the Bisons refused to let up on their defense and didn't make things easy for the Knights. When the final buzzer was heard and it was all over, the Norquay Knights had captured the 2A Bronze medal, defeating LCBI at a score of 77-44.
The fans in the stands applauded both teams for a well-played game, and the spirit of this modified, alternative version of the Hoopla provincial championship could be felt in the air by everyone in attendance, who just wanted to watch these young athletes have their deserving platform to play the game and decide the winners.
Coached by Samantha Ridgewell, Kira Berggren, and Todd Johnson, with management by Jennifer Ridgewell and training by Leah Rusk, the LCBI Lady Bisons for 2023/2024 are comprised of players Ayva Bidochka, Hallie Sincennes, Jane Wilson, Kaitlin Wright, Olivia Thompson, Olivia Hefner, Kate Wilson, Morgan Chabot, Rachel Brand, Cassidy Ireland, Sophia Haugen, Angel Sodhi, Summer Scot, and Camryn Nelson.
