With every team in the Moose Jaw High School Athletic Association senior girls basketball league now having played a game, one thing is for certain -- it’s going to be an exceptionally close and competitive season among the league’s five teams.
The two games on Tuesday, Dec. 13 offered a good sample of what to expect, as the Peacock Toilers needed a fourth-quarter rally to take a 60-59 win over the Vanier Spirits and the Lumsden Angels battled to a 47-43 win over the Central Cyclones.
The Spirits looked as if they were going to start their season off on a winning note with how things looked through three quarters at Peacock. Vanier had outscored the Toilers in each quarter -- including a 21-16 edge in the second that gave the Spirits a 36-25 lead at the half.
That edge was 12 points heading into the final 10 minutes, but that’s where the Toilers offence suddenly found their stride. Using a balanced attack, Peacock would put up 21 points in the frame while holding Vanier to only eight and would go on to their one-point win.
Haley Clark had a stellar game for the Toilers with 22 points, including seven in the final quarter, while Hannah Miller had a 12-point outing.
Waverly Demassi led Vanier with 15 points, Feona Tolentino scored 11 and Kate Waldenberger 10.
The Lumsden Angels raised a few eyebrows with their win over the perennial city-title-contending Cyclones, as some solid free throw shooting late in the contest’s waning moments helped them to their four-point victory.
Kaitlyn Kidd led Lumsden with 19 points, Ava Nichols scored 11 and Ellah Flanagan 10 for Central.
Lumsden is tied with Peacock for first at 1-0, Central fell to 1-1.
The lone boys game on the night saw the Toilers take an 88-74 win over Central to improve to 2-0 through the first two weeks of the season; Central is 0-1. Scoring details were unavailable.
Girls league action continues on Tuesday, Dec. 20 in the final slate of games before the Christmas break. Peacock travels to Lumsden and Assiniboia is at Vanier, with both games starting at 5:50 p.m. Central is at Vanier in boys league action, with tip-off there at 7:30 p.m.
