Peacock Junior Girls Open Tourney With A Victory
Story and Photos by Robert Thomas
The Peacock Toilers high school girls junior basketball team opened up the Moose Jaw Junior Basketball Invitational Tournament with a 54 - 42 victory over the Swift Current Ardens on Friday evening.
But it was not an easy win with the Ardens trailing the Toilers by just two points (28 - 26) in the third quarter.
But through determined play the Toilers would pull away from the Ardens not once but twice in the last 15 minutes to record the victory.
The Toilers managed to move away from the Ardens in the last four minutes of the game.
Peacock's Kaycee Buchanan (left) is pressured by Swift Current's Ellie Nelson - MJ Independent photo
The First Quarter score was Peacock 15 and Swift Current 5.
The score at Half Time was Peacock 26 and Swift Current 14.
The Third Quarter score was Peacock 34 and Swift Current 26.
The Final Score was Peacock 54 and Swift Current 42.
Peacock's Jakson Mcaully (left) attempts to get around the Swift Current wall of Isabelle Gottselig and Rory Emperingham - MJ Independent photo
Top Scorers for Peacock
Kate Hansen - 13 points
Nevaeh Toupin - 10 points
Ellie Panko - 8 points
Jackson McAulley - 8 points
Top Scorers for Swift Current
Kas Gatzke - 14 points
Isabelle Gottselig - 12 points
Rory Emperingham - 10 points
Despite a short bench, with player's not in attendance at the tournament, the Ardens had one player literally tower above everyone else on the court.
Peacock's Kate Hansen (left) breaks out around traffic. Hansen would lead the toilers scoring with 13 points - MJ Independent photo
Swift Current's Not So Secret Weapon
Despite having a short bench Swift Current has one player on the bench whose presence was felt in their matchup against Peacock.
Her name is Isabelle Gottselig.
Swift Current Arden's Isabelle Gottselig presence was felt on the court - MJ Independent photo
At 6 foot 2 inches with a reach well over seven feet Gottselig's presence could be felt not just in offensive and defensive rebounding but throughout the entire game.
“She is dynamite on the floor. She works her butt off and she always seems to know where to be,” Ardens’ head coach Andrew Judge said about Gottselig.
“It’s hard to play against six foot two (inches). You can’t coach tall I always say,” Peacock Toilers head coach Macaela Williams said.
Williams said she was well aware of Gottselig's talent and size prior to the tournament and did her best in on court matchups to contain Gottselig the best that they could.
“Our game plan was to out Kate Hansen on her and I thought she did a fantastic job. With our bench coming in we had Madi Marktanner on her (Gottselig). And she did a fantastic job on Gottselig because she is quite the challenge that you have to handle,” she said.
“She is very talented.:
Peacock's Kate Hanson (right) attempts to go around Swift Current's Isabelle Gottselig who easily has 18 more inches in reach - MJ Independent photo
Gottselig told MJ Independent she knew her size had an impact on the court.
Despite her size Gottselig said she had to play hard in the tournament.
“When we are short-handed, with this team (at the tournament) it is a competition game so we all have to work hard I guess,” Gottselig said.
A couple of facts about Gottselig she is a talented multi-sport athlete set to head off to U18 AAA female hockey making the jump from the Swift Current Wildcats U18 AA squad.
The other fact is - much to the chagrin to other local teams - her family originated in Moose Jaw.
In the Peacock matchup Gottselig was not only driving down the court but she aso used her size and dominance to keep the Toilers at bay.
Swift Current Ardens get instructions from head coach Andrew Judge during a time out - MJ Independent photo
Coaches Comments
Ardens head coach Andrew Judge said this is not the team's first short benched outing against the Toilers.
“We have played Peacock before short-handedand we played them tonight again short-handed. They are a team that knows how to push the pace well. They are a team that likes to be aggressive so we matched it,” Judge said.
Despite the final score the Ardens head coach said the Ardens were competitive.
“We couldn't make baskets in the first quarter but in the second and third quarters we came back. We had a tight game. In the end they just pulled ahead on some really hood fast breaks,” he said.
Although Peacock was short a couple of players - who were participating in the City high school curling Championships - he said Peacock's fuller bench had an impact.
“At the end they just had a little bit more energy than us but that is just the way it goes.”
Swift Current's Rory Emperingham (left) is defended against by Peacock's Kaycee Buchanan- MJ Independent photo
Peacock Toilers head coach Macaela Williams said despite not playing in the same league Swift Current is so close to Moose Jaw their matchup is like a rivalry.
“Swift Current is always a fun team to play against whether it is their best team or they got their two junior (girls) teams. They are only an hour and a half away it is like they are rivals in a kind of a way,” Williams said.
Peacock's Kealy Halyk breaks up court - MJ Independent photo
Despite a numerical advantage on the bench Williams said it did not play into her game strategy.
“We were five (players) on and five (players) off in the first half and then we had to adjust in the second half when the game got a little bit closer,” she said.
“All of our girls contributed tonight and it was a fantastic win.”
About the Ardens moving within two points of the Toilers in the third quarter Williams said she was “definitely not surprised.”
“I was fully expecting Swift Current to hang around.”
The Moose Jaw Invitational is the team's final tournament of the year and she said it was good that the team could play their final tournament of the year by being able to sleep in their own beds.
The tournament continues on Saturday with an 8:30 am start for the junior girls.
All junior girls games on Saturday are at Vanier Collegiate.
The junior boys have a 9 am start with all games played at Peacock Collegiate.
The cost to attend the tournament is $5.