Cougars Use Experience And Strength To Pounce On Spirits
Story and photos by Robert Thomas
Size, strength and experience all came together as the Briercrest Christian Academy (BCA) Cougars JV Girls defeated the Vanier Spirits Junior Girls team 47 - 30 on Monday evening.
The game featured a timid Spirits team in the First Quarter which saw the Cougars time and again step up and strip the ball out of the hands of their opponents.
The Cougars Jorja Seida on three consecutive possessions simply walked up and stripped the ball out of the hands of a Spirits player.
The Spirits responded by running into foul troubles for over half of the quarter.
The second half saw a more determined Spirits who fought with the Cougars for ball control.
The Spirits also avoided taking the numerous fouls against the Cougars that happened in the first quarter.
The First Quarter score was BCA 19 and Vanier 7. The Cougars only managed to pick up three points on the foul line when the Spirits ran into foul problems.
The Second Quarter was more of a defensive dual as the Cougars increased the point spread ending the half with a 28 - 9 score.
The Third Quarter saw a seemingly different Spirits team on the court as they stood up and challenged the Cougars.
The score at the end of the quarter was Cougars 32 and Spirits 16.
The Fourth Quarter saw the teams trade baskets as the Spirits would score and cut the deficit only to see the Cougars score later and put the deficit back where it was before.
The Final Score was BCA 47 and Vanier 30.
Briercrest Top Scorers:
Gladys Bsiet - 14 points
Keyana Thiessen - 11 points
Natalie Grey -7 points
Vanier Top Scorers:
1. Briar Ward– 12 points
2. Linda Ruberwa– 4 points
3. Isabella Flanagan – 3 points
For Vanier Spirits head coach Miguel Cruz the loss was bitter sweet.
The Spirits had lost by a wide margin also needed to be tempered with the fact the margin was far less than the last time the two teams met.
On December 7th BCA defeated Vanier 61 - 40 a 21 point margin. On Monday evening BCA’s margin of victory was 17 points.
“When they’re a JV team they’re a little bit older and experience goes a long way and it definitely showed throughout the game,” Cruz said.
The team changed its style as the game progressed.
“We made some adjustments and we started slowing them down there.”
The key to the game was the first quarter.
“It was a bad first quarter. That first quarter was just where they couldn’t get their bearings,” he said.
The first quarter saw the Spirits with five team fouls for over four minutes giving the Cougars free throw opportunities.
“One of our better players had a little foul trouble you can say that. We had to pull her back from her playing time,” Cruz said, adding “it’s just the way it goes I guess.”
Asked what he had told the team at half time - the Spirits in second half were an almost entirely new team - he said it wasn’t anything special.
“I think basically it was all defense. Defense. Defense…no I think we just need more practice.”
Despite the loss Cruz is happy on the team’s improvement between the first and second game versus the Cougars.
“I’m very happy with the girls. I think they really came out and played their best.”
