The Central Cyclones might have figured out the perfect winning strategy when it comes to this whole high school basketball thing.
Just hold your opponent to a single point most of the first quarter and then have an answer for anything they throw at you the rest of the game.
Of course, it usually isn’t that simple, but the Cyclones' defence was on point to start their 4A girls regional final against Yorkton Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon, and that all led to a 56-35 win and a spot in Hoopla next weekend in Moose Jaw.
As well as things went in the early going, Yorkton was able to close ground at times, getting to within 12 early in the third quarter. Central always had an answer, though, keeping the lead to around 19 as the game progressed into the later stages.
“I thought our defence was really good, but we were in foul trouble a lot of the game so we had to watch out for that, but other than that I thought we did really well,” said Cyclones Grade 12 Rylee Miskiman.
“It was a tough fight, but we pushed through in the end,” added fellow senior Megan Dusomme.
The fact Sacred Heart was able to close ground gives Central something to work on in the lead-up to Hoopla, especially as they look to improve their game in advance of their opening battle against second-seed Meadow Lake.
“There are definitely some things we need to work on, like patience and discipline, but all in all we played well,” said Cyclones head coach Tanya McLean. “We’re happy, we just needed to get the win and get to Hoopla and I’m super proud of them.”
Ellah Flanagan led Central with 13 points, while Mykenzie Shymko scored 10.
Central advanced to the final with a 73-47 win over Martensville.
As one might expect, being in Grade 12 and having a chance to play for Hoopla gold is always an exciting time, and that’s no exception for the Cyclones captains.
“I think it’s pretty awesome especially since it’s in Moose Jaw,” Dusomme said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Miskiman was of the same opinion.
“I think it’s super exciting, we got there last year and it was super fun, so it’s exciting to be in Grade 12 and have a chance to be there again,” she said.
Seeing three teams from Moose Jaw in the tournament will make things even more exciting in coach McLean’s eyes.
“We definitely know who’s there and what the teams are like,” she said. “So we’ll have to work hard to prepare this week and hopefully it happens.”
The Hoopla schedule will be released early this week, so be sure to keep an eye on www.shsaa.ca for updates.
