What began with a play-in game on Tuesday is expected to culminate with a spectacular clash on Saturday night as the senior girls鈥� Lower Island triple-A basketball championship hits the sparkling new floor at Belmont Secondary in Langford.
The Oak Bay Breakers and Claremont Spartans have first-round byes and are likely set for collision-course in the championship final after recording 6-0 and 5-1 regular-season records, respectively.
That鈥檚 if this city championship tournament goes to form, which is very much expected this season.
鈥淯nless something weird happens,鈥� said Claremont assistant coach Darren Reisig, whose Spartans鈥� only loss was a 71-68 setback to Oak Bay. 鈥淲e were actually ahead for most of that game, but they got us in the last two minutes.鈥�
Both teams had their way with the remainder of the field during the season, the Breakers finishing plus-224 in point differential while the Spartans were plus-187. Oak Bay is ranked No. 7 in the province while Claremont is No. 10.
They are two very different teams.
鈥淲e are very evenly matched up. We do it in opposite ways this year,鈥� Oak Bay coach Rob Kinnear said of his young, but talented, charges. 鈥淲e鈥檙e big and want to turn it into a half-court game and try to bang it down low. They鈥檙e lightning quick at every spot. They鈥檙e really young, too, but led by Calli [McMillan-Beaucamp], who is a Grade 12 star.
鈥淭hey want to push the pace, pick you up at full court, turn you over and get out and run,鈥� he said of the Spartans. 鈥淲e want to do the opposite 鈥� get the ball in the half court and try to let our size do the work for us.鈥�
Reisig very much concurred.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 be more opposite. They鈥檙e just not bigger, they鈥檙e huge,鈥� Reisig said of the Breakers, who start four players at six-feet or taller. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a big, strong team and we鈥檙e smaller and quicker, which makes for an interesting matchup.鈥�
The city championship began Tuesday as Stelly鈥檚 defeated Reynolds 40-15 in the play-in game, so the Stingers will face No. 3 Mount Douglas tonight at 7:15 p.m., just after host, and No. 5 Belmont, meets No. 4 Spectrum.
Claremont awaits the Stelly鈥檚-vs.-Mount Douglas winner on Friday at 7:15 p.m. after Oak Bay meets the Belmont-vs.-Spectrum victor at 5:45 p.m.
The championship game tips off at 6 p.m. on Saturday and the third-place game is set for 4:30 p.m. The top four placements will head to Claremont for the Island finals the following week and the fifth-place finisher can challenge the North鈥檚 No. 4 for entrance into that tournament, which is slated for Feb. 18-20.
Kinnear is comfortable with the team he takes in which includes incredibly talented Sophie de Goede.
鈥淚鈥檓 as comfortable as you can be with high school sports,鈥� he said with a chuckle. 鈥淵ou never really know. I joke that it鈥檚 not game-to-game where sometimes I鈥檓 confused about which team I鈥檓 coaching, but quarter-to-quarter. We鈥檙e a super young team 鈥� extremely talented and athletic. I鈥檓 very blessed with the athletes I have, but we are very young so our performance goes up and down.鈥�
The double-A tournament begins today at Lambrick Park with eight teams competing and four advancing to Islands at Wellington next week. The host Pride are joined by Pacific Christian and St. Michaels University School, which are both ranked in sa国际传媒 Parkland, Edward Milne, Gulf Islands, Shawnigan and Brentwood are also competing.
Games start today at 2 p.m. and continue through to the final on Saturday at 4 p.m.
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