Having collected a silver medal in 2014 and bronze in 2016, 鈥�15 and 鈥�13, the Oak Bay Breakers are hoping to finish the job when the 2017 sa国际传媒 High School Basketball Championships begin today at the senior girls鈥� triple-A level.
Ranked No. 1 for most of this season, the undefeated Breakers are favourites for gold.
Coach Rob Kinnear鈥檚 Breakers wrestled the No. 1 ranking from three-time defending champion Brookswood at the Fraser Valley Skyline tournament early in the season and haven鈥檛 looked back.
鈥淔or the last five years we鈥檝e been right there. In theory, it鈥檚 just another number, but I would say that the pieces are definitely there to make another run,鈥� Kinnear said of having the No. 1 seed.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of parity in the province, to be honest. The top five or six teams have an honest chance. You don鈥檛 have the Brookswoods of the last few years, where a team had to play out of their minds to beat them.
鈥淚 honestly believe that it鈥檚 a year where anyone in the top five can beat anyone else in the top five. It wouldn鈥檛 be a massive surprise. It鈥檚 one of those years where everyone鈥檚 got their strengths and their weaknesses and I honestly believe it鈥檒l come down to whoever plays well that day and dictates their style of play.鈥�
The Breakers use their height to their advantage, but also feature plenty of athleticism, led by standout Sophie de Goede and sprinkled in with the likes of Georgia Alexander, Imogen White, Natalie Froese, Bego de Santiago, Jasmine Lambert and Fiona Headen.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen the odd team that鈥檚 close, but we鈥檙e probably the biggest,鈥� Kinnear said of his team鈥檚 distinct height advantage.
Along the way the Breakers added titles at the Victoria Christmas and Centennial Top 10 Shoot-Out tournaments and, more recently, an Island title.
Oak Bay opens tonight against No. 16 Mount Baker at 8:45 p.m. and if the draw goes according to rankings, the Breakers could meet up with either No. 4 Walnut Grove or No. 5 Panorama Ridge in the semifinals on Friday at 3:30 p.m., should the teams advance.
The championship game is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m., while the third-place game tips off at 4:30 p.m.
Dover Bay and Claremont are also in Langley, ranked at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively, in the 16-team event.
The Dolphins of Dover Bay, who are led by Madeline Hart and Sophia Fan, face Walnut Grove today at 5:15 p.m., while the Spartans 鈥� with standouts Lauren Montgomery-Stinson and Sierra Reisig 鈥� tackle No. 3 Brookswood at 10:15 a.m.
All games are played at the Langley Events Centre, which encompasses five different courts.
Meanwhile, Seycove carries the No. 1 seed at the double-A championship, which also begins today and ends Saturday.
The Ballenas Whalers of Parksville are ranked No. 9 and open against No. 8 Okanagan Mission at 12 noon and the No. 15 St. Michaels University School Blue Jags face No. 2 Langley Christian at 7 p.m.
Seycove is led by point guard Kayla Krug, whose older sister Jenna is in her fifth year at UVic. The younger Krug will also be attending UVic, but has not yet been recruited by the Vikes, who have already committed to a number of players.
鈥淚f I had the opportunity to play at UVic, I would take it. I鈥檝e had some other schools talk to me, but there鈥檚 just something about UVic right now that鈥檚 drawing me there,鈥� the younger Krug told the Vancouver Province.
The sa国际传媒 single-A senior girls鈥� championship will be held at Duncan Christian School, March 8-11.
