Abbotsford Panthers star guard Malia Lenz put together one of the single most outstanding performances in B.C. girls basketball provincial finals history and helped lead the school to its second crown this decade.
Lenz put the Panthers on her back, scoring 41 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and collecting four steals to give the Panthers a thrilling 67-64 win over Victoria’s St. Michael’s University School Blue Jags in the 3A provincial title game inside the Langley Events Centre on Saturday (March 4).
Tip-off for the @BC3AGirlsBBall provincial final as the @abbysenior Panthers take on the SMUS Blue Jags pic.twitter.com/f9ElS2jMK9
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 5, 2023
Abbotsford led 14-13 after one and opened up a 32-26 lead at halftime, but SMUS would not go away. The Blue Jags clawed back in the third to tie the game at 46 after 30 minutes.
SMUS led by five with 7:13 remaining, but the Panthers persisted and Lenz hit three shots, including a long distance three point shot to put the Panthers up for good. Chelsey Dulku made a pair of clutch free throws with 34.4 seconds left to put Abbotsford up 64-59 and Lenz made a pair of free throws of her own to clinch the win.
M. Lenz again makes it 57-53 with 3:30 left pic.twitter.com/2ePXBgcgRd
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 5, 2023
The Panthers also won a 3A provincial title in 2020 and Lenz was a Grade 9 player on that team. She was playing in the shadow of her talented sister and Grade 12 Marin Lenz that season, but she busted out of that shell after tonight’s performance.
The family ties for the Panthers run deep, as Prentice Lenz is the longtime head coach of the team and he has another daughter Sorell Lenz coming up. Sorell collected three points and three rebounds in a solid complimentary performance for a young player.
The @abbysenior Panthers win the @BC3AGirlsBBall provincial with a 67-64 win over SMUS pic.twitter.com/ZZxci3ewS8
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 5, 2023
Prentice said he has enjoyed seeing Malia’s star shine on such a big stage.
“At that point in time in 2020 Marin was the dominant player and Malia stepped up when we asked her to,” he said. “But she was a ninth grader. In this scenario she has to take on the role of a scorer and a rebounder. She also had to get the other girls involved and make sure they come together and gel and that is what happened this year.”
Prentice said this was a special group.
Team receives medals pic.twitter.com/4goWXosdfV
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 5, 2023
“It’s a phenomenal feeling,” he said. “It’s an incredible group of girls that work really hard. It’s pretty special.”
Prentice praised the play of Malia, but noted that the team’s depth and their bigs were a massive difference in the game.
“Our bigs really came through with free throws at the end,” he said. “Naomi [Unger], Chelsey and Nyah [Vermeulen] had big games for us along the way.”
He said ultimately the intensity for both the 2020 and 2023 teams were the deciding factors.
The champs pic.twitter.com/sXjrGhg2up
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 5, 2023
Malia will graduate this spring and play NCAA Division 1 basketball at the University of Vermont. She said she was feeling it in the fourth quarter.
“It’s kind of unreal right now,” she said. “I’m still trying to process everything but when you’re in the game and every single possession you just have to do it. And whatever happens you have to move on.”
She said the 2023 title feels a little more special because of how much more connected she felt to this team. She said it’s also a special moment for her dad, but she said the pair are able to separate the parent and coach role.
What a battle! Abbotsford Senior is your 2023 BC School Sports 3A Girls Basketball Provincial Champion 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pbA9Cn9drr
— BC 3A Girls Basketball (@BC3AGirlsBBall) March 5, 2023
“I really liked having him as my coach but I just don’t really even see him as my dad when we’re playing basketball,” she said. “It’s kind of nice.”
Vermeulen had another solid game for the Panthers, collecting eight points and grabbing seven rebounds. She was named a tournament first team all-star and Malia was the tournament’s most valuable player.
Abbotsford also got contributions in the title game from Dulku (eight points and six rebounds) and Unger (seven rebounds and five points).
The Panthers path to the title began with a 81-28 win over Mark R. Isfeld on March 1, continued with a 79-54 victory over the Argyle Pipers on March 2 and included a 75-67 win over R.A. McMath in the semi-final on March 3.
For more coverage from the event, read the print edition of the Abbotsford News.
Heated here at centre court for the 2023 BCSS 3A Girls Basketball final between #1 St. Michaels and #2 Abbotsford! Abby leads by 9 late in the 2nd #BCSSProvincials pic.twitter.com/HDT9pdyCtm
— BC School Sports (@BCSchoolSports) March 5, 2023
