A memorable run for the MEI Eagles senior girls basketball team ended in a provincial silver medal in Langley on Saturday (March 5).
The Eagles fell 51-46 to Richmond’s R.A. McMath Wildcats in the 3A provincial final to finish second in the province.
MEI entered the 16-team tournament ranked third and opened the event on March 2 with a 73-34 win over Crofton House. The Eagles were led by Jazmin Avila, who collected 25 points in the game.
They then defeated Sa-Hali 61-46 on March 3 to advance to the final four. Makenna Reimer scored a team high 13 points in that win.
The March 4 semifinal against Langley’s Brookswood Bobcats was a back-and-forth affair with MEI pulling out the 53-52 win. Avila had a monster game with 15 points and 15 rebounds to help carry the Eagles to the win.
Catch the highlights here from today's 3A Girls final between R.A. McMath and M.E.I. courtesy of @TFSETV #ballisback pic.twitter.com/sQ8R9XnLqo
— BC 3A Girls Basketball (@BC3AGirlsBBall) March 6, 2022
Saturday’s final saw the Wildcats lock the Eagles down defensively in the fourth quarter and MEI faced foul troubles late. Reimer and Avila had 11 points apiece, while Sidney Giesbrecht chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.
McMath’s Marina Radocaj was the player of the game and also the tournament’s most valuable player. She collected 20 points, 20 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the win. MEI’s Marijke Meindertsma earned most outstanding defensive player and the Eagles also were named the School Spirit award winners.
Avila and Reimer earned tournament first team all-star recognition, while Meindertsma was named a second team all-star.
The Robert Bateman Timberwolves had a solid show in the 3A tournament, placing ninth in the province. They opened with a 68-44 loss to Vernon on March 2, but then bounced back with a 76-68 win over Crofton House on March 3. The Timberwolves concluded the tournament with a 60-45 win over Pitt Meadows on Saturday.
The 4A senior girls basketball provincials saw both the Yale Lions (sixth) and the Abbotsford Panthers (seventh) crack the top ten at the Langley Events Centre-hosted event.
The Lions entered the tournament seeded 10th and opened with a 75-58 win over South Delta on March 2, but then fell 75-53 to Okanagan Mission on March 3.
Yale and Abbotsford faced off on March 4, with the Lions edging the Panthers 68-57. The teams were close after three, but Yale outscored Abbotsford 18-6 in the fourth quarter to earn the win. Hannah Singh led Yale with 24 points, while Lakresha Edwards scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Panthers.
The Lions finished off the tournament with a 64-43 loss on Saturday.
The Panthers opened with an 85-47 win over Fleetwood Park on March 2 and then lost 94-51 to the eventual 4A champion Terry Fox Ravens on March 3. The Panthers closed the event with a 74-59 win over Claremont on Saturday.
Over in the 2A tier, the Abbotsford Traditional Secondary School Titans placed ninth in the province. The Titans opened with a 65-53 loss to St. Thomas More Collegiate on March 2, but scored a 59-39 win over Shas Ti Kelly Road on March 3. ATSS then took down Collingwood 66-46 on March 4 and Lambrick Park 64-58 on Saturday.
The Langley Christian Secondary Lightning captured the 2A provincial title.
For full results from the tournaments, visit bchighschoolbasketballchampionships.com.