The W.A. Fraser Falcons Grade 8 girls basketball team had to battle past some familiar foes to place third in the province at the Grade 8 girls invitational championships in Maple Ridge last weekend.
Fraser entered the 16-team tournament as the third-ranked team from the Fraser Valley region, but beat out rivals CG Howe and MEI to rise to third in the province.
The Falcons opened with a 53-44 win over Prince Rupert on Thursday morning, and then beat CG Howe 43-38 later that day. Fraser fell 52-38 to Tweedsmuir on Friday, but then bounced back to beat MEI 29-22 on Saturday to finish third.
Falcons player Kyleigh Boldt earned three player of the game honours, and was also named a tournament all-star. MEI finished fourth at the event, while CG Howe placed fifth.
On the Grade 8 boys side, the Abbotsford Middle School Huskies capped off a successful season with a sixth-place finish at the provincials.
The Huskies opened with a 57-39 win over Gordon Head on Thursday, but then lost 61-56 on Friday afternoon to Burnaby South. The Huskies redeemed themselves later that day, with a 67-45 win over Tamanawis. They lost on Saturday to St. George’s to finish sixth overall.
The result ended a season that saw the club put together a record of 40 wins and four losses, and win six tournaments.
In other local basketball news, the Abbotsford Panthers senior girls team placed eighth at provincials, which wrapped up in Langley on Saturday.
The Panthers beat New Westminster 71-67 on March 2, but then lost 78-63 to R.A. McMath on Thursday. Abbosford lost 81-54 to Riverside on Friday, and 78-71 to Panorama Ridge on Saturday to close the tournament.