The Lion queens roared at the Lower Mainland AAA high school girls’ basketball championships.
Unheralded and unranked, Burnaby Mountain did what many would have considered the impossible, earning the school’s first-ever appearance at the B.C. high school AAA championship following an upset 92-85 overtime victory over the honourable mention Argyle Pipers on Saturday.
Trailing by as many as a dozen points in the second quarter to the North Shore champs, Mountain senior guard Alix Gabriel posted back-to-back three-pointers to bring the No. 9 seed to within five points.
Twin sister Brooke Gabriel canned a long three to start the third quarter and Alix drained the fourth of her five treys to put the Lions back on even terms with seven minutes left to play in the period. It was a dogfight the rest of the way.
But, after a rather unexceptional first half by Mountain, few would have expected what was to come, despite the Lions’ near-upset over the same Argyle team in the quarter-final earlier in the tournament.
“We worked so hard, but this is earned,” said Alix, who scored 22 points and added six rebounds and four steals in the history-making final. “Winning some big games gave us some confidence. We won it big with heart. … I’m so excited, I can’t wait.”
Neither it appeared could Grade 11 guard Jacey Bailey.
The Lower Mainland tournament MVP was nothing short of sensational in the consolation final, taking charge in the second half and leading the Lions to victory with a game-topping 38 points and 19 rebounds.
Bailey scored 29 points in the second half, including 19 in the final quarter and a backbreaking three in overtime that gave the Lions a 10-point lead with less than two minutes left in the added fifth period.
“I’m really happy. I don’t think it’s actually set in that we’re going to the provincials,” said Bailey after the game.
But the was never a sure thing in regulation time.
Tied at 50s after the third quarter, Alix hit a baseline jumper to give the Lions a brief lead.
Argyle star Sophie Swant, who left the game in the third quarter, with what appeared to be a turned ankle, returned midway through the fourth quarter and helped the Pipers regain the lead, helped in part by Argyle sup Maxine Yee’s timely three-pointer that put the North Shore school up by five points with a minute-and-a-half left on the clock.
With 53 seconds to go, Alix replied with a three of her own and Bailey gave Mountain a two-point lead with less than 20 seconds left on an end-to-end bucket.
But Swant sent the game into OT, calmly draining a pair of free throws. Swant led the Pipers with 29 points.
However, the extra time belonged to Bailey and the Mountain Lions.
Bailey scored 10 of the team’s 15 points in extra time, stealing the third and final Mainland berth into the provincials.
“I actually don’t know where it comes from,” said Bailey after the game. “It just happens.”
After throwing an initial scare at Argyle in an earlier 74-71 loss in the quarter-finals, Mountain made it happen, winning its way through the backdoor, with a victory over Eric Hamber before upsetting Burnaby South 59-47 and Vancouver champion Sir Winston Churchill 53-43 to advance to the consolation final. Bailey garnered 53 total points in the upset wins, including a monster 32-point, 21-rebound performance against Churchill.
“We knew what we had to do and we did it here. It showed a lot of heart,” added Alix. “From here, we’re just going to have fun.”
The B.C. AAA girls’ championships will take place at the Langley Events Centre from March 4 to 7.
