At both ends of the court, the St. Thomas More junior girls basketball team is making a name for itself.
Undefeated in league play and recently ranked 14th in B.C., the junior Knights checked off one of the pre-season’s goals when they doused No. 2 Claremont 45-22 on Saturday in the final of a provincial qualifying tournament.
By powering through the three-game set, STM reversed what pollsters would call a recent fade and put themselves back in the game.
“I definitely think the team played its best on Saturday (against Claremont),” noted Knights head coach Cassie Lauang. “The girls were just so focused (on) what they needed to improve on.”
The squad got a great offensive jump, led by twins Gigi and Bella Gaspar, while Kate Stewart Barnett was a powerhouse on the defensive end, limiting Claremont’s best shooter to one point on the day. Three weeks earlier, the same player tallied 26 points in a one-sided win.
After that earlier encounter, a side effect saw the Knights bounced out of third place in the coaches’ provincial poll to 14th.
The Gaspar twins, who didn’t make that Island trip, helped turn the tide on Saturday.
“(The Gaspars) ended up coming in with just a fury. They were so angry they had missed (the earlier game) and that we lost to them. … They just came out and were scoring machines,” Lauang said.
It came on the heels of a hard-fought victory over No. 7-ranked Lord Tweedsmuir 40-33, where STM’s depth turned a one-point deficit in the first half into a winning edge by game’s end. Contributing at various parts of the court all tourney were defender Rylan Monks and post Tatiana Yau.
“(Yau) is very versatile. We can put her on the wing we can put her in the guard position. She plays whatever we’re missing,” said the coach.
They had opened the tourney with a 30-point win over G.P. Vanier.
Coming just a week after a “heartbreaking” setback – falling to Argyle at their own Chancellor tourney semifinal after staking out a 14-3 halftime advantage – the turnaround was an affirmation of the work everyone had put in, said the coach.
It’s also confirmation of what she’s seen during a lengthy season.
“This group I think is very special. What I love about them is that it’s very clear that you play a piece, that you have a piece in our puzzle. There’s a role that you play and a role that makes you special to our team. If you’re that rebounder, if you’re that lock-down defender, or if you’re that scorer, if you play that role to the best of your ability, we as a team will be successful. I think that’s sometimes hard for teenage girls to understand, but that’s what’s sort of coming together at the right time,” said Lauang.
With a berth to the provincials assured, the Knights will turn their focus on keeping that momentum rolling in next week’s league playoffs.
“I’m hoping that we peak right at provincials, because there is so much more we can do as a team. If we do what we need to do we’ll be very successful going forward.”
