Step aside, Steph Curry.
Burnaby Mountain senior Jacey Bailey
displayed a touch for the net last week that would make the Golden State Warriors’ star smile.
The 17-year-old centre delivered a remarkable scoring display at the Britannia Invitational on Saturday, scoring 55 points in Burnaby Mountain’s 66-48 win over Eric Hamber to claim third place.
It was one of five tournament records Bailey rewrote.
A majority of her marks came from the three-point line, where Bailey charted a new course by sinking 12 of 15 shots and eradicating the old mark of six in a game.
“It felt really good to be in the zone, making all those threes,” Bailey told the NOW on Monday. “Did I think I would? Not 12 threes in one game, and I’m not usually a three-point shooter.”
The six-foot-tall forward’s trey performance also set a new mark for a team in a game, and connected for a tourney-best 17. Capping it all, the Team B.C. veteran finished the weekend with 32 blocked shots and 103 points over three games, five short of another record — not bad considering she was battling the flu.
The Lions coach said his star forward wasn’t pushing for the records, either.
“She was just in rhythm. It was something to watch, I tell you,” noted vice-
principal James Morton. “In all the years I’ve coached I’ve never seen a performance quite like that... She could have broken another record. (Britannia coach) Mike Evans came over and grabbed my arm with a minute left. ‘You might want to call a timeout.’ I asked why? He said she could have another record.
“I didn’t call a timeout but there was a stoppage and I said to Jacey, what do you think of taking another three? She said no, no I don’t need to.”
For her efforts, Bailey was named to the first all-star team.
On Monday, the Lions stepped back into league play and docked Burnaby South 53-19, with Bailey accounting for 32 points — including a pair from three point-land.
The key, Morton says, has been how Bailey’s teammates have progressed and transitioned into a solid, supportive group. Last year’s inaugural trip to the AAA provincials was made difficult to repeat with just one returning player — although one of the best in B.C.
Among the 11 athletes wearing Burnaby Mountain colours this season are three international students, including two who have never played competitive basketball before.
“One thing I’ve noticed about the group is that they’re really starting to build some resiliency and some competitiveness, and they’re starting to gel a bit,” said Morton.
When the league schedule kicked in, the team was fairly raw and suffered a 39-point loss to Burnaby Central. But Bailey was absent, joining 52 other hoop hopefuls at the women’s national age group assessment camp in Toronto.
The invitation-only camp provided players born in 1998 and later with exposure to the national training environment and an international focus, as participants were identified and scouted for future Canadian age-group opportunities. It was the second straight year she’s made the trek.
“It was fun and it was different. I’ve played on the provincial team but this was different. It was top (athletes) in Canada, it was challenging but I learned a lot,” she said. “I approached it (knowing) what to expect this time. I feel like I brought back leadership. I learned a lot and I try to bring that back to the team.”
Fielding interest from various universities, the Burnaby sharpshooter hasn’t let that distract her from focusing on her work on the floor.
“I’m hoping to go to the States for sure, but I haven’t gone on any visits yet. It’s still up in the air... I think my strengths are my height, my athleticism because, at my height a lot of people are slower so I have the advantage to take it to the hole,” she said.
Morton points to those around Bailey who are excelling as the season progresses.
“Martina (Pettenon) has been our second-best player, she’s a strong player... Lauren Gaffney — she was given the player of the game award when Jacey went on to score 55 points. Britannia awards Player of the Game for effort, and this girl never gives up. She’s always high energy, on the ball, works diligently.
“Karen Ito is an international student from Tokyo, and she’s playing the point. She has learned to be a leader, she takes the ball and hustles all the time on defence.
“They’ve learned how to play with Jacey and they understand her skillset, that its much different than theirs. They’ve really embraced that. It’s such a selfless group.”
At 2-4, Mountain is tied with two other teams for fourth place in the Burnaby-New West league, with both New West and Burnaby Central undefeated.
In the Lions’ favour is the sense that a corner has been turned. The team’s performance at Britannia gave Morton a glimpse into what could be if the players continue to improve and follow Bailey’s lead.
“What I admire most about (Bailey) is her humility. She is a person who wants to involve others,” said Morton. “She talked about leadership and she’s learned to make others better.
“That’s an important skill moving forward for her, she’s going to play at an elite level and she’s got to learn how to deal as a leader and make others better.”
