The matchups are set for the final day of the 2022 BC School Sports Girls Basketball Provincial Championships at Langley Events Centre.
One tier will be a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2, another is the third seed vs. the fourth seed after a pair of semi-final upsets, and the third is a battle for not only a provincial title, but also a matchup of two schools located less than five kilometres apart; those are the games set to determine the three provincial champions on Saturday.
The top-seed Langley Christian Lightning face the No. 2 Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver) in the 2A Tournament final at 3:00pm with the 3A Tournament title game featuring the No. 3 M.E.I. Eagles (Abbotsford) against Richmond’s R.A. McMath Wildcats, the No. 4 seed. That game gets going at 5:15pm. And the 4A Tournament final tips off at 7:30pm between Port Coquitlam’s Riverside Rapids and the Terry Fox Ravens. The Rapids are the No. 1 seed and the Ravens are the third seed.
All three games will be played on Centre Court at Langley Events Centre.
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For full tournament results, daily scores and statistics, visit www.bchighschoolbasketballchampionships.com.
All fans 12 years and older must also show proof of double vaccination and all spectators ages five and up are required to wear a mask when inside the facility. The games are also available to stream via pay-per-view at tfsetv.ca.
Langley Christian Lightning 56 S.M.U.S Blue Jags 55
It came down to the final seconds and when the buzzer had sounded, it was the top-ranked Langley Christian Lightning holding off Victoria’s St. Michaels University School Blue Jags 56-55.
Neither team led by more than five points and both those advantages came in the first half.
The Blue Jags had pulled ahead after splitting a pair of free throws, but with a dozen seconds to play, the Lightning’s Sydney Bradshaw scored on a drive to the hoop, banking home what turned out to be the winning points. Bradshaw led the team with 19 points while Laine Shelvey and Taelor Coxford each scored 14. Makena Anderson led the Blue Jags with 22 points and 13 rebounds while also adding four steals.
The 3A Tournament featured a pair of upsets as both the top-ranked Burnaby Central Wildcats and No. 2 seeded Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) found themselves on the losing end of their games to the No. 4 R.A. McMath Wildcats (Richmond) and No. 3 M.E.I. Eagles (Abbotsford).
RELATED: Strong showing by Langley teams at Junior Boys Basketball Provincial Invitational
Riverside Rapids 76 Walnut Grove Gators 60
After the Walnut Grove Gators took a five-point lead in the first quarter, the top-ranked Riverside Rapids outscored their opponent by 16, taking a 36-25 lead into the half. And from there, the Gators could not make a dent in the deficit, falling 76-60.
Each team was led by a dynamic scorer as Grade 10 star Avery Sussex scored 32 points for the Rapids – including an impressive 10-for-11 from the free throw line – while Walnut Grove’s Kiera Pemberton (Grade 11) continued her offensive explosion over the past few days, scoring 36 points while also pulling down 23 rebounds.
Pemberton, a Grade 11 student, has set set a new 4-game tournament scoring record with 167 points.
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