Submitted

The Isfeld junior girls鈥� basketball team continued its winning ways in the first half of the season by capturing two tournament titles before the break.

Vanier Invitational

On Dec. 15/16, the Ice used home-court advantage to win the 12-team Vanier Invitational Christmas tournament.

First game, they handily dispatched Dover Bay from Nanaimo on Friday night.

鈥淎ll the girls got to play a lot of minutes, and it was a great team win to start the tournament,鈥� said coach Colin Cunningham.

The Ice knew that Saturday morning would be a tough test, facing the Oak Bay Breakers, a perennial powerhouse for girls鈥� basketball on the Island and last year鈥檚 provincial silver medalist. The game did not disappoint, as the lead changed hands throughout and both teams pressured the ball with lock-down defence. The Ice stuck to their game plan down the stretch, getting stops and executing on offence for an exciting five-point win.

This set up a tournament final on Saturday night versus the cross-town rival Vanier Towhees in their gym in front of a big and supportive crowd on both sides. Vanier started the game full of energy, scoring the first four points. Isfeld鈥檚 trademark stingy defence then took over, holding the Towhees scoreless for an extended time. All players contributed for a 34-12 tournament win in the final. Thanks again to Vanier junior girls coach Peter Parke for hosting a fun and well-run tournament.

Gleneagle Candy Cane Classic

The following weekend, the Ice travelled to Coquitlam for the Gleneagle Candy Cane Classic looking to better their second-place finish from last year. The path would not be an easy one, however, as Isfeld was scheduled to play the number-three provincially ranked Holy Cross in their opening game.

The Thursday night game against Holy Cross did not disappoint. Both teams played full-court, pressure defence with Holy Cross sending a runner out after each defensive stop in an attempt to outrun Isfeld in transition. The Ice adjusted and the score was 9-9 after one quarter. Holy Cross did not let up, heading into halftime with a 20-15 lead. The second half was a series of runs with each team trying to take control of the game. Isfeld led 24-21 midway through the third, only to see Holy Cross storm back for a 29-26 third-quarter lead. The Ice focused on one defensive stop at a time and committed to taking care of the ball on offence. The team showed great poise and maturity to take control and stun Holy Cross for a 39-33 win. Rylan Boccabella was an absolute stand-out on both ends of the floor, scoring 16 of the Ice鈥檚 39 points and shutting down the Holy Cross perimeter players.

The semifinal had Isfeld set to play a home Coquitlam school, Heritage Woods, who had easily defeated Handsworth in their first-round game. The Kodiaks were no match for Isfeld鈥檚 defence and the Ice slowly wore them down鈥� all players got lots of minutes and almost every player hit the scoresheet for a 43-23 victory. Janel Follis was named player of the game for her steady ball-handling, timely scoring and perimeter defence.

The final game was against the Abbotsford Panthers. Their senior girls鈥� team was 3A provincial champions last year, and the school is well known for its successful girls鈥� basketball program. Prior to the game, Isfeld sharpshooter Lillianne Bourget finished second in the tournament鈥檚 three-point shooting contest.

Abbotsford had easily beaten Coquitlam鈥檚 Terry Fox and North Vancouver鈥檚 Windsor secondary en route to the final. The Panthers showed they were in the game from the opening tip leading by up to six points throughout the first and took a 22-18 lead into halftime. Phoebe Cunningham kept the Ice in the game, scoring nine of her 10 points in the first. Isfeld鈥檚 trademark defence was doing its job, but a few nerves and jitters saw the Ice missing easy shots that are normally automatic for them.

A renewed approach and confidence saw a huge change in the second as the Ice steamrolled the Panthers, outscoring them 40-15 in the second half and winning the tournament final in convincing fashion 58-37. Boccabella again led the Ice with 20 points. Gillian Galik was named player of the game for her speedy transition on both ends of the court and her fiery rebounding energy. The Ice snapped a quick celebration photo with the trophy and then made a mad dash for the last ferry. The party continued on the bus and the ferry as the girls celebrated their hard work, arriving back in Courtenay tired but happy at 1:30 am.

Isfeld is 14-1 in the first half of the season, including three tournament wins in four attempts.

The girls would like to thank their parents and extended family members and fans for all of their support so far this season.