Claremont’s senior girls basketball team outscored Oak Bay 22-13 in the final quarter of the 2018 Island Championship game, but could not catch the Breakers.
Three-pointers from Maki Jenner, Marin Abe and Sierra Reisig helped erase a large Oak Bay lead. The Breakers led 40-23 at the half and appeared to be running away with the game.
However, the scrappy Spartans didn’t give up and put up 15 fourth-quarter points. The Breakers could only muster three points in the that period until coach Rob Kinnear called two quick time outs to get his team back on track.
“They’re out-working you,” he told his players.
Oak Bay responded by shutting down Claremont defensively and adding five points to put the Breakers on top at the final buzzer, 67-60.
The final of the Island girls 3A hoops championship was the eighth time in the last 10 seasons that both teams faced each other. As a tournament organizer put it, that was testament to the great girls basketball programs build at the respective schools.
Tournament Most Valuable Player Georgia Alexander of Oak Bay scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Breakers.
Claremont’s Sierra Reisig scored 13 to lead the Saanich school.
Both teams qualified for the B.C. provincial championships Feb. 28 to March 3 in Langley, as the Island sends its top two teams. Third place Nanaimo District Secondary School - which beat Cowichan in the consolation final earlier on Saturday - has a chance to get into the provincials through the back door, via a wildcard game against a lower mainland team.
Tournament awards:
MVP - Georgia Alexander, Oak Bay
Top Defensive Player - Maddie Manns, Claremont
Most Sportsmanlike Team - Cowichan
Second Team All-Stars: Chloe Scaber (Claremont), Jayden Saywell (NDSS), Brianna Gray (NDSS), Jazmine Charles (Cowichan), Maddie Manns (Claremont)
First Team All-Stars: Sierra Reisig (Claremont), Natalie Froese (Oak Bay), Jamine Lambert (Oak Bay), Marin Abe (Claremont), Emma Dewit (Cowichan).
