Mark Isfeld Ice senior girls basketball team concluded their season at the Vancouver Island championships finishing fourth, winning two games and finishing the season with a 20 wins 10 losses record.
At the Islands, the North Island #2 seeded Isfeld girls opened the tournament with a 64-55 win over Gulf Islands Secondary thanks to a strong third quarter where the Ice outscored Gulf Islands 27-10.
Advancing to the semifinals against #1 seeded Pacific Christian (B.C. #6) from Victoria who sported a 25-1 season record was a tall order and the Ice came out on the short end of the score but gave them a scare.
With still an opportunity for a provincial berth, the Ice faced familiar foe Kwalikum Secondary in the cross-over game early Saturday morning. The Ice girls gave the fans some excitement, waiting until the fourth quarter to have a 16-0 run of points to carry on to a 56-49 win.
The 3rd/4th place game played later in the day put Isfeld against always tough St. Michael’s University (B.C. #10) secondary school from Victoria.
The Ice left their hearts on the floor, building a three-quarter lead only to see St. Michael’s fight back to steal the win 53-51. Isfeld’s Aleah Ashlee had an amazing 33 points in the contest. “To fall one win short of a provincial berth challenge game is tough, but the girls should be very proud of their season,” a team spokesperson said. “Certainly, coaches Hugh and Grant are proud of their accomplishments and improvement!”
Season highlights include Kyla deWitt’s rebounding and rainbow treys, Sydney Kuhnert’s deadeye shooting and NBA left-hand drives to the hoop, Maddi Eaton’s inside/outside scoring, Delaynee Skene-Pedersen’s double-figures game and team bowling champion status, Chelsea Lachapelle’s tough play, leadership and assistant coaching contributions after injury, Aleah Ashlee’s all-round leadership and play and rap music expertise, Rachel Hesslegrave’s buzzer-beating three-pointer, T.K. Sudo’s end-to-end rushes and treys, Gemma Graham’s tough defence and improved shooting and remembering her game b-ball shoes, Emma Huechen’s rebounding and improved offensive skills, Maggie Snider-Harris’s positive demeanour, and Leah Fowler’s team first support.
“Thanks to the school, staff, referees and others who continue to support girls basketball in the Comox Valley,” the spokesperson added.
