Emily Kanester canned a game-high 18 points as the VSS Panthers outgunned the Fulton Maroons 63-43 in North Zone senior girls basketball league play Wednesday night at Vernon Secondary.
Michelle Smith chipped in with 16 points for the Cats, who led 30-21 at the half.
Karlee Webb fired 17 points for Fulton, who lost starter Kelsey Thompson to a knee injury.
“What was a difficult year for us depth-wise with only eight players is now a real problem and the rest of the girls will have to chip in and do the large number of things Kels does for us,” said Maroons’ head coach Jim Inglis.
“It will be hard replacing 20-plus points a night and our defence will have to do much of that.”
In North Zone senior boys action Wednesday, Fulton hammered the host Panthers 101-34.
The Maroons opened the Sa-Hali Sabre Classic Thursday against the Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops. The winner meets the MEI Eagles of Abbotsford today.
The Pleasant Valley Saints opened the 12-team tourney against the Abbotsford Collegiate Panthers Thursday, with the winner facing the host Sabres today.
Meanwhile, VSS grad Kayla Forsyth will play her final home games as the Thompson University WolfPack host the UVic Vikings in CIS play this weekend.
The fifth-year forward was one of head coach Scott Reeves’ first recruits.
“Kayla was someone that I knew would make it to her fifth year of eligibility,” said Reeves. “She is a competitor and a physically tough individual. Her effort is never ending and her commitment to academics is evidenced by her Academic All Canadian Status.”
“I’m very excited about my last home games this weekend,” said Forsyth.
Forsyth made her debut in a WolfPack uniform on Oct. 26, 2006 at the old TRU gym against the Fraser Valley.
When it’s all said and done after the weekend, she will be a little emotional.
“That is when it’ll hit me that my career at TRU will very soon be coming to an end. It has been tough knowing what is coming. By realizing the little time I have left at TRU, it has allowed me to look back and appreciate all the memories that the game and my teammates have given to me. It has also led me to have the desire to truly leave everything on the court, so that in the future I can look back and have no regrets.”
