The Yale Lions’ defence is no joke.
The New Westminster Hyacks found that out first-hand on Wednesday, as the Lions mauled them 72-36 in the first round of the B.C. AAA high school girls basketball championships at Capilano University in North Vancouver.
Yale raced out to a 36-11 lead at halftime – a performance so dominant it even amazed head coach Euan Roberts.
“When it was 36-11, I was like, ‘Is this us?'” Roberts marveled with a chuckle, alluding to the fact New West was No. 7 in the most recent provincial rankings, while the Lions were No. 9.
“But we had a very good defensive presence. Everybody was talking, everybody was moving, and our help side was active and alert.”
Wednesday’s game represented the first AAA provincial appearance by a Yale senior girls basketball team in more than two decades, and Roberts made sure they got to the Cap University gym early to soak up the atmosphere and allow any pregame jitters to dissipate.
“The ball’s the same, the court’s the same,” Roberts said, echoing Gene Hackman’s famous speech from the classic hoops movie Hoosiers.
“It’s still basketball. The only thing that changes is you might have to do a few more interviews afterward.”
By tip-off time, the Lions were ready. Versatile Grade 11 guard Hailey Kendall (15 points, 12 rebounds) and senior point guard Kendra Arnold (13 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles, while Sara Kurath was named player of the game after notching 14 points and five boards.
The Lions move on to face the No. 2-ranked Brookswood Bobcats in the quarter-finals on Thursday. That game tips off a 8:45 p.m.
Fraser Valley rivals Yale and Brookswood have already met twice this season, with the Langley squad winning both. But the Lions hung with the Bobcats in both games, and they can take a great deal of confidence from that.
“We don’t want to lose to a team three times in a season,” Roberts noted. “But they’re a well-oiled machine. There’s a reason they’ve been ranked No. 1 for a lot of the season.”
