The Ladysmith Secondary School senior girls basketball team has had its highs and lows this season, but as the 49ers power forward to the playoffs, there are plenty of positives in their court.
“The girls are having fun. They may not be on the winning end of things all the time, but they are improving and getting better, which is what we like to see,” said coach Daryl Rodgers. “The last three games have been close.”
This year is the first in several years that LSS has had a senior girls’ basketball team. Rodgers says they are hoping to build on the momentum and grow the program in the coming years.
“When there’s no team for the [younger] kids to look up to, then it’s hard for them to get into it,” he said.
During their final regular game of the season Jan. 27, the 49ers played hard but came up short in a 74-33 loss to the Kwalicum Kondors.
Highest points scored for the 49ers included Darby Rae with 12 points, and forward Marika Grubac with 11 points.
“We definitely struggled; their pressure got to us,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a few injuries lately, which hasn’t helped.”
Despite the loss, the 49ers hold the last seat going into the North Island playoffs in Parksville Feb. 12-14.
The team will take a break this week to focus on exams before practising for the playoffs.
Rodgers said the girls will be working on defensive tactics like not turning the ball over to prepare for the tournament.
Guard Alexa Wilson says she’s looking forward to participating in the playoffs.
“We just want to play as best as we can even if we’re not going to win,” she said. “We still want to put our best foot forward.”
