After an opening round loss to the Handsworth Royals, the Elgin Park Orcas finished ninth at 2011 B.C. High School AAA Girls championships, which wrapped up Saturday at Capilano University.
The 70-63 loss to Handsworth last Wednesday bumped the Orcas into the consolation bracket of the provincial tournament.
Elgin got off to a slow start against the Royals, and trailed by 17 at halftime, and though they made a strong second-half comeback, fell just short.
“We had down to six and were running back and on our way, but just couldn’t get it,” said Elgin Park head coach Stu Graham, from the Langley Events Centre, where in advance of B.C. triple-A boy provincials his old high school team – the 1971 North Delta Huskies – was being honoured on the 40th anniversary of the team’s provincial title.
After the opening-round loss, Elgin rebounded to win their next two, before losing 63-51 to Maple Ridge Saturday in the battle for sixth place.
The loss dropped them to ninth overall in B.C. – one spot better than the team finished last year.
“The girls battled so hard and had been on such a great playoff run – having to win four or five must-win games, having to play in a wild-card game to get to provincials… they should be very proud of themselves,” Graham said.
As has been the case for much of the year, the Orcas were led at provincials by the duo of Stacey Graham and Sandy Hsu.
The pair alternated as the team’s leading scorer, with Hsu notching 30 – to go with six rebounds and four assists – in the Handsworth loss, Graham racking up 32 the following day, in a 72-42 win over Mount Baker, and Hsu again taking the reins of the offence, with 25 points, in a 70-61 victory over Heritage Park.
“They’re our glue,” Stu Graham said of his two stars.
In the team’s final game against Maple Ridge, Graham had 24 points.
Hsu was named an honourable mention all-star.
The provincial banner was won this year by Abbotsford’s W.J. Mouat Hawks, who beat Claremont 69-64 in the gold-medal game Saturday night.
