Jenna Marrion canned 11 points and six rebounds as the Vernon Panthers opened their PIT Classic Senior Girls Basketball Tournament with a 65-47 win over the Okanagan Mission Huskies Friday afternoon.
Karly Fugel added nine points and nine boards for VSS, who got seven points from Game MVP Christine Furrer. Sonora Bohaychuk had eight points and five rebounds.
Down by four at end of first quarter, the Panthers pushed forward against a scrappy Huskies squad to take a 12-point lead at the end of the third quarter.
Co-coaches Bobby Mitchell and Lonny Mazurak credited their bench for stepping up with timely offensive contributions to switch momentum.
In their second Friday game, the Panthers overcame the Mount Boucherie Bears 55-48 in a defensive struggle.
Trailing by four points in the fourth quarter, the Cats went on a 15-0 charge, led by Game MVP Mary Rice, who scored four quick points and had three highlight-reel assists to fuel the run.
Fugel drained 14 points and 13 boards, Marrion had a dozen points and four steals and Rice supplied 10 points and six assists.
Madison Sawka came off the bench to spark the team with some tough defence, and netted a tough in-traffic layup.
VSS met the Sa-Hali Sabres of Kamloops in semifinal play Saturday. The Holy Cross Crusaders of Surrey battled the South Okanagan Hornets in the other semi.
Sam Ferrier drained a game-high 17 points as the Fulton Maroons rebounded from a five-point, first-half deficit to ice the Princeton Rebels 45-41.
Hana Ouchi was Fultons’ Game MVP.
Kaelyn Parmalee scored 17 points and Daralyn Schepp added 13 as the Kalamalka Lakers outgunned the NorKam Saints 75-57. Katie Rogers chipped in with 11 points for the Lakers.
Despite a team-high 16-point effort by Mallory Schunter, the Charles Bloom Timberwolves of Lumby bowed 59-39 to the Summerland Rockets.
In other Friday action, Sa-Hali stuffed the Penticton’s Princess Margaret Mustangs 90-32; South Okanagan pummeled the L.V. Rogers Bombers of Nelson 61-20; Holy Cross stopped Summerland 66-34; OKM bounced Maggie 78-27; NorKam upended Bloom 59-41; Sa-Hali grounded Fulton 68-39 and the Hornets buzzed Kal 49-30.
In junior boys court action, the Fulton Maroons opened their Classic invitational tourney by outgunning the Golden Golden Eagles 61-49 Friday at Fulton gym.
Fulton’s Michael Rouault led all scorers with 26 points, while Victor Gouchee added 18.
The Eagles responded with 24 points from Sage Gosal and 22 from Neal Randhawa.
The Maroons met Mount Boucherie in Saturday morning action.
In other Friday play, the Salmon Arm Golds brushed back the South Kamloops Titans 47-43; the Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops stopped the Kelowna Christian Knights 61-41; and the Bears stuffed the Pen-Hi Lakers 58-35.
