Morning Star Staff
The VSS Panthers grounded the Salmon Arm Jewels 80-39 Saturday in consolation play at the Kelowna Owls Senior Girls Basketball Tournament.
Jordan Korol drained 17 points for VSS, while Jessica Melvin rang up 15, Jordyn Cullum hit 14 Rebekah Salway sank a dozen and Anna Rice canned 11.
Earlier, the Panthers upended Princess Margaret Mustangs of Penticton 65-53 behind 28 points from Korol.
“This was a much more complete game as we pushed out to a 10-point lead and held it until a strong push in the third quarter when they tied it,” said VSS coach Lonny Mazurak. “The girls were resilient and pushed back for the win.”
Cullum nailed 15 points, while Salway chipped in with 13.
The Cats opened by falling 59-57 to the Owls with Korol flushing 24 points and Cullum getting 15.
Melvin, Korol and Cullum were named game stars.
The Fulton Maroons went 1-2 at the Salmon Arm Golds Junior Boys Basketball Tournament, finishing with a 34-19 Saturday win over the Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops.
Noah Lee supplied nine points for Fulton, adding six rebounds and three steals. Hunter Krieger pitched in eight points and seven rebounds.
Caden Doyle took player of the game with five points and 18 rebounds. T.J. Ward won the award for outstanding hustle.
“The boys played great defence and executed our offence well this game,” said Maroon coach Johnal Lee. “Landon Currie scored six points with eight rebounds, six steals and five assists, and once more controlled the game for us.
“What he brings to our team cannot be defined by his stats alone. He imposes his will when he is on the floor like nothing I’ve seen at this level of play. I’m looking forward to the upcoming playoffs to see what this team can really do with everything we have learned this season.”
The Maroons opened by losing 48-27 to the Sa-Hali Sabres.
Nathan Banga lit it up in the first four minutes with eight points and three steals before suffering a sprained ankle and ending his tournament.
Lee put up eight points and Satchel McDermid scored five as Fulton failed to recover from the loss of their star point guard. Currie received the player of the game award.
Fulton then fell 48-44 to the Okanagan Mission Huskies with OKM raining a barrage of jumpers and outscoring Fulton 19-5 in the third quarter.
The Maroon showed a sweet display of grit and determination in the fourth behind the hot shooting hand of Lee (scored seven of his 13 points) and Krieger’s finishing touch around the rim (scored six of his 10 points) and pulled to within three points with a chance to tie with seconds left on the clock.
The play was broken up and Fulton was forced to foul. Lee was MVP.
In junior girls play, Fulton got 11 points from Jasmine Fox in a 42-26 victory over the Salmon Arm Jewels.
Abby Hughes rang up eight points, while Gurleen Janda earned four for the ever-improving Maroons.
“We have won six of our last seven games and our work ethic is getting bettter,” said Fulton coach Mike Scheller. “Annie Morrison is doing a tremendous job for us in rebounding and setting screens. She does all the dirty work that makes her teammates better.
“Abby Hughes is attacking the basket well and is hustling. Mackenzie Morin is very effective at running the offence and Cassi Breitkreutz and Ashton Abramenko are becoming tough under the boards.”
