The St. Andrew’s Sabres senior girls team has stamped its ticket to the B.C. single-A High School Championship.
The Sabres finished second at the Island Championships, falling to Duncan Christian 51-31 in the single-A Island final at Glenlyon Norfolk School on Feb. 26.
It’s a first for St. Andrew’s, as previous senior girls basketball teams came close but had yet to qualify for the provincials, said team spokesman Jim Grove.
The B.C. High School finals are March 9 to 12 at Duncan Christian School. St. Andrew’s is ranked 16th among the 16 teams attending.
“We aim to compete with the best ‘A’ teams in the province, show what we can do on the court, and represent our school with pride,” says assistant coach Brian Nishi.
In Game 1 the Sabres faced Maaqtusiis secondary school of Ahousat, a powerhouse in previous years who finished runner-up at last year’s Islands.
Led by player of the game Emily Saville, the Sabres shook off the dust of history in a “standout collective performance” to defeat Maaqtusiis 63-37.
At the final buzzer, cheers and screams erupted as players and parents celebrated the seminal moment for St. Andrew’s sporting history.
The Sabres mounted a spirited challenge in the Island final only to fall to incumbent Island champions Duncan Christian.
Camila Grove was named the St. Andrew’s player of the final while teammate Julia Falzon received honours as St. Andrew’s Island championship tournament all-star.
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