Crusaders squeeze into senior girls’ hoops semifinals
GUELPH – The Lourdes Crusaders squeezed out a 24-23 victory over the Bishop Macdonell Celtics in District 10 high school senior girls’ basketball quarter-final playoff action Tuesday at Lourdes to gain a berth in a semifinal with the first-place Centennial Spartans.
The Crusaders led the low-scoring game 5-2 at the end of the first quarter and 13-9 at halftime before Bishop Mac rallied to tie things 18-18 by the end of the third quarter.
The teams took turns in the lead throughout the fourth quarter, Lourdes going ahead for good with about a minute and a half to go.
Mckenna Codrington led the Crusaders with eight points while Olivia Doucette had six and Kayla Schaus added four.
Martina Gazzola had seven for Bishop Mac while Hayley Clark chipped in with four and Shaelyn Mitchell and Aline Matthieu each had three.
The Crusaders advance to play the Spartans in Thursday’s semifinal at Centennial at 4 p.m.
Centennial finished the regular season in first place at 9-1 and received a bye into the semifinals as did the second-place Guelph CVI Green Gaels who finished at 8-2. The Ross Royals were third at 7-3, Lourdes fourth at 3-7, Bishop Mac fifth at 3-7 (Lourdes won the tiebreaker to get to play the quarter-final at home) and St. James Lions sixth at 0-10.
Semifinal winners are to meet in the D10 final Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
With Tuesday’s win, Lourdes gets to be the D10 representative in the CWOSSA AA tournament Nov. 18 and 19 at Galt Collegiate Institute in Cambridge.
Ross 64 St. James 24
Ailani Curvan connected for 20 points for Ross while Sierra Curvan had 19 and Devin Eddy collected 12.
Arielle Balmelero’s 13 points topped the scoring list for the Lions while Lilly Offen contributed seven.
The Royals are to play the Green Gaels at GCVI Thursday at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal.
Junior Girls’ Basketball
Centre Wellington 42 Guelph CVI 32
The win by Centre Wellington puts the Falcons into a semifinal match with the Orangeville Bears at Orangeville Thursday at 2 p.m.
Sydney Sellers had a game-high 24 points for Centre Wellington.
Aly Ostrander led GCVI with 13 points.
Semifinal winners are to battle in the league final Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
Orangeville finished the regular season in first place at 10-0 and was followed by the Bishop Macdonell Celtics at 7-3, Ross Royals at 5-5, Centre Wellington at 4-6, GCVI at 2-8 and Centennial at 2-8.
Bishop Mac is to play in the CWOSSA AA tournament at Cambridge’s Galt Collegiate Institure Nov. 18 and 19.
Ross 43 Centennial 34
Ross gained a berth in the semifinals with the win over Centennial. The Royals are to play the Celtics at Bishop Mac in the semifinals Thursday at 4 p.m.
Leah Van Milligen had 17 points for Ross against Centennial while Alex Blashuk netted eight.
Haley McMillan had a game-high 24 points for Centennial.
- Guelph Sports Journal