Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - The Morning Star A27
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Sports
UBCO hosts hoop all-stars Morning Star Staff
It was basically the Okanagan Valley high school version of March Madness Final Four Saturday at UBC’s Okanagan campus. The top high school basketball players from around the Valley put on a dazzling show for the many people in attendance. “The up and down pace of all four games made for exciting basketball as every player on the floor looked to prove why they were selected an all-star,” said Cary Mellon of UBCO athletics. The senior girls’ was the closest game of the four, with Vernon Panthers’ coach Bobby Mitchell leading his Dark team to a 71-60 win over Lisa Nevoral’s (Kelowna Owls) Light team. Princeton’s Julia Reichert led the Dark squad with 17 points, while Princeton’s Ciara Bomford scored 15 for the Light squad. Each player was named their team’s Player of
the Game. Quinsy Leier of VSS managed five points and Panther teammate Sage Blundell had a deuce for the winners. Mary Rice of VSS had two points for the losers. In the marquee senior boys game, Cornell-bound seven-footer Braxston Bunce (Kelowna) managed 13 points, but it was not nearly enough as UBCO Heat assistant coach Matt Heyworth led his Light squad to a 102-56 victory over Kelly Broderick’s (Mt. Boucherie Bears) Dark team. South Okanagan Secondary’s Greet Gill was Game MVP for the Light squad with an impressive 32 points. Game MVP for the Dark squad was South Kamloops guard Elijah Hillis-Gold. Former Armstrong product Mitch Chapman (Owls) flushed eight points for the Light crew, which had Mitch Rouault of the Fulton Maroons on their roster. In the junior girls game,
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Sage Blundell (No. 11) of the VSS Panthers defends her zone in the Okanagan Valley Senior Girls Basketball All-Star Game Saturday at UBC Okanagan Gym.
Easter Weekend Open Friday & Saturday 10am-5pm the Dark team, coached by Thompson River WolfPack women’s head coach Scott Reeves, defeated the Light team, coached by Junior Heat U15 coach Kirsten Mulleny, 52-37. Player of the game and leading scorer for the Light team was Charlotte Lewthwaite (Owls) with 12 points. Kianna Lalonde (Owls) was the leading scorer and the Dark team’s Game MVP with 17. The junior boy’s game was a high-scoring affair. The Dark team, coached by third-year
Heat player Ed Dane Medi, dropped the Light team 92-72. The Light team was coached by another Heat player, graduating post Steve Morrison. The Dark team won by getting contributions up and down the roster with Cooper Simson (Owls) leading the team with 21 points, and player of the game honours going to Michael Mayhew (St. Ann’s of Kamloops) with eight points. Buzz Truss of the Owls drained 22 points to earn player of the game for the Lights.
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Orphans return to finals Morning Star Staff
2013 PRO RMK on display APRIL 7-11, 2012
JOSÉ LAROCHELLE/MORNING STAR
Chris Usselman (left) of Teale Utility Canucks battles it out with Mike Tew of Kasper Denture Red Wings in Vernon Hockey League playoff action Saturday night at Wesbild Centre. Trevor Abel and Cody Keller completed the Predators’ offence. Danny Stein earned three helpers in support of Chris Kingdon. Former Vernon Viper Cody Bostock, ex-Kelowna Spartan Jarret Watts, Blair Fernley and Rhett Ballard answered for the Wings in front of Jason Chasca. The Red Wings knocked out the Teale Utility Canucks 4-1 Saturday night at Wesbild. Former Edmonton Oiler farmhand Duane Dennis supplied a pair of goals and helped set up one by Fernley, all in the first period. Mike Glowa also scored for the Wings, who got 25 saves from Kingdon. Chris Usselman answered for
the Canucks, who finished third at 20-9-01. Steve Clark made 22 saves. The Preds stayed alive in the double elimination format with a 5-4 win over the sixth-place Kalavida Flyers Saturday at Wesbild. Geoff Bevan bagged two goals for the Preds, including the winner with 5:32 remaining. Justin Horochuk supplied 1+2, while Kenny Johnstone and Matt Litzenberger also converted for the Preds. Keller and Tyler Willms each produced a pair of helpers. Jeff Kuzniar, Logan Massie, Kevin Arbuckle and Paul Saunders answered for the Flyers. Dan Novakowski had two helpers.
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POLARIS PRO
2013
The R.E. Postill & Sons Orphans are back in the Vernon Hockey League playoff finals for a second time in three seasons. The 2009-10 champions open the best-of-three series tonight (9:30) at Priest Valley Arena against either the defending winners Re/Max Rangers or the Godard Excavating Predators. Game 2 goes Thursday night (7:15, PV). A third game, if required, will be played Sunday night, 6:15, at Wesbild Centre. Prince George Spruce King grad Leath Gare pocketed 1+3 as the regular-season champion Orphans brushed off the runnerup Rangers 4-3 Saturday night at Wesbild. Former Vernon Viper Bryce Kakoske added 1+2 for the Orphans, while ageless Rob Bauml and Ryan Kurbis also converted. Ex-Portland Winterhawk Sawyer Mick, Brad Kowalski and Steve Vallier replied for the Rangers, who led 3-2 at the break. Jason Silzer blocked 15 shots for the Orphans, while Kyle Ostrass earned 12 saves for Re/Max. Both teams were assessed six minor penalties in the chippy affair. The Rangers and Predators met in the semifinal Tuesday night. Luc Blinkhorn counted 2+1 as the Preds grounded the Kasper Denture Red Wings 6-4 Monday night at PV. Andy Stein, Logan Stockley,
RMK K 800
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