Sports
November 22, 2008 11:33 PM
Mike Hayakawa
For a first-year entry in the York Region Athletic Association, the Bill Crothers Secondary School Colts junior girls’ basketball team had quite a season.
In fact, you can call it a banner year.
The Colts will hang the YRAA tier one banner from their gymnasium rafters after they defeated Newmarket’s Dr. J.M. Denison Huskies 49-30 in last Saturday’s championship tilt on the Bill Crothers Secondary School hardwood.
After a season where they went undefeated, the Colts set the tone in the early going as they scored the first eight points and took an 8-3 lead after one quarter and 15-11 at the half.
Held upper hand
Maintaining their upper hand with a 30-23 lead through three quarters, the Colts blew the game wide open in the final period as they reeled off 17 unanswered points to put the title on ice.
Colts’ forward Lindsay Shotbolt led all scorers with 22 points, including 10 in the final quarter. Colts’ team captain and point guard Danielle Harris added eight.
“I just think we wanted (to win the game) a little more, we dug down deep because we knew this was the final game of the season, that was the difference,” an elated Shotbolt said upon conclusion of the game.
Colts’ co-coaches Andrea Callendar and Nicole Lazier felt their quick start was instrumental to their success.
“A good start definitely set the tone. They (the Huskies) came back, but we settled down at the end of the second quarter. We ran our offence well and played good defence. We were pleased with everyone’s performance in the game,” Callendar said.
Lazier was also quick to note it didn’t hurt that they had the home court advantage.
Fell behind
Jodi Gram, a Markham native and Huskies assistant coach, agreed. Her squad dug itself into a deep hole when it fell behind in the early going.
“We got off to a slow start and had to play catch-up,” she said.
Gram also felt the performances of Shotbolt and Harris were a little too much for their players to keep in check.
“Lindsay (Shotbolt) and Danielle (Harris) were the difference. Their athleticism was the difference,” she said.
Reflecting on their season, Callendar acknowledged it was a Cinderella-type year. Especially since the team was a first-year unit and they didn’t know what to expect throughout the season.
“The girls went to the unknown. They came to a new school here. We knew that we had an athletic team, but we didn’t know what we had in terms of skill level. But we credit the girls and their ability and heart. They gave it their all,” she said.
In the semifinals, the Colts defeated Stouffville District Secondary School Spartans for the third time this season, 49-30.
Shotbolt led the Spartans with 17 points.
The Huskies defeated Newmarket Sacred Heart 35-22 in their semi.