4A Walnut Grove Gators Prove Too Much for 2A Mulgrave in Girls Final

Walnut Grove Gators v. Mulgrave Titans

‘No Regrets’ Girls Final 2022

December 10, 2022

The 2017 and 2022 ‘No Regrets’ winners return seeking a three-peat. Their opposition from the mountainside of West Vancouver are not only first-time participants in the tournament but a first-time host school. Thanks for that to the Titan Nation.

The Gators are led by senior Kiera Pemberton who put up 47 points against OKM in an earlier game this week and is bound for North Dakota next year. The Titans controller will be Ava Wilson.

Justin Morissette acted as announcer for the game and, as always, jacked up the spirit of the evening. The Gators are in stylish gray and black but will be difficult to see if the power goes out. Both squads will have to dial in the three-point range as early attempts weren’t all that close. No worries, they will.

In the early going, between good defence and undialed offence the teams combined for 7 points in the first 4 minutes. But Pemberton looks like she won’t be limited for long. As for the Titans they must have been practicing their foul shots because they are making them. The first trey came from Tia Rowell for the Grove. The Titans will have to find a layup limiting defence for Pemberton because she is unlikely to miss – going up lefty or righty. Can’t tackle. Plan B? Meanwhile the Titans are kept well away from the basket which forces highly optimistic passes. A combined 7 points in the first 4 minutes and 30 points in the last 6 minutes. Q1: WGT 24, MT 13

Q2: Jenna Talib scored twice in a row for Mulgrave including a corner three. Knodel made a three for WG. Great to see both teams now dialed in. Talib hit for 2 but the Gators answered leading to a timeout for the Titans as Coach Leduc seeks to reassure and redirect his charges. But Pemberton unleashes a series of flawless layups and the lead doubles to 20. A blocked Pemberton jumper will lift the spirits as WG called a timeout. After 6 minutes of Q2 and the score is 42-25 to the Grove.  On the advice of Head ‘No Regrets’ Game Story Writer I can now say “Boom goes the dynamite”. I think it’s a basketball term. Gators #4 Anna Koo is a tenacious and stifling guard with high energy preventing Mulgrave from getting down low for easy baskets.

Half-time fun fact: Mulgrave is also a town in Nova Scotia

Q3: Scoring is even in the early minutes of Q3 until a three by Lucy Xu. After 4 minutes of Q3 Mulgrave has out-scored the Grove by 14-11. Talib for Mulgrave goes up lefty and continues to score. But then so does WG. End of Q3: WG by 19. Walnut Grove is ranked #2 in 4A while Mulgrave is #1 in 2A.  This is a big hill to climb by Mulgrave but they have proven they are a worthy, tenacious and courageous team. As I write that, Tia Rowell nails a 3 for the Grove. While the Walnuts were ahead by 17 at the half, Mulgrave is down 18 with 4 minutes to go. And then Rowell hits a three. Mulgrave pressed with 90 seconds to go, caused a turnover and scored off of it. They will need that skill going forward in the season. Fighting to the end. I can’t keep up. Kiera Pemberton continues to be a force rendering a massive comeback unlikely through Q4. In the end she had 

Final score: Walnut Grove 81, Mulgrave 62

Player of the game: #5 Tia Rowell