Mulgrave Girls with Convincing Win Over Kits in Both Team's First Tourney Appearance
Kits Sr. Girls @ Mulgrave
Written by: Jamie Keast, Handsworth ‘06
The Mulgrave Titan’s new gym, whose big screen reminds me of being in Rogers Arena last week for a Canucks game, is brand new and ready for their first year of hosting the 2022 No Regrets Basketball Tournament. Mulgrave’s Senior Girls are set to host Kitsilano in their first home game of the year, followed by their Senior Boys against Centennial. Both Mulgrave Senior Basketball teams are coached by Claude Leduc, Mulgrave’s Athletic Director, which should make for some interesting scheduling challenges going forward this weekend!
Mulgrave’s Senior Girls roster is composed mostly of Grade 10s and 11s, with just one Grade 12, and they enter today’s tournament ranked #1 in AA.
This is the Kitsilano Blue Demons Senior Girl’s first year in the No Regrets Tournament; in 2017, the Kits Senior Boys won the No Regrets Tournament. The Senior Girls are coached by Panos Grames.
Eva Ruse #10, standing at 6’2”, just came off a very successful volleyball season with the Titans. She takes the jump across from Kits’ #23, who looks to be equally as tall, tipping it forward to Mulgrave for a quick basket. Kits can’t answer, and Titans #11, Lucy Xu, returns with a baseline 3. Kits’ #23, Maddy Billings, tries to make something happen at the other end of the floor, but with 6 minutes remaining in the quarter, Kitsilano has yet to score their first basket. They try and give-and-go, but a big shot block by Titans #10 Eva Ruse has Kits still scoreless.
Jenna Talib, Titans #1, misses a three-point shot but her teammate #11, Lucy Xu, gets the ball and follows with one of her own. Lucy then hits another three-pointer in the next possession for back-to-back threes, increasing Mulgrave’s lead to 28. A technical foul called against the Blue Demons sends the Titans to the line where they go one-for-two, and also causes the Blue Demons #23, Maddy Billings, to exit the game.
Kits get a steal in the paint and use it to their advantage as they quickly get up the court, drawing their first foul of the game, and subsequently their first points, as #4 Eva Tomasi hits both free throws. At the end of the first quarter, Mulgrave leads 35-2.
Mulgrave opens up the second quarter with a zone defense, which is posing further problems for the Blue Demons. Kits #14, Elodie Gosselin, is eating up the defensive rebounds, helping them decrease the Titan’s lead. Blue Demon’s Maddy Billings enters the game and quickly scores a layup off of a steal, however Mulgrave’s #31, Erica Panahandeh, returns with two from the low post on the next possession. Kits’ Maddy Billings attempts a long three, hustles to get her own rebound, and lays it in. A call-play,‘Stack for Lucy”, sends her to the low post for a layup but she can’t capitalize on it. Kits returns down the floor and has several attempts to score, including Maddy Billings driving to the hoop, but Titans return down the floor, getting two free throws, and #14 Kaitlyn Takeuchi goes one-for-two.
Just before halftime, the game has slowed down as players look fatigued, but Maddy Billings hits a three, and on the next possession, drives, getting fouled and sending her to the line for two shots where she hits both. At halftime, Mulgrave leads Kits 45-13.
Mulgrave opens the scoring in the second half as Eva Ruse lays one in. A beautiful reverse lay-in by #12 Ava Wilson takes the Mulgrave lead to 37 points. Maddy Billings returns for the Blue Demons with a long 3-pointer. Mulgrave continues to dominate offensively with Ava Wilson driving and dishing to Lucy Xu, who hits another baseline three. This takes Mulgrave’s lead to 47 points.
After a Kitsilano timeout, their #14 Elodie Gosselin comes out strong with a lay-in, however Mulgrave returns with their own. The Blue Demon’s # 23 Maddy Bibbings hits another long three-pointer. Mulgrave takes a timeout of their own; Kits’ #15 Catherine Sachs comes out of the timeout and hits a three. However, Titan’s Jenna Talib returns with her own. At the end of the third quarter, with a buzzer beater two-pointer from Talib to close it off, Mulgrave leads Kits 76-28.
To open up the fourth quarter, Kits’ #13 Sarah Crosbie is fouled and heads to the line, going one-for-two. Kits gets three offensive rebounds in a row but can’t score off of them, and Titan’s Jenna Talib hits another three at the other end of the court. Mulgrave continues to pass the ball well around the horn. Kits’ #4, Eva Tomasi, hits a long three only to have Mulgrave return with the same in the next possession. As per Head Coach Claude Leduc, Mulgrave slows the ball down so that Titan’s #11 Luxy Xu can hit another three pointer, making that her sixth of the game.
Kitsilano continues to get offensive rebound after offensive rebound, giving them multiple opportunities to score, which #14 Elodie Gosselin takes advantage. However, Mulgrave can’t be stopped in this one, and the Titans go on to win 93-41.
Player of the Game: Titan’s #31 Erika Panahandeh
No Regrets.