The Cats Show Their Wild Side

December 7, 2023

Handsworth vs. Burnaby Central.

The tournament kickoff at Handsworth is their “Spirit Game” and is always a memorable one that brings out some of the best energy of the tournament.

The visiting Burnaby Central Wildcats were certainly aware of this home court advantage and did all they could to mitigate this raucous crowd.

The Cats were scoring at will in the first quarter jumping out to a 30-10 advantage. Some may have mistaken the Royals for a local bakery with the number of turnovers they were serving up. These turnovers were certainly frustrating the Royals’ coaches and not what they envisioned out of their young team. With fast break point after fast break point the Wildcats transitioned a wild crowd into a student filled gymnasium that was quieter than a church mouse.

Burnaby Central came to play in this first half shooting at over 50%, led by star point guard Ankita Chopra. I have a feeling we are going to be hearing a lot about Chopra over the course of the tournament as she single-handleably outscored the entire Royals roster in the first half. Whether it was pull up jumpers or driving layups the Royals defence struggled to find an answer for her elite scoring ability.

In the second half the Royals power forward Bryn Chubb continued to hold a strong paint presence throughout the second frame and was a key offensive driver for the Royals. She finished the game with 6 points, and countless critical boards for the home team.

The visiting Cats cruised in the fourth while resting many of their key starters and finished with a commanding 76-34 victory.

The Royals will look to put this effort past them, while the Cats will look to build upon this impressive tournament opener! Best of luck to both teams moving forward in the annual No Regrets tournament.

Final Score: Burnaby Central 74, Handsworth 34