Oak Bay Breakers Prove to be Unbreakable
Handsworth Royals Sr. Girls v. Oak Bay Breakers
Girls Final
December 14, 2024
(photo credit: Blair Shier)
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you have been waiting for has finally arrived - the girls final of the 2024 No Regrets Tournament is minutes away from tip-off! In this battle of the best, we have the hometown Handsworth Royals taking on the visiting Oak Bay Breakers for a chance at putting their names in the records book!
As the teams finish their pre-game warmup routines, based on the height advantage that the Breakers have over the Royals I would expect us to see a hefty dose of full-court pressure from Handsworth in an effort to test Oak Bay. Thus far in the tournament the full-court press has been an integral element in the Breakers success - this final could be decided by which team can do the better job of both applying the pressure, and handling the pressure.
The Breakers waste no time at the start of this game, winning the tip and turning that quickly into a bucket. As we expected, the Royals have been applying a healthy amount of pressure forcing an early turnover with a sneaky trap once the ball crossed half. The Royals have a very unique advantage - the Sumner sisters, Maddy #8 and Gabby #10, are identical twins! Let’s see if coach Nelson for the Royals has any hidden sister tricks up his sleeve.
Oak Bay started the game with an 8-0 run, countered by the Royals first points coming from #8 Maddy Sumner with the deep 3 ball! Handsworth have been dropping back into a half-court zone D, looking for opportunities to trap in the corners as #8 Andulajevic for the Breakers brings the ball over half court. The Sumner sisters have been looking for their opportunities from behind the arc, given a green light when the opportunities are there. Oak Bay, once they have been able to get through the pressure, have been executing in their half-court sets and getting good chances to score. Score check: 10-3 Breakers with 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The first quarter has been fast-paced, with both teams establishing their presence through pressure defensively and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win loose balls. End of the first quarter Oak Bay is up 13-5.
As we settle into Q2, Oak Bay is getting comfortable working the ball around against the 3/4 court press from the Royals, releasing some of that pressure we saw earlier. #9 for the Royals, Childs, is making an impact on this game all over the court. She’s taking responsibility for bringing the ball up the court against the Breaker pressure, and is putting a body on her competitors and earning herself more than her fair share of rebounds. Coach Nelson calls a timeout a few minutes into the second quarter, looking to help his team re-set after Oak Bay extended their lead. The Breakers are on a bit of a cold streak, at least for their standards, after missing multiple open three attempts; don’t expect that to last long, and the Royals are looking to take advantage of this rarity with #11 McJannet finishing the layup inside and getting fouled to earn herself a 3-point play.
Score at the half has Oak Bay up 24-9.
Halftime Fact #1: Larry Donohoe, long longtime member of the North Shore basketball community and part of the No Regrets Organizing Committee is celebrating his birthday today, on finals day! It’s meant to be.
Halftime Fact #2: No one, not even their own parents, are able to tell the difference between the Sumner twins (except for the jersey numbers getting an assist here…maybe).
Halftime Fact #3: The Handsworth Royals senior boys team also has a pair of identical twins: Matthew and Gavin Hawkins
The Royals have come out determined to work their way back into this game, and give this hometown crowd an exciting finish. A few consecutive buckets shrunk the Breakers lead down to single digits. #9 for Oak Bay, Henderson, just single handedly broke apart the Royals zone D with a beautiful pass to her teammate for the easy finish - great vision. Although the Royals made a nice run, Oak Bay continues to look extremely comfortable. They aren’t willing to succumb to the Royals pressure, and instead wait patiently for their opportunity to turn a steal into transition points. The Breakers have a deep bench, with their coaching staff very comfortable to call on any of their team members to step in and play an important role; that widespread talent has helped them extend their lead to 39-15 as the third quarter comes to an end.
To start the fourth, #9 Henderson picked up right where she left off with a nifty take and finish at the rim. #9 Childs saw that move by Henderson and presumably liked what she saw, as she just replicated the nifty move on the other end of the court earning the Royals a set of points. The Royals have played 3 games during the 2024 No Regrets Tourney, and the verdict is still out on which Sumner is taller. Your guess is as good as mine.
Both of these teams certainly earned their spot in this final and showed up determined to put on a show for the crowd. Today was Oak Bays’ day - their consistent pressure all game long, and really all tournament long, has made it very difficult for their opponents to settle into any sort of routine offensively. They effectively forced Handsworth into difficult decisions and took advantage of any of the turnovers they created with buckets on the other end.
Another incredible No Regrets girls’ tournament in the books. Congratulations to the Handsworth Royals on their second-place finish, and big congrats to the Oak Bay Breakers on their championship!
Final Score: Oak Bay: 59 - Handsworth: 27.
No Regrets.