(GIRLS) Heritage Woods Kodiaks pounce Handsworth Royals in opening round play

Heritage Woods Kodiaks @ Handsworth Royals

Written by Devin Delany, Handsworth Grad ‘06

It was once again time for the tip off if the ‘No Regrets’ Tournament at Handsworth Secondary School. As per tradition the first game of the tournament is known as the ‘spirit game’ which brings hundreds of students in to completely pack the Royals gymnasium.

Prior to tip off Handsworth presented a touching tribute to the late Quinn Keast whom the tournament is in memory of after leaving behind a remarkable legacy not only for Handsworth basketball but also the entire lower mainland basketball community.

It was now time for the Royals hype man ‘Crazy P’ to get the gym buzzing again as he always does which draws loud cheers and laughter throughout.

As you can imagine it would be hard for the Kodiaks not to feel slightly intimidated with the whole gymnasium rooting for the home side and this was certainly the case in the opening minutes. The Royals shared the ball well and jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead.

The Kodiaks point guard took charge for the visiting team quickly with back-to-back long-range clean jump shots. This made it clear they were not going to be shy about using the space provided outside of the paint.

On the offensive side for the Royals it was Aidan Chubb getting most involved as she was utilized nearly every possession typically in the low post. Her size and strength seemed to create problems for the Kodiaks who couldn’t match her in the paint. She also seemed to be hauling in countless offensive boards providing the Royals with a number of second chance points.

Another threat and workhorse for the Royals was point guard Francesca Rocuzzo who was all over the court on both sides of the ball making life very difficult for the agile Kodiaks. Her work rate and effort on loose balls was certainly appreciated by coach Rick Mark and the rest of the bench.

At halftime the score line read Handsworth 29 Heritage Park 26.

During this break the Royals Dance Crew took over the show and put on 3 terrific performances in front of the crowd that left many amazed at their moves. This show even had the visiting Kodiaks in awe as they came out of the dressing room early to see what the chaos was all about. Another usual suspect at the tournament opener was Blair Shier taking fantastic action photography shots as he has done for several years. It is intriguing to see the unique body positions Blaire puts himself in to capture these courtside shots that are certainly reminiscent of a hot yoga class.

The second half seemed to shift as the Kodiaks changed to a high press and effectively forced the stunned Royals into countless turnovers and empty possessions. The Kodiaks were able to convert on these turnovers as they were retrieving the ball higher up the court and didn’t have to battle with some of Handsworth’s big’s who were caught up the court.

Handsworth had a disappointing 3rd quarter only putting up 5 points leaving them trailing by 6 going into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter the defensive battle continued with the Royals struggling to find answers for any type of bucket. The Kodiaks coach Ross Tomlinson was a true leader for his team standing courtside directing his team and shifting to his desirable matchups.

Right as Handsworth was getting back in it their backcourt took a big blow as starting PG Rocuzzo took a knock and was forced out of the game creating a big void. We certainly hope the injury heals up as her team will count on her again moving forward.

With this stalwart defensive second half for the Kodiaks it led them to a victory over the home Royals.

All the best to each team moving forward in this fantastic No Regrets tournament!