Mitch Calvert
The Muskie junior girls’ basketball team split into two squads for its annual home tournament Friday and Saturday at Fort High—and both groups of players gained invaluable experience as they prepare for crunch time in the NorWOSSA season.
Team White (3-1) finished second only to Thunder Bay’s St. Ignatius (4-0) while Team Black pulled out a 30-15 win over the Kenora Broncos in their final game Saturday to finish at 1-3.
Dryden (2-2) took third place while Kenora rounded out the five-team tourney at 0-4.
“For Team Black, we set it up so our younger girls would get more time on the floor and more experience, which is going to help us in the end,” Muskie co-coach Dan Bird said.
“I was really happy with the way they came out with that win at the end [against Kenora] because they deserved a win with how hard they’ve played,” Bird added. “They got working together with the system, and getting confidence with their shots, and we’re going to need our bench in a couple weeks.”
The two Muskie squads opened the tournament against each another on Friday afternoon, with Team White taking the game 23-10.
Erika Moffitt and Kelsea Hunsperger had six points in the win for the victors while Natasha Bragg netted four for Team Black.
After Dryden beat Kenora 40-21 in the next game, Team Black then gave St. Ignatius its biggest test of the tournament before falling just short by a surprising 16-14 score.
“Good, solid defence by ‘Black,’” Bird reasoned for the narrow loss. “We saw it in this game [against Kenora to close out the tournament], putting on the press and turning over the ball,
“And that’s what they did against St. Ignatius and it kind of surprised them.”
Team White downed Dryden 35-27 in their second game of the tournament later Friday afternoon. Moffitt and Morgan Krueger torched the Eagles for 12 points apiece in the wide-open game.
Team White then opened play Saturday against St. Ignatius and suffered their lone defeat of the tournament by a 24-13 margin.
They followed that with a 31-16 drubbing of Kenora, led by Krueger’s 10 points and eight from Chelsea Hill, after Team Black had fallen 33-16 to Dryden.
“I’m really happy with Team White,” Bird enthused. “They gave St. Ignatius a good run, and beat both our NorWOSSA rivals.”
St. Ignatius closed out their perfect tournament record with a 38-21 win over Dryden before Team Black wrapped things up on a positive note with their win over Kenora.
Chantal Jodoin netted six points to lead the Muskies in that one.
“They were diving for balls, working really hard, and that’s what we’re going to need,” Bird said of his first-year players on Team Black.
“I hope more Thunder Bay teams come down next year because we’re going to keep this weekend and it’d be nice to see at least two come down,” he added.
