Regional hoops squad set for Portage

They have no idea about their opposition, they’re playing in unfamiliar territory, and their schedule is a killer.
But the coach of the Muskie regional girls’ basketball squad is only concerning himself with what he can control at the Basketball Manitoba juvenile girls’ regional tournament in Portage La Prairie this weekend.
“We have to try and dictate the pace,” said Mike Busch, whose 10- member contingent will be the lone crew in the nine-team field of under-17 competitors not to see action today.
But then they’ll face a stretch of four games in 27 hours starting tomorrow morning.
“I’m not worried about our conditioning.
These kids have been going non-stop since the start of school, many of them playing multiple sports,” Busch noted.
“It’s going to be more a mental obstacle than a physical one for them to overcome.”^Fort Frances is in Pool ‘B’ along with Steinbach, Portage/Central, Swan Valley, and St. Mary’s #2 (Winnipeg).
Pool ‘A’ features Kenora, the only other Ontario team at the tournament, as well as Brandon, Carman, and St. Mary’s #1.
The Muskies will play Swan Valley tomorrow morning before facing St. Mary’s #2 in the afternoon and then Portage/Central that evening. They’ll finish the preliminary round against Steinbach on Sunday morning.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the cross-over semi-finals Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
(i.e., first in Pool ‘A’ vs second in Pool ‘B’), with the final to be played at 4:30 p.m.
Busch said the Muskies have improved in getting back on defence as well as their field goal percentage since posting a 1-2 record at a warm-up tournament here three weeks ago.
“The shooting is coming around,” noted Busch, citing the return of post Carley McCormick, who missed the warm-up tournament because of school commitments, as a stabilizing factor on the offensive end of the floor.
“Having Carley back will make a huge difference in both our shooting game and our strength up front,” he said. “She’s an experienced power forward. She scores on me at will in practice most times.”^Guard Stephanie Mattson said getting ready for the tournament has been somewhat of a challenge.
A bevy of other school and work commitments, as well as the presence of Dryden import Brittany Kamm on the team, has made getting the whole group together on a regular basis next to impossible.
But she is encouraged by what she saw out at the warm-up tournament.
“We’re running our plays good and we’ve been good on offence, as well,” said Mattson. “Our competition is going to be tough, but you have to have confidence going in there.”^Having belief in his team’s abilities is no issue with Busch.
“I’ve got confidence in all 10 of these players,” he stressed. “The most important thing they’ve got going for themselves is their desire to play.
“They don’t really care who we’re playing or where we play.
They just want to play.”^The team, which is taking part in this tournament for the first time, also is in good shape for the future as only two players will be over the age limit for next year’s championship.
But as for the here and now, Busch is certain any team wanting a win over the Muskies will have to earn it.
“We’d like to finish first or second in our pool, but we may not win a single game,” he ventured.
“But I can guarantee we’ll be in every one of them.”