The Weyburn Comprehensive School (WCS) Eagles battled back to earn a six-point advantage over the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs in the first leg of the 82nd annual McLeod Series held at WCS last Wednesday.
It looked as though the Elecs might romp to a two-game lead in the best-of-four or total-point tiebreaker home-and-home series early into the second game played at WCS.
The Elecs senior boys basketball team had just started off the night in front of a loud and intense crowd of hundreds of ECS and WCS supporters by capturing their first win, 79-75, on a Weyburn court during a McLeod Series game in years. The Elecs senior girls team followed the action by jumping out to an early 10-0 lead over the Eagles only to have foul trouble and a big first two-pointer by Weyburn turn the tides.
“We were trying to get our nerves out and we just were passing bad and our shots weren’t going in because we were so excited,” said Eagles point guard Brynna Spence. “Once we got (a basket), I was like yes we can do it now.”
The Eagles didn’t score their first field goal until forward Payton Oberg drained a two from inside the paint with 2:16 to play in the first quarter. Twenty seconds later, Elecs starter Kourtney Kobitz tallied her fourth foul forcing her off the court and an Eagles run ensued.
Weyburn brought the score to 20-15 by the end of the initial 10 minutes and captured their first lead of the game 26-24 halfway through the second quarter on a deep three down the middle by Tiarrah Umbach. The Eagles took a 32-31 lead into the half before erupting for 24 points in the third quarter, including 16 from Grade 10 guard Hailey Neiszner, to take a 56-42 lead into the final frame.
“We persevered and we just didn’t quit,” said Spence. “We found our groove and we knew how we could play and we just (did) it.”
Jessie Smoliak, head coach of the Elecs senior girls basketball team, said the message to her troops after the one-sided third quarter was simply don’t give up. She said the loss of Kobitz, who normally scores 20-25 points per match, for the second and third periods and a few of their other starters at various points throughout the game hurt, but the bench stepped up, put in some good minutes and allowed the team to at least diminish the points against.
Elecs Ruth Peacson played a big role in the last period comeback notching seven points in the frame. Three of Peacson’s points came on a basket from behind the arc with one minute remaining, which was followed shortly after by a Kobitz trey to make the final 71-61.
The Eagles senior boys team didn’t show any nervousness to start their game against the Elecs jumping out to an early 6-0 lead highlighted by a steal, run and easy layup from towering 6-foot-5 wing Paul Dionne. A steady parade to the foul line helped the Elecs to close the gap to 22-20 by the end of the first quarter and also move the Eagles away from their usual game plan.
“It’s not so much the team fouls where you’re on the line, it’s more in the psyche because we play a very aggressive type of basketball,” said Eagles head coach Jacquie Williams. “The officials were very good both ways. They called it tight, but we just happened to get called more than Estevan. So, it makes your team play on their heels and that was part of the difference in the game.”
The Eagles came out flying in the second quarter pressuring the Elecs continually on defence and driving hard to the basket on offence. Estevan countered by scoring four threes in the frame courtesy of Donny Mortenson, Wyatt Haux and John Sasi, with two, to ride a 42-41 deficit heading into halftime.
A strong Elecs defence led by 6-foot-8 forward Jack McGeough kept the Eagles at bay in the third quarter letting the away side capture a 61-58 lead by the end of the frame. The large and boisterous crowd filling the WCS gymnasium upped the ante in the final 10 minutes when the Elecs and Eagles traded baskets on route to Estevan’s 79-75 win.
“We won our game based on how we played D and we’re lucky our shots were falling in,” said Sasi, who tallied 14 points in the win. “We didn’t let any (of the Eagles) players get in our head and we just kept our fouls (down).”
The Elecs and Eagles senior girls teams tip off the second leg of the McLeod Series with the senior boys clubs following suit directly after at ECS on Wednesday night. The series stands at 43-38 for the Eagles, but the Elecs have won the past two McLeod championships.
“It’s the same thing, but times two,” said Sasi, about what he expects to encounter in the rematch. “We’ve got to keep going, keep running and keep winning these games.”
