The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs junior girls basketball team exacted a bit of revenge on the weekend.
The Elecs captured the Weyburn Comprehensive School (WCS) Eagles junior girls basketball tournament championship with an undefeated run through the four-team competition on Friday and Saturday. The victory followed a championship game defeat to the Eagles in the Elecs home tournament last month where the home side fielded two teams of six players and one affiliated recruit.
“This was our full team and this will show us how we’re going to play against them in districts,” said Elecs coach Kevin Kobitz. “We’re going to always improve, so I think we’ve got a good chance of winning districts this year.”
Bailee Mickel led the WCS tournament in scoring through the three-game competition. The Elecs defeated the Eagles 40-30, knocked off the Assiniboia Composite High School Rockets 83-43 and clinched the championship with a tight 59-56 win over the Swift Current Comprehensive School Ardens.
“They were composed,” said Kobitz. “Our defence has come along since the beginning of the season, which has helped out quite a bit in our games (with) more intensity plays. Our offence is still lax, but the defence pulls it up enough for us to win.”
Kobitz said the team, which includes six Grade 9 and six Grade 10 players, has been focusing on the offensive side of the game including working to get open looks and executing clean passes since the season began. He said they have one more tournament in Moose Jaw the weekend of Feb. 3 and 4 before co-hosting the South East District Athletic Association championships with the junior boys Elecs on March 7 and the expectation is the girls will continue to show improvement until then.
“We’ve grown since the beginning,” he said. “The defence has improved immensely, but we’ve got to work on offence a lot (more). I think they can do it. I’m constantly pushing it, so I’m very positive that we’re going to win districts. That’s our goal.”
