Despite various COVID restrictions throughout the province, inter-school sport moved into a new year.
Basketball
All six SMUS basketball teams looked to continue strong performances from the pre-Winter Break period.
Pride of place goes to the Junior Girls, who remain unbeaten and top the provincial hoops rankings.
The team closed first term with a comprehensive tournament victory in a Victoria Invitational tournament, defeating Reynolds Secondary in a fast-paced final.
Most recently, SMUS dropped Reynolds for a second time (57-36), led by Olivia Vincent, Chioma Duru and Avery Geddes. Then, travelling to the mainland, the Blue Jags, with Alex Motherwell (17), Geddes (12) and Maddy Albert (12) pacing the offence, decisively defeated BC No. 6 Walnut Grove 68-38.
Following up, the team then beat No. 8-ranked MEI 58-36, thanks in large part to a withering full court press. Charlie Anderson led all scorers with 20 points and added seven steals, with Cate Pontefract and Olivia Pickering also contributing some key buckets and rebounds.
The Senior Girls, ranked BC AA No. 2, carried on from a solid performance in mid-December at the prestigious Howard Tsumura tournament in Langley.
Charlotte Hardy and Makena Anderson combined for 53 points in a decisive league win at Lambrick Park, before SMUS met highly regarded AAAA Walnut Grove and AAA MEI.
These two games proved tough assignments, with slow starts caused by poor shooting and rebounding. While a second-half scoring outburst by Anderson (31) closed the gap somewhat in the opening encounter, the host Gators ran out comfortable 70-50 winners.
The scoring woes continued the following morning, with missed layups and open jumpers aplenty. Anderson's 18 points led the way, while Olivia Vincent played solidly in the post. Though still up 37-32 after three quarters, the Blue Jags lost momentum in the final frame to fall 54-45.
On the boys side, the Senior Boys ploughed through a demanding series of games, almost all without a full complement of players due to a variety of ailments. Three losses in the mid-December Oak Bay tournament were followed by a narrow 74-68 defeat to Mark Isfeld, the Island's best AAA team. However, as local teams jockey for playoff seeding, the Blue Jags do remain unbeaten in league play, thanks to victories over Vic High and Parkland. Max Clayton has provided consistent offence, with Ryan Killoran a steady threat from beyond the arc.
The Senior Boys Development squad reassembled after Christmas, losing a heartbreaker to Claremont. The Blue Jags fought back from a late seven-point deficit behind Dave Escalante free throws and a foul line jumper to go ahead 51-50 with just seconds remaining. Unfortunately, after a wild scramble, the ball bounced loose in the left corner, from where a Spartans guard swished a game-winning three.
SMUS continues with league games versus Oak Bay and Belmont before wrapping up the season February 4-5 when hosting the first-ever Stay Ready Tournament.
The Junior Boys won two of three games to reach the final of the Oak Bay tournament, though then found the might of BC No. 1 Vancouver College too much to overcome. The team, 4-1 in league play after a victory versus Reynolds, now looks forward to important matchups against both Claremont and Lambrick Park. Damon Bains, Camilo Libreros Rios and Kian Colgate have all shown consistently good form.
Finally, the Grade 9 Boys march on, still unbeaten after 10 games. Guards Davis Hardy and Wil Woods have been the pick of a very well-balanced and skilled team. Upcoming exhibitions against Vancouver College and Sullivan Heights (currently ranked 1st and 2nd in BC) will be an excellent measure of the progress made to date.
Away from the court, the squash and rowing teams continue preparation for upcoming tournaments and regattas, while badminton trials have also begun. Finally, plugging away in the rain and on heavy fields, rugby has started pre-season workouts.
Vivat!
