For the second season in a row, the St. Martin de Porres Kodiaks senior girls' basketball team made it to the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHSAA) Division 3 championship game. The team ended the regular season in second place with an 8-1 record, then won its opening two playoff games. However, the wins came to an end March 7, in a hard-fought championship battle against the unbeaten Lord Beaverbrook Lords. Airdrie fell 71-59.
The @StMartin_CCSD Kodiaks senior girls’ 🏀 team is up 20-13 after the first quarter of the CSHSAA Div. 3 championship game. The Kodiaks lost the division championship game in this gym last year. @ASAA pic.twitter.com/7ZYyxjxFOG
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) March 7, 2020
“It was definitely a fun game,” said Victoria Guderyan, Kodiaks head coach. “We really struggled in our Tuesday playoff game, so we had a good chat after that about how we wanted to end our season, even if we ended up losing – playing our best game. I think we definitely did that today, and I was really happy with how we played.”
Airdrie started strong, taking a 20-13 lead into the second quarter and a 28-26 lead into the halftime break. Things took a turn in the third quarter when the team couldn’t maintain its strong shooting, giving the Lords a chance to ramp up its offence and garner a 54-40 lead.
Currently 57-47 with 7:13 to play, Kodiaks playing a high-press. pic.twitter.com/p6pxMcNhon
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) March 7, 2020
With the game on the line, the Kodiaks fought hard in the final 10 minutes, at one point reducing the Lords’ lead to just seven points. But the Calgarian’s strong shooting in the final few minutes was enough for the team to secure the banner.
“Unfortunately, we lost a bit of control in the third quarter and weren’t able to get it back,” Guderyan said. “But I love this team because they stayed committed until the very end. In the last 30 seconds, they were still working.”
Grade-12 player Brianna Caouette was the star for the Kodiaks, putting up 27 points, including 18 from behind the three-point arc.
“We played to the best of our abilities and we got second, which is pretty good,” she said. “We played really well and there was really nothing we could have changed.
“It was a battle between us.”
The Kodiaks will graduate seven players this spring, according to Guderyan, meaning next year will see a large-scale rebuild for the squad.
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
