The Chestermere Lady Lakers basketball team wrapped up its season at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (ASAA) 4A Girls Basketball Provincials March 17, bringing the team’s impressive run to an end.
Although the Lady Lakers didn’t experience the success it had hoped for at provincials, it still captured its fifth-straight Rocky View Sports Association Championship and won the ASAA South Central Zones.
“Everyone goes in wanting to win as many games as possible,” said head coach Jessica Thielen. “None of our girls had played at provincials before. Just getting there was a huge accomplishment for them.
“I would say the overall feeling coming away wasn’t one of sadness and disappointment, the girls were definitely proud of each other for getting there. Overall, we had a great season.”
Chestermere got off to a rough start at provincials, dropping its first two games of the tournament March 15 and 16 to the Raymond High Comets (81-53) and Medicine Hat Kwahommies (61-49) respectively.
In its first match of the consolation bracket, the Lady Lakers were put to the test by the hosting Kwahommies. Chestermere held a 14-9 lead after the first quarter, but saw it slip away as the Kwahommies put up 26 points in the second quarter.
Thielen said the loss to Medicine Hat was difficult, because it meant the 2017-18 roster would have just one last game together.
“We were hoping we could steal the win, stay in the tournament and do better than we did,” Thielen said.
“At the same time, the girls played hard and enjoyed their experience.”
In its last game at provincials, the Lady Lakers took on the Lloydminster Comprehensive Barons March 17. With no title on the line, Thielen said the Lakers came in with an easy-going mentality and dominated the Barons, earning a 93-23 victory to close out the season.
“That felt good – everyone likes to end on a win, no matter where you end up placing in the tournament,” Thielen said.
“It was nice for the girls to know that, yeah, we lost our first two games, but we were still a good quality team. We still came away feeling like we were a good squad and deserved to be there.”
As the Lady Lakers look on to the 2018-19 season, it will be an entirely different team with 11 of its 13 players graduating.
Thielen said next year will be a growing year for her team, but it was to be expected with seniors making up the majority of this season’s roster.
“Just like every team in any sport at any level, we’ll be in a building year – it happens,” Thielen said.
The two returnees from this season, Carley Smigel and Jenna Merhi, will be looked to as leaders on and off the court for next year’s young roster, and Thiesen said she believes they are up for the challenge.
“The level those two girls had to play at this year was such a steep learning curve for them,” she said, “but they will be so much better off at the start of next year, having this experience.”
