Article By: Gavin Crites
In a game that went down to the wire, the St. John's College Green Eagles junior girls basketball team edged out Waterloo Collegiate Institute 29-27, capturing the AAAA CWOSSAA championship in back to back seasons.
Playing at Assumption College, the Eagles jumped out to a ten point lead early in the game but Waterloo clawed back and pulled to within one in the third quarter and tied the game at 27-27 midway through the fourth.
Brianna Bavota scored the winning bucket for St. John's after catching a pass on a fast break and finishing up with a layup at the hoop.
"I think it's awesome for them," said St. John's coach Meaghan Innes. "They're all talented girls."
"For the grade tens, they know what it feels like because we won last year. I think they were a little nervous coming in because I think they felt (CWOSSA) came with expectations."
"It's a great experience for all the girls," Innes added.
Each of Bavota's nine points came at key times in the game. Along with the game winning layup, Bavota hit back-to-back threes when Waterloo was making a run in the third quarter.
"During (the game) I don't think (about the significance), I just shoot," Bavota said.
"Me and Megan (Thompson), as captains, we want to tell our team that we've had a great year," Bavota added. "We've worked hard."
Megan Thompson led St. John's in scoring with 12 points.
"It's really exciting and I'm really proud of our team," Thompson said.
"We came a long way and we worked really hard in our practices and we executed perfectly in our game and it paid off."
With time running down, Waterloo had several chances to tie the game but was unable to capitalize on two field goal attempts off of Eagles' turnovers.
St. John's guard Jessika Dignan said it was "really nerve racking and intense" late in the game when Waterloo was looking for the equalizer.
"You never know what's going to happen," Dignan said.
Innes said the Eagles have been consistent all year when it comes to closing teams out to seal victories.
"I had faith in my girls that they would be able to play to the end of the game. They never give up," Innes said.
This is the fifth CWOSSA title in the last six years for St. John's.
The Brantford Collegiate Institute junior girls' basketball team came up short against Guelph's St. James Catholic School in the AAA CWOSSA semi finals Saturday, 50-46. Summer Sakaluk and Lexis Lancaster led BCI in scoring.
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