Brantford Expositor: Trojans in Senior Girls Basketball Final

Article By:  Brian Smiley

Their win wasn't pretty on Thursday but the North Park Collegiate Trojans senior girls basketball team will take it.

Hosting Assumption College in a Brant County high school sudden-death semifinal, the Trojans scraped together a 34-31 win.

The victory moves North Park into next week's best-of-three championship series at Assumption College. Games will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and, if necessary, Nov. 11.
North Park's opponent was not known at press time as St. John's College hosted Brantford Collegiate Institute in a late semifinal.

The Trojans felt butterflies in the early stages of their game against the Lions.

"I think my team felt the pressure," said NPC coach Andrea Hawkins. "I think their goal, even last year, was to try and win a city title. For the first time in 20 years, it's reachable.

"They knew this was the stopping point."

North Park and the rest of the Brant County league has played second fiddle to St. John's College over the past few years. SJC went an impressive 10-0 this season and it will prove tough to unseat the defending champs.

Against Assumption, the first point of the game didn't come until the 3:32 mark as Amber Leggett made the second shot on a pair of free throws to put North Park ahead 1-0.

Exactly one minute later, Lauren Snider did the same for the Lions and finally, at 4:24, Assumption's Kayla Gaucher got the first field goal of the game on a layup underneath the basket.

At the end of the first quarter, the home team held a 10-6 lead and, when halftime rolled around, that advantage had extended itself to 18-12.

Both teams shooting had improved a bit by that point but the game was sloppy. Travel calls were numerous and fouls were an issue, particularly for Assumption.

Going into the third quarter, the Lions found themselves with three players -- Dakota Tlustos, Gaucher and Snider -- in foul trouble.

With both teams cold again, it took a while for things to get going and, with 1:43 to play until the final quarter, Snider hit a three to pull ACS to within two at 21-19.

North Park, which led by as many as nine, then fell behind 22-21 before grabbing a 23-21 lead with eight minutes to play.

To start the fourth, NPC scored the opening five points. And, although ACS never gave up, the Lions could get no closer than three points.

Fouls were part of the problem for the Lions. By the time the game was over, Gaucher, Snider, Tlustos and Grace Shea had all fouled out.

"I'm not frustrated," ACS coach Rick Baldin said. "I'm disappointed because it's my first game in high school when I have (four) girls on the bench with five fouls.

"I'm not going to blame the game on the officials but it did affect our game plan."
In the end, North Park got a whopping 35 foul shots but only sank 13.

"Our biggest drawback was we just didn't make any buckets and normally we do," said Baldin, whose team was led by his daughter, Rikayla Baldin, and Snider. "They just weren't going in for us. It didn't go our way tonight with the rim."

Despite that, the coach was pleased with his team's effort.

"I'm proud of the way the girls played until the end of the game."

Hawkins said she is looking forward to her players doing some things in the championship series that they couldn't do against Assumption.

"I think we struggled running our offence," said the coach, who got strong efforts in the semifinal from Brooke Cesar and Bria Yurczyszyn.

In the junior final, defending champion Brantford Collegiate Institute will face St. John's College.

The junior best-of-three championship also will take place at Assumption College on Tuesday, Thursday and, if necessary, Nov. 11. Game times are 5:30 p.m.

BCI advanced to the final after beating Assumption College 58-22 in a semifinal. Lindsay Bonnucci scored 15 points to lead the Mustangs while Maegan Dorris got 14 and Paige Bagshaw netted eight.

Olivia Scott scored six to place ACS.

The Green Eagles scored a thrilling, 35-33 double-overtime win against North Park in its semifinal at home.

Delaney Garlow, Nicolle Boeyenga and Jaden Giles were top scorers for SJC while Madison Hunter, Kaitlyn House and Simeran Grewal were outstanding for NPC.

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