CWOSSA "AAA" Junior: Preview & Predictions

We've come full circle.

After a decade (and a bit) of having the "AAAA" CWOSSA designation, we are back to a three-tiered system this year, "A" through "AAA".

For the most part, the "AAA" and "AAAA" designations have been merged under the "AAA" banner, which should make for some competitive championships in both girls' and boys' divisions this coming year.

I'll start my CWOSSA previews with a look at the "AAA" Junior Ranks.  Teams are in alphabetical order:

Brantford CI (Brantford)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

The Mustangs, who have been at the top of my CWOSSA rankings this season, enter the CWOSSA tournament as the favourites, after going undefeated against CWOSSA opposition. 

Of course, they did get a push from the North Park Trojans in the D5 championship series, having to come from behind in the second game to win (and take the series, 2-0).  That experience of a "close game" is actually a positive and should serve them well heading into CWOSSA.

The 'Stangs have been a nice story to watch over the last two years; I actually had them as my #3 ranked junior team last year but they had to play #1 Kitchener Resurrection in a play-in game to advance to (the 4 team) AAAA CWOSSA tournament. 

With veteran leadership and solid guard play, led by Kennedy Chisholm -- who is a great distributor and can also finish inside or shoot the three -- the 'Stangs certainly have the "championship make-up" of traditional CWOSSA winners. 

Forward Taylor Hill should be another strong performer for the Mustangs; she provides an inside presence but also can step out and hit the three-pointer.

BCI has done it with defense all season, and for other teams to have a shot they will have to manage themselves against a variety of changing defenses, including a stifling pressure defense that has given teams fits on occasion this year.

Centennial CVI (Guelph)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

The Spartans have had some injury issues this season, but still managed a 4th place finish in the competitive District 10 circuit.

Sabrina Smith has been a solid performer all year for the Spartans, with several 20+ efforts during league play, and is a double-double threat.  Abby Cain and Megan VanderMerwe -- who had a big game for CCVI during their quarterfinal win over ODSS -- are two other players to watch this weekend.

The Spartans don't have an easy road, playing Resurrection in the first round and then either Waterloo-Oxford or North Park in round two, but given their D10 experience (5 games against two of the top three teams in CWOSSA will have prepared them for tough opponents) they could certainly spring an upset if they are overlooked.

Kitchener CI (Kitchener)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

Fresh off of (in all likelihood) the biggest fourth quarter comeback in WCSSAA Junior Girls' final history, the KCI Raiders certainly have momentum on their side entering the CWOSSA tournament, where they will be seeking their first-ever title.

Although Grace Mickie has been KCI's top scorer throughout the season, they certainly can get timely contributions from others, as evidenced by Emily Smith's game-tying three-pointer as time wound down the other evening.  Natalie Armatage and Maggie McLean are others to keep an eye on.

The Raiders may be one of the hottest teams right now in this tournament, having beaten WODSS in the WCSSAA final and, last week, having held SJAM to just 20 points in a semifinal win.

North Park CVS (Brantford) 

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  2009 (AAA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  5 (All AAA)

If you're looking for a "darkhorse" at this CWOSSA championship, it might be the North Park Trojans, who have been a bit under the radar this year.

The Trojans have been in the shadow of their league counterparts, the Brantford CI Mustangs, but gave the 'Stangs a run for their money in the Brant County final.  

Simrand Grewal was a top performer for the Trojans during that best-of-three series, knocking in a couple of threes and leading the offensive effort.  Bria Yurczyszyn and Noelle Adams will also be instrumental to the Trojans' success. 

Orangeville DSS (Orangeville) 

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  1988 (AA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  1

It's been a while since we've seen the Bears in the CWOSSA championships, so congrats to them for again being featured in the tournament. 

Though they finished with a 6-8 record in the tough D10 league, they gave 3rd place St. James (losses by 1 & 6) and 4th place Centennial (losing in the QF by 1) a run for their money.  They will certainly be the underdogs in this tournament, but as those results show, they can't be overlooked.

Hannah Bellai, who put home several 20+ scoring efforts during the season, leads the Bears' charge, while Lindsay Grant is also one to keep tabs on. 

Resurrection CSS (Kitchener)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  2014 (AAAA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  1

The Phoenix are technically defending champions, having won the AAAA title a season ago.  In the championship final last year, they got a great performance from (then grade 9) Delina Romano off the bench, while forward Buse Bin-Edward started in that game and is her usual imposing shot-blocking presence.  Both of them will provide big-game experience as grade tens.

Of course, they did graduate some serious offensive talent to the senior ranks, but their defense didn't skip a beat --- setting a D8 record for fewest points per game allowed in a season.  In fact, they also would have likely set a D8 single-game finals record (St. David had but 2 points after 3 quarters) before the Celts tallied 12 against the Rez bench late for a total of 14 (record was 13).

Grade 9 PG Sydney Gucker-Wickie might be the D8 league's MVP, and her ability to handle pressure against some of these teams will be key to Rez's success. 

Sir John A. MacDonald SS (Waterloo) 

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  None

The Highlanders are back in the CWOSSA championships again this year, after a 3rd place league finish and a qualifying game win over Elmira.

The 'Landers will certainly have the home advantage and the crowd support on Friday, with first and second-round games being on their home floor.  This shouldn't be overlooked and could definitely help them pull a potential upset.

SJAM is also a very balanced team, with three different players having led them in scoring during their three WCSSAA playoff games -- Olivia Moreau, Madi Sherman, and Sarah Hardy.  Olivia Moreau is also a strong performer, having been the 'Landers 2nd leader in each of those three contests.

Waterloo-Oxford DSS (Baden)

Last CWOSSA JG Championship:  2003 (AAAA)

Total CWOSSA JG Championships:  4 (2 AA, 1 AAA, 1 AAAA)

One of the three teams that have earned an AA, AAA, and AAAA Junior Girls' title since 1983, the Crusaders will try to add another one to their tally this weekend in Waterloo.

Coming off a disappointing loss to KCI in the aforementioned WCSSAA final, I'm sure the Crusaders will be out to prove a point this weekend.

Rachael Beitz & MacKeely Shantz were' WCSSAA's highest scoring duo, and will be counted upon heavily in CWOSSA.  Of course, the 'Saders have other talented hoopsters -- including several who played last year on WO's AAA Silver Medalist team.  Madeline Woolvett, Molly Cameron, Madalyn Davidson and Madi Sadler are those to watch this weekend.

Predictions

There's a couple of interesting first-round match-ups, but the one that appears the most intriguing is certainly WODSS against North Park, two "top ten" CWOSSA teams that have been fairly close in my rankings throughout the season.

Again, keep in mind first-round winners play first-round losers in the second round (quarterfinals).  After that, any loss results in elimination.

Here goes:

Round 1

KCI over Orangeville

Brantford CI over SJAM

Resurrection over Centennial

WODSS over North Park

Quarterfinals

KCI over SJAM

Brantford CI over Orangeville

Resurrection over North Park

WODSS over Centennial

Semifinals

Resurrection over KCI

Brantford CI over WODSS

Championship Final

Brantford CI over Resurrection

....of course, anything can happen between now and Saturday evening and it would just take one upset to throw the whole draw out of whack.  Good luck to all teams!

CWOSSA "AAA": Second Round Game Times

Have had a couple of questions regarding second round game times at the "AAA" tournament, which goes tomorrow.

Games will be played in the afternoon at the same site (SJAM - Junior; WCI - Senior), as follows:

3pm - KCI/ODSS Winner vs. SJAM/BCI Loser
4:30pm - KCI/ODSS Loser vs. SJAM/BCI Winner
6:00pm - RCSS/CCVI Winner vs. WODSS/NPC Loser
7:30pm - RCSS/CCVI Loser vs. WODSS/NPC Winner

And, over at WCI, it will be:

3pm - SJAM/GCVI Winner vs. SJC/KCI Loser
4:30pm - SJAM/GCVI Loser vs. SJC/KCI Winner
6:00pm - RCSS/JFR Winner vs. CHCI/NPC Loser
7:30pm - RCSS/JFR Loser vs. CHCI/NPC Winner

Semis and finals are all at WCI on Saturday, starting at 9am and 1030am (Juniors) and Noon and 1:30pm (Seniors).

The senior champion will be awarded CWOSSA's lone berth to the OFSAA "AAA" tournament.

CWOSSA "AA" - Qualification Update

"AA" CWOSSA is also set to go this weekend in Brantford.  Here's a look at the schedule, which is an 8-team draw similar to the "AAA" one (first round winners play first round losers in the second round):

Junior - Friday @ PJCVS
West Hill (Owen Sound) vs. Bishop Mac - 9am
Simcoe vs. Norwell - 10:30am
Galt vs. St. David - Noon
St. Mary's (Owen Sound) vs. Wellington Hts. - 1:30pm

Senior - Friday @ Paris
Sacred Heart (Walkerton) vs. Bishop Mac - 9am
Simcoe vs. Norwell - 10:30am
Galt vs. St. David - Noon
St. Mary's (Owen Sound) vs. Wellington Hts. - 1:30pm

CWOSSA "AAA" Draws: Friday

With yesterday's results, the first-round draws for CWOSSA "AAA" in Waterloo --- SJAM will host Junior Games & WCI hosts Senior Games --- is ready to go.

Junior - Friday 1st Round
KCI vs. Orangeville - 9am
SJAM vs. Brantford CI - 10:30am
Resurrection vs. Centennial - Noon
North Park vs. WODSS - 1:30pm

(First Round Winners Play First Round Losers in Friday's Second Round)

Senior - Friday 1st Round
SJAM vs. Guelph CVI - 9am
KCI vs. St. John's - 10:30am
Resurrection vs. JF Ross - Noon
North Park vs. Cameron Hts - 1:30pm

(First Round Winners Play First Round Losers in Friday's Second Round)

WCSSAA: Top 2 Teams To Battle In Junior, Senior Finals

I won't be in attendance at the WCSSAA Finals tonight (having to look after our 10 month old while my wife is at the Leafs game - unfair!), but that doesn't take away from the fact that tonight's Junior & Senior WCSSAA finals might be two of the most (combined) competitive girls' finals that we've seen in recent memory.

In both leagues, the #1 and #2 ranked teams both advanced to the playoff final, and games played between the teams this season were decided within ten points.

Note - both games will be played at Preston HS in Cambridge.

Junior:  (1) WODSS vs. (2) KCI (6:30pm)
A year after losing in the championship final to SJAM, the WODSS Crusaders are back for a second consecutive season, with the bulk of that roster now with a year's additional seasoning.

The 'Saders rolled through the WCSSAA regular season, posting an unblemished 12-0 record, which included a 45-35 win in Baden over the #2-seeded Raiders.

Aside from that game and an 8-point win over #3 SJAM, the Crusaders didn't see a league game closer than 20 points.

KCI, meanwhile, was the league's defensive juggernaut, allowing just two teams (EDSS & WODSS) to score more than 35 points during a game.  Their defensive arsenal was on full display last week, when they held the #3 seed SJAM Highlanders to just 20 points in a 32-20 semifinal victory.

Grace Mickie has been a consistent double-digit threat for the Raiders, who also often receive scoring support from Maggie McLean and Natalie Armatage.

Rachael Beitz & MacKeely Shantz of the Crusaders are the league's highest scoring duo, but that shouldn't discount the talents of the other WODSS juniors as players like Madeline Woolvett, Molly Cameron, Madalyn Davidson and Madi Sadler are more than capable of contributing.

With this game being played on a neutral court, I think that it certainly has the potential of being closer than their regular season meeting.  That said, I'll give the advantage to WODSS, especially with their experience of having played in a WCSSAA final last season.

My Pick:  WODSS 43, KCI 35

Senior:  (1) SJAM vs. (2) Cameron Heights (8:00pm)
Two of the best players in the WCSSAA league will highlight the Senior WCSSAA championship final, which features two teams who both went through the league undefeated.

The 'Landers and Golden Gaels missed each other during the league's 12-game schedule, but they did play a thriller down in Cambridge earlier this year, as part of the Jacob Hespeler tournament.

That one came down to the wire, and was a game that the 'Landers pulled out by a 40-38 margin.  Both Nina Farkic (CHCI) and Kate Moran (SJAM) were solid for their teams in this one, and I'd expect nothing different here tonight.

Moran, a grade ten forward, has been playing some of the best basketball down the stretch of the season as she adjusts to the senior game and finds her comfort zone.  She's had four games of 20+ points in league play (including a monster 34-point effort) during the last month.

Farkic, meanwhile, has been solid all season long for the Gaels as the league's leading scorer, in excess of 20 PPG.  She's an exceptional PG with tremendous dribbling and passing ability as well, so she is equally adept at setting up her teammates.

While a lot of focus will be on Moran and Farkic, these are both talented rosters, and the game will likely be decided on which team's depth shines through on Tuesday.

Griffin Lack-Shane and Joanna Bamberger are grade elevens who were members of SJAM's junior championship team a season ago.  Add in sniper Milica Koprivica, and the 'Landers can put up points in a hurry if their shots are dropping from the outside.

Jovana Zubic, Andjela Stankovic, and Katrina Stickel are the Gaels to keep an eye on aside from Farkic; each has had important contributions throughout the WCSSAA season.

Like their tournament meeting, this one should also come down to the wire, but I can't discount the fact that SJAM has been playing some really nice basketball down the stretch.  I'll take the 'Landers in a close one.

My Pick:  SJAM 45, Cameron Heights 39

Guelph Mercury: Royals, Celtics Capture D10 Basketball Crowns

Article By:  Rob Massey

GUELPH — Being a first-place finisher in a District 10 high school girls' basketball league didn't turn out to be such a good thing for Monday night's championship games at the Mitchell Athletics Centre. 

Both first-place finishers fell to the second-place finishers in the finals as the Ross Royals defeated the Guelph CVI Green Gaels, 42-34, in the senior match and the Bishop Macdonell Celtics downed the Lourdes Crusaders, 38-23, in the junior final. 

The second-place finishers might have gone into the final with a little extra motivation as both have been named runners-up after losing out on tiebreakers, as the first- and second-place finishers in both leagues had identical records. They were 10-2 for the seniors and 13-1 for the juniors. 

In both championship matches, the eventual winners grabbed the lead in the first half and didn't relinquish it. 

In the senior final, the Royals and Gaels were close (13-12 for Ross) at the end of the first quarter before Ross pulled away. The Royals were up 27-15 at the half and 40-26 after the third quarter before GCVI clawed back into the game in a final quarter that saw Ross sink two free throws. 

"We just played our game like we know we can," Ross captain Maddy Darling said. "That was our goal. Our goal was D10 and then we made it and we won it." 

"We came out doing exactly what we wanted to do," Ross coach Chris Muller said. "We had a game plan and we stuck to it. That helped out. We were up by quite a bit and we let them come back a little bit but, for the most part, it was exactly what we wanted to do." 

Darling led the Royals with 20 points, while Catie Terrey had seven and Anna Vuckovic netted six. 

"She was phenomenal off the start. She was hitting her threes and taking shots I've never seen," Muller said of Darling. "She looked confident in her shot, which, if that's going right, she's unstoppable." 

Darling was so on her game, the right-handed shooter sank a left-handed three-pointer. 

"I don't really know how I did that, to be honest," she said. "I never really ever do that, but my dad calls me ambidextrous so I guess I am. I wasn't thinking about it at the time." 

Darling felt there was no indication before the game that she was about to have a big night. 

"I was actually missing my shots in warm-up, so I really didn't know," she said. "I guess, when you're on during a game, that's all that really matters." 

Sydney Wilson connected for 14 points for GCVI, while Emina Bektic had 10 and Jenna Falconer added six. 

"We worked hard, but our youth showed," GCVI coach Matt Blair said. "We worked as hard as we could, I have no disappointment in the girls' effort. They left everything on the floor." 

In the junior final, Bishop Mac took the air out of the Crusaders' sails in the opening quarter as the Celtics led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter. They were up 25-13 at halftime and 32-18 after the third quarter. 

"Our girls came out hard right out of the gate," Bishop Mac coach Bree Chaput said. "It's tough to play catch up the whole game, so it was great we started that way. Our girls wanted it all season and you could tell the way they came out that they wanted this game. 

The fast start was the result of the focus the Celtics had placed on doing just that throughout the season. 

"We always talk about getting a good start and setting the pace and playing our game and not their game," Chaput said. "We've been working on it all season and I think it just clicked tonight." 

Grace Drewry hit for 11 points for Bishop Mac while Sara Milla had eight and Rachel Guanzon gathered seven. 

Jada Codrington had nine points to lead Lourdes while Jessica Mathieu had eight. 

Both senior teams advance to the CWOSSA AAA championship tournament Friday and Saturday at Waterloo CI while the Bishop Mac juniors go on to the CWOSSA AA junior tournament at Brantford's Pauline Johnson Collegiate, also Friday and Saturday. 

Retrieved From:  http://www.guelphmercury.com/sports-story/6121200-royals-celtics-capture-d10-basketball-crowns/

D10 Senior Final: Darling, Royals Extend Gaels Streak Another Year

Make it 46 years and counting.

The GCVI Gaels, seeking their school's first Senior Girls' D10 title since 1969, put forth a valiant effort last night at the University of Guelph, but came up short in a 42-34 JF Ross victory.

The win was JF Ross' first Senior title since 2007.

The Royals started hot from the outside, with Maddy Darling and Candice Geisel connecting on back-to-back three pointers midway through the opening frame, establishing a 6-point Ross lead.

The Gaels would battle back before the opening frame was out, led by outstanding guard Sydney Wilson.  She was able to drive and create contact, earning herself 8 free-throw opportunities in the opening quarter, which ended 13-12 for the Royals.

The second frame, however, belonged to Ross.  Maddy Darling did much of her first-half damage (15 points) in that quarter, as the Royals outscored GCVI 14-3 to take a 27-15 lead going into halftime.

A back-and-forth third quarter saw the Royals look like they were about to pull away before a late spurt by the Gaels kept them within striking distance (down 14) after three.

The Royals needed all of those points as their offense eluded them in the fourth quarter, but their defense stood tall.  In a quarter where they managed just two free throws, they were able to hold the Gaels to just 8 points and hang on for the win.

That's not to say that there weren't a few nervous moments down the stretch after a Jenna Falconer three-pointer cut Ross' lead to single digits (40-31) with three minutes to play.  GCVI then promptly ramped up the pressure and was able to get a couple of turnovers, but they couldn't find the range on the offensive end.

Although disappointed with the loss, the Gaels certainly put forth a huge effort and left it all on the floor --- diving after loose balls, crashing the offensive glass, and the like.  

GCVI's work on the offensive glass resulted in a whopping 62 shot attempts, 15 more than the Royals had.  Unfortunately for Gael fans, GCVI shot just 19% from the floor, making 3 less field goals for the game than Ross.

"We worked as hard as we could, I have no disappointment in the girls' effort. They left everything on the floor," GCVI coach Matt Blair told the Guelph Mercury.

For JF Ross in the win, Maddy Darling finished with a game-high 20 points, which included 3 three-pointers.  One of them, the right-handed shooter actually shot it left-handed.

Catie Terrey had a nice effort off the JFR bench, chipping in 7 points, while Ana Vuckovic had 6 points and 6 rebounds.  Also hitting the scoresheet for the Royals were Candice Geisel (3), Mya Leacock (2 points + 10 rebounds), Ali Darling (2), and Heather Anderson (2).

Sydney Wilson was strong in defeat for GCVI.  She stuffed her stat sheet, racking up 13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists alongside a handful of steals and at least 3 blocks (I didn't keep official stats on the latter two).

Forward Emina Bektic added another double-double, with 10 points and an impressive rebounding total of 15.  Also scoring for the Gaels were Jenna Falconer (6), Cassie Reynolds (2), and Cassidy Andrews (2).

Both teams will advance to the "AAA" CWOSSA championships this weekend in Waterloo.  JF Ross will play arguably the most intriguing first-round match-up on the draw, as they will battle Kitchener Resurrection.

GCVI's first-round opponent will be the winner of tonight's WCSSAA final between SJAM and Cameron Heights.

Boxscore
JFR   13-14-13-02 = 42
GC    12-03-11-08 = 34

JF Ross (42)
M. Leacock     0-8 FG, 2-6 FT, 10 Reb, 1 Ast - 2 Pts.
C. Geisel         1-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 5 Reb, 2 Ast - 3 Pts.
M. Darling     8-17 FG, 1-4 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast - 20 Pts.
A. Darling       1-5 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 2 Ast - 2 Pts.
A. Vuckovic    2-3 FG, 2-2 FT, 6 Reb, 1 Ast - 6 Pts.
--------
C. Terrey         3-8 FG, 1-2 FT, 2 Reb, 0 Ast - 7 Pts.
H. Anderson    0-1 FG, 2-2 FT, 3 Reb, 1 Ast - 2 Pts.
B. Nelson        0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
A. Bolzon        0-2 FG, 0-0 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
A. Sukhdeo      0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

Field Goals:  15-47 (.319).  Free-Throws:  8-16 (.500).  Three-Point Goals, 4-12 (.333):  M. Darling 3-6, C. Geisel 1-3, A. Darling 0-3.

Guelph CVI (34)
K. Kohlmeier    0-0 FG, 0-2 FT, 2 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
C. Reynolds      1-6 FG, 0-0 FT, 4 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.
J. Falconer       2-17 FG, 1-4 FT, 2 Reb, 2 Ast - 6 Pts.
S. Wilson         3-21 FG, 7-11 FT, 11 Reb, 2 Ast - 13 Pts.
E. Bektic          5-9 FG, 0-0 FT, 15 Reb, 0 Ast - 10 Pts.
-----
C. Andrews       1-6 FG, 0-0 FT, 5 Reb, 0 Ast - 2 Pts.
K. Drewry         0-0 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
M. Lukic           0-1 FG, 0-0 FT, 0 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.
A. Male             0-2 FG, 0-2 FT, 1 Reb, 0 Ast - 0 Pts.

Field Goals:  12-62 (.193).  Free-Throws:  8-19 (.421).  Three-Point Goals, 2-18 (.111):  S. Wilson 1-6, J. Falconer 1-8, A. Male 0-1, C. Reynolds 0-3.

Senior CWOSSA: First Time In A Long Time that Vikes Won't Be There

Lost in the shuffle of the WCSSAA playoffs was the fact that (arguably) one of the longest streaks in CWOSSA history has come to an end.

For the first time since 1997, the WCI Vikings did not qualify for the Senior Girls' CWOSSA tournament.

It's been quite a run for Coaches Doug Ranton and Craig Nickel over the years at WCI, as they confirmed to me last year that they had made CWOSSA each season since Coach Ranton first arrived at WCI in 1998 (Coach Nickel came a couple of years after that).

After searching the archives for results that predated their arrival, I discovered that WCI was a #6 seed in the 1997 WCSSAA playoffs and was eliminated in the quarterfinals by #3 WODSS. 

Altogether, the Vikes made 17 consecutive CWOSSA appearances, and won 9 CWOSSA titles (alongside numerous OFSAA appearances and a couple of medals at the provincial championship).

D10 Junior, Senior Finals Set For Tonight at U of G

Looking forward to heading to Guelph tonight for the D10 Junior and Senior Girls' basketball finals, which both look like a couple of exciting games.

In fact, in both the Junior & Senior ranks, the teams participating split their season series (1-1).

Junior - (1) OLOL vs. (2) BMAC
The junior event features two teams that have been among the top three in the CWOSSA rankings most of the year, the Lourdes Crusaders and the Bishop Macdonell Celtics.

It's also a rematch of last year's D10 championship final, which was won by Bishop Mac, 49-31.

This year's version of these teams were far and away the class of the D10 league this season.  Excluding the two games played against each other, Lourdes defeated their opponents by an average of 25.2 points per contest, while the Celts won their games by a whopping 37.2 points each time out.

Both times these squads played each other during the season, the games were tight, with Lourdes edging the Celts by 6 in the first game before Bishop Mac pulled out a 3-point win in the return game on their home floor.

Although both teams have solid depth on their respective rosters, Jada Codrington (OLOL) and Grace Drewry (BMAC) are certainly two players to keep an eye on tonight.

Codrington is an athletic slasher with a great skill-set on both ends of the floor; she has been putting up 20+ points regularly during the season.

Drewry, meanwhile, is an impressive inside-outside threat for the Celts and can just as easily post up as she can hit an outside jumper.

There's a lot on the line tonight, with the winner of this game also getting D10's "AA" CWOSSA berth.  I think we see a bit of a lower-scoring game more in line with the second time these teams played, although that certainly wouldn't make it any less interesting.

My Pick:  Bishop Mac 38, Lourdes 35

Senior - (1) GCVI vs. (2) JF Ross
Like the junior teams, these teams split their regular season meetings although they were both double-digit affairs.  Interestingly enough, both teams lost on their home floor with the Gaels posting a big 43-21 win in mid-October before the Royals won the regular season finale, 42-32.

Both teams had their work cut out for them in the semifinals, with the top-seeded Green Gaels outlasting the #4 Centennial Spartans 49-44, and Ross getting past Bishop Mac 48-36, setting up tonight's tilt at the University of Guelph.

With balanced rosters, including a handful of possible double-digit scorers on each team, it is anyone's guess as to who will step up on the offensive end for each team tonight.

For Ross, Maddy Darling has generally been their most consistent scoring option, averaging 16.3 PPG over their last 3 games, including 22 points in the regular-season finale against GCVI.

Of course, Mya Leacock and Ana Vuckovic have also both had some big games at times during the regular season for the Royals and are double-digit threats.

On the GC side, Sydney Wilson has been their offensive leader, and she was excellent in the semifinals with a 25-point effort.  Emina Bektic, Jenna Falconer and Abbey MacIntyre are the Gaels' other top threats. 

Perhaps tonight's biggest thing to note is that it's been 46 years -- yes, 46 years -- since GCVI last won a Senior Girls' D10 title, way back in 1969.  They've had recent junior success, including a 2010 D10 title, but it's been a while since they tasted victory on the senior side.

This one should be closer than their regular season meetings; coin-flip as far as the winner is concerned in my mind, but I'll go with Ross who has been a bit hotter down the stretch.

My Pick:  JF Ross 48, Guelph CVI 44