2018-2019

(From the Stanstead College yearbook)

Senior Girls D2

I'll be honest, the 2018-19 edition of senior girls basketball was pretty close to perfect. I'm not talking about a perfect record. I'm talking about a perfect season, with a wonderful team, unforgettable memories and non-stop highlights...

- The Stanstead Invitational, where we got our first real taste of playing together

- CAIS in Toronto. the bonding, the laughter, and asst coach Rina - Friday Night Lights at home vs Triolet. the great atmosphere in front of our fans, the first shutdown defensive performance of the season

- The game of the year vs WIC at the MIS, a back and forth slugfest that notched us the championship

- The "anonymous" thank you notes and lollipops - The gutsy wins against Gait, one of them In front of a raucous pro-Piper crowd. the other one after playing 6 games in 5 days

—we wore SO tired!

- After losing a thriller in the semis of the BCS Invitational, going to BU with the senior boys to watch the Gaiters play a double-header vs McGill

- The season-ending sleepover in the gym

- Hosting the Anderson-Bailly, the music, the 2-ball competition, the electric atmosphere in Mackay, cheering for our boys in that insane Friday night barnburner, and finishing off an amazing weekend with the Championship Banner

- The best locker room EVER

- A Sr Nite that could not have gone better, with 6(0 graduating seniors somehow playing through their emotions and upsetting the "1 team in the league in the last home game of their lives

- Reaching our ultimate team goal, the MacLeod three-peat, with the most beautiful ugly game of the year vs CVR in the Finals

- And of course, duckpin bowling!

Ladies, you were a joy to coach. Always giving your all, always listening and learning, always inclusive. You cared more about each other than you did about winning, but despite this for because of it?) you still had one of the most successful seasons (33 wins 8 losses) in SC basketball history.

To all of you graduates, thank you not only for this season, but for everything you've done for the program over the years. Stanstead College basketball has built a sterling reputation of late, and that is because of how you played the game, and how you carried yourselves.

Finally, a special thank you to Mackenzy St-Pierre, who joined the senior team way back in Grade 9 and who now ends her Spartan career as the most distinguished basketball player in SC history. Thanks for everything, Kenz - you deserve every accolade you've ever gotten, because you're an even better teammate than you are a player.

(From the Stanstead College website, November 16th)

SG Basketball: Potential in season opener

A strange horn sounds to signal the start of the game, deep bass, drawn out, like a foghorn. “What, are we on the Titanic?” says Alex Smith.

And that, my friends, marks the official beginning of the 2018-19 season for Sr Girls Basketball.

I have a feeling this is going to be a great year. Sure, we made a thousand mistakes in last night’s opening game 39-38 loss to Seminaire Salesien. Lots of missed shots and turnovers. Not quick enough to loose balls. Out-toughed too many times by a very scrappy, tough opponent. Late defensive rotations and undisciplined close-outs. Too many missed opportunities in transition. And a general lack of fitness, as we looked pretty puffed in the 4th quarter.

But this was our first game, against a team that had been practising since September. And there is no denying the potential on this squad, potential with flashes of brilliance, even.

Like how Emily Willis, Rosemary Lefebvre and Mackenzy St-Pierre adjusted to the full court pressure and competently, coolly brought up the ball throughout the 2nd half…

Or like Rosemarie Ladouceur’s rebounding and impressive poise for just a 2nd year player…

Or Lea-Rose Remillard’s comfort level on defense in only her 1st year of basketball…

Or Kenz’s imposing presence in the middle of our defense – how about 14 rebounds and 11 blocked shots?! Holy smokes…

Or Jeniva C being the first Spartan of the season to dive fullout on the floor for a loose ball…

Or finally, like Player Of The GameTM Emily Willis intelligently adapting to the chippiness of the game, tweaking her approach on defense, digging down aggressively, getting stuck in, and still managing to score a game-high 16 pts on an assortment of jumpers and forays into the paint. Just an all-around great game from Emily, who never seems to get rattled…

But maybe most importantly, I really like this group of players. Jazzed about the game of basketball, thrilled to be there, nervous in a good way, ready to work and improve, focused on being the best we can be, and planning to have a heckuva lotta fun getting there. I look forward to practice every day, and I can’t wait for games.

Like this Saturday’s Stanstead Invitational Tournament, where we host three talented teams from Montreal, i.e. LCC, ECS and WIC.

So let’s learn from Wednesday’s mistakes, have a productive practice on Friday, and see if we can defend our SIT Championship from last year.

Here we go!

Senior Girls D3

We started the season with 10 players, some of them with no experience. I will always remember our first game at La Poudriare. Juliette told the ref the game was messed up. Cici went on the court without authorization from the ref, like it was a hockey substitution. Joliane told me, "I don't want a play, I have no idea what I am supposed to do!" Tere tried to score in the wrong basket. Charlotte, Tammy and Rosalie tried to explain the rules while they played. Sophia, Sumomo and Antonia with big smiles on their faces and just trying to do the best they could. I can tell you it was a big mess. But they tried so hard and finally lost by only 15. I realized at this point that our team would be a killer team.

We practiced the fundamentals month after month. Every time we played, we never gave up. Even if we were losing by a lot, we had somebody on the bench who would put in more effort, and it was contagious for the rest of the team.

Unfortunately, after Antonia left before Christmas, the nightmare started. Every game we had injuries and some players could not play. We played a tournament with only five players. We played five games of 40 minutes without substitutions. Yet during this time, we played our best game of the season against BCS, something everybody on the team will remember. We came back late on Saturday exhausted and then had a league game on Sunday. Thanks, Mariama, for saving us. At this tournament, we understood what effort really means. Those girls never gave up even if they were tired and sore, and they never complained. The girls worked together and were there for each other like a big family.

Snowstorms postponed a number of games, and then we had to play five games in five days. Some of the junior girls came to help us. Our team always welcomed them and took off their personal time to explain defensive and offensive strategies. They never gave up in any situation. We didn't win a lot, and we were probably the unluckiest team on campus this season. But for me, we won more than one game. You put in so much effort and always had a smile on your face. Effort + attitude = success. I hope that you will continue to play basketball. You deserve it.

Junior Girls

Basketball is all about the #s, they all add up. Hours in the gym and on the bus. Tens and twenties of shot after shot. 19 sprints at a time, games of 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3. The numbers add up to wins and losses —our team, we had both (of course a little more of one than another). But the truth of it is, this season is much more about the things you can't count. It's about the friendships made, the memories shared and all the funny stories that you will always come back to. It's about the 'lollies' at half time. I will remember a small piece of each of you from this year's team. Bell's first catch and pass. Mariama's crazy under the hoop layups, Corali's step back and drive, Kanon's first layup at a home game, Crystal's turn-and-shoot move, Amanda stealing the ball in Montreal, Sage's rebound revelation, Gloria's full-court press, Avah's 'eurostep', Loraly's sneaky defense, Lucy's low-post moves. Hayley's step to the right, and Ella's behind the back dribble. Whatever each of you remember, I hope you remember each other!

(From the Clarion, December edition)

D3 Hoopsters fight hard

As of this year, Stanstead now has two senior girls team due to the number of girls who chose basketball as their winter sport, the division 2 team and a new division 3 team. Although the D2 team experienced an exceptional beginning of the season, winning their home tournament, unfortunately the same cannot be said for the D3 team.

Out of the six games played up until now, the team has been defeated five times. Although this may sound very discouraging, there is something positive to focus on. The game they did win, they won by an outstanding amount, nearly 60 points!

Additionally, it is important to mention that this team is mostly composed of players that have started playing the sport when enrolling into Stanstead College. The opponent teams also started practicing as soon as school began, giving them a slight advantage as the Stanstead basketball season stars late October.

However, this has not discouraged in any way our basketball team. In fact, it has pushed them to practice harder, fight harder, play harder. They are greatly progressing as the season continues. A huge difference can be seen from this basketball team’s first and most recent practice. Their shots, lay-ups and their plays have greatly improved over the span of a couple weeks. With hope and practice, we can expect more wins!

(From the Stanstead College website, December 3rd)

SG Basketball D2: We know what we can do

Friday Night Lights! There’s something about Friday nights at boarding schools like Stanstead College.

The week is so busy and so long, that once students make it to the weekend they’re excitable, a little hyper, manic even. The Dining Hall is always a little louder at supper, the smiles wider, the eyes brighter. Friday is finally here. The pressure is off, and we’ve got the whole weekend in front of us. Monday seems so far away.

You could see it in the warmup. The team was bursting with energy, ready to rock n roll, uber-focused. Like something special might just happen under the lights of Mackay on this November Friday night.

And special it was. After three weeks of hammering home the philosophy, rotations and objectives of our defensive system, it all clicked. For everyone, all at once. I wasn’t sure we were ever going to play defense as well as we just did; and if we did, I certainly didn’t think it would be so early in the season. It takes trust in the system AND trust in your teammates to play our unique brand of defense. And trust takes time.

But other than one 15-second sequence where we gave up 4 offensive rebounds, the girls played team defense about as well as it can be played. They worked SO HARD and did SO MANY THINGS RIGHT that I can’t help myself beaming with pride as I write this.

The guards up top were incredible, 2 Dobermans essentially covering 4 players, running themselves ragged, taking away the high post, closing out intelligently, moving their feet, challenging drives, deflecting passes, chasing down loose balls. Rosy Ladouceur took up space like she was 6 feet tall, Emily Willis was tough as nails, and Rosema Lefebvre had her best defensive game of the season.

The wing forwards put on a clinic; showing and recovering, forcing weak lob passes, constant communication, deflections, and if our opponents ever did get the ball inside, rejecting shots like it was a Block Party and everyone was invited. Lea-Rose Remillard had her usual strong defensive game, Alex Smith and Abby Murray had their best defensive efforts of the season, and Alyssa MacPherson had the best defensive game of her life.

Player Of The Game - Mackenzy St-Pierre did it all, recording double-digit rebounds AND double-digit blocked shots (with the home crowd going crazy with every highlight reel rejection), all while anchoring the defense AND bringing the ball up against pressure AND starting our fast break AND directing the offense AND leading the team in steals AND leading the team in assists AND never coming off the floor once. (Whaddaya mean you’re tired, Kenz?)

As a team, it was the best rebounding of the year BY FAR, as your Spartans completely dominated the boards. The forwards were animals on the offensive glass, and defensively it was thing of beauty, with five crazed Spartans going all-out every time to get a piece, a tip, any part of that precious rebound. I’ve never seen us so hungry, so desperate for the ball. It was AMAZING.

All of these things, working together, for every minute of the game, proved too much for Les Harfangs (“well, that was no fun” their coach told me post-game). They scored 5 pts in the 1st quarter, one (1!) pt in the 2nd quarter, 6 in the 3rd, and 8 in the 4th. A grand total of 20 points allowed to one of the top teams in the RSEQ. Final score 31-20, and a huge upset win that will force the rest of the league sit up and take notice.

But forget the rest of the league. This performance served notice to OURSELVES just how good we can be when we all buy in, when we take PRIDE in our defense, when we all trust the system AND each other, and when we all work our tails off every second we’re on that floor.

The bar has been raised, ladies. We know what we can do.

(From the Stanstead College website, January 18th)

SG Basketball: When the going gets tough...

This past Monday’s revenge match vs Salesien (we’d lost our first meeting by 1 point in our first game of the season) may turn out to be a real learning opportunity for this team.

It was the first time in weeks that we faced a hyper-aggressive opponent that played full-court pressure, and when coupled with loose refereeing that allowed a ton of contact, at times it looked and felt more like rugby out there than basketball.

And we did not react well, at least on offence, to this full-contact game. We let ourselves get rocked back on our heels. We got reactive; skittish and jittery. We turned the ball over in transition, which we hadn’t done for a while. We rushed our jump shots, shooting more air balls in this game than in the previous 10 games combined. And most disturbingly, we rushed our gimmes and bunnies, missing an absurd total of 14(!) uncontested layups.

There was some good news. A few of the girls did manage to play within themselves and not get rattled by the physicality of the game. Notably, Abby Murray, Samantha Smith and Lea-Rose Remillard’s decisions and pace on offence stayed consistent (although Abby did play with a little more “nasty” than usual).

And most importantly, our defence was as lockdown as ever. Two points allowed in the first quarter, 5 in the second quarter, 6 in the third quarter, and 5 in the fourth. A full team effort, highlighted by Alex Smith, Emily Willis and Van Pham’s intelligent rotations, and Mackenzy St-Pierre’s air traffic control in the middle.

When the dust cleared, the scoreboard read 33-18 for the Red & White, but more important than the win is the realization that we must use this game to improve. We are going to face similar teams this season, where toughness matters more than strategy. Where we need to play with a little more “nasty.” Let’s use what we learned this time to make us better next time.

(From the Stanstead College website, January 18th)

SG Basketball: Strong effort in Lennoxville

Now that was a great game. On Galt’s home floor, in front of a partisan crowd hungry for a win, the Red & White brought their best and prevailed 45-31 in a game that was much closer than the final score.

It will come as no surprise that the key to this impressive victory was team defence. Coached by none other than Bishop’s University men’s basketball head coach Rod Gilpin (gulp!), the Pipers threw everything at us. When they weren’t switching and replacing, they were driving and attacking the seams. When they weren’t forcing the ball inside, they were whipping the ball around the perimeter. Designed to spread us out and make us work for the duration of the shot clock, their smart, fast-moving strategy did exactly that. But your Spartans were up to the task.

Emily and Rosema worked hard to deny penetration up top AND help on the boards, with Emily in particular chasing down critical long rebounds. Mackenzy, despite a sore foot that hindered her mobility, was her usual dominant self in the middle. But the Players Of The Game were Alexandra Smith and Rosemarie Ladouceur, who have simply never played better on the wings. Their positioning was perfect, their closeouts and rotations were disciplined, their lateral mobility was outstanding, and they were both beasts on the glass. In fact, the best indicator of how well they played was how rarely Mackenzy had to come to the rescue, as this is the first game in a long time that Kenz did not (have to) finish with double-digit blocks. I tell ya, our defence covering so much ground, so efficiently, was something to behold. A beautiful sight.

That said, we still had to score some points to win, as Galt’s outside shooting, led by ex-Spartan Alyson Stone, came alive in the second quarter. Trailing 19-17 at halftime (after an unlikely one-handed three-point heave at the buzzer), we needed an offensive spark…

…which we got from several sources, i.e inbounds plays, delayed fast breaks, free throws, putbacks from Kenz, some more free throws, a Eurostep and-one from Emily (the Highlight Of The GameTM), and timely outside shooting from Rosema. A true team effort, as there was no single thing that worked all game long, but we did enough little things as a team to outscore the Pipers 28-12 in the second half, highlighted by a huge fourth quarter where we pulled away with a game-ending 18-6 run.

I am very proud of this game. After the win vs WIC at the MIS semis, this is probably the best we’ve played all season. And, hey, we’re on a bit of a streak, now.

Heck, even the snowploughs are afraid of us.

(From the Stanstead College website, January 28th)

SG Basketball D2: Good times

I was concerned going into this past weekend’s BCS Invitational that we may have grown complacent, given that we’d only lost twice this season, and not since way back in November at CAIS.

Boy, did these girls prove me wrong.

In the first 10 minutes of the tourney, up against a Sacred Heart team that had given us real trouble the last time we played them, your Spartans had a terrific warmup and then EXPLODED out of the gate. The first four possessions; 1) steal, fast break layup, 2) rebound, fast break layup, 3) blocked shot, fast break layup, 4) rebound, fast break layup. Boom Boom Boom Boom four textbook defensive stands, four perfect outlet passes, four sweet finishes, one Sacred Heart timeout, and five Stanstead players bouncing and hi-fiving their way to a raucous, madly cheering bench.

Complacent? Nope.

The rest of the game followed suit, on the way to a satisfying 31-19 victory over a Saints team that fought to the final whistle. Looked like everyone had forgotten about that awful Laruche game.

What Laruche game?

In the 2nd round-robin game we squared off against LCC’s B team, and prevailed 39-16. No less than four people came up to me afterwards to say how impressed they were with how classily the Stanstead players handled themselves. How you win is just as important as how you lose. In both cases, you reveal your true character.

Our Friday wins meant we would meet a strong CVR squad in a Saturday morning Semifinal. Some basketball games are pretty, with free-flowing offense and fast breaks and swishing jumpers. But some games are slugfests, where everything you do, every dribble and pass and rebound and shot and drive is contested. That was this game. We had to work our hardest just to hold onto the ball, as our opponents were athletic, strong, tall and fierce, and attacked the basketball like piranhas with blood in the water. Our 14 turnovers marks a season-high, and to be honest, I’m surprised the number’s not even higher.

But our defense, OF COURSE, kept us in it, forcing misses and battling for our lives on the defensive glass. Until with one minute left, CVR willed in a tough baseline jumper to take a 19-18 lead which would hold up until the final buzzer.

But the way we played that last minute, that deserves praise. Because we played it smart. We intelligently defended inbounds passes. We fouled quickly to try to get into bonus. We did not waste a second of that final minute. It didn’t work out this time (it’s kinda tough to commit 7 fouls in 20 seconds!), but how you manage the end-game in a close game is often the difference between thrilling victory and crushing defeat. What we learned in that final minute may well prove important in the coming weeks.

Or, ironically, two hours later! Down 25-16 to WIC in a game to decide 3rd place, your Spartans staged a gripping comeback in the final 4 minutes. 25-19…25-21…25-23…now only 20 sec left and the Voyageurs have the ball. Just like last game, we have to foul to stop the clock and force them to make free throws (luckily, they ARE in the bonus this time, thanks to five fouls from SC’s version of Hulk Hogan)

And we do it perfectly. Go for the steal, don’t get it, then foul immediately with 15 sec left. The WIC player misses the first foul shot…and misses the second!…but we don’t box out and give up the critical offensive rebound L. We smartly foul again, but this time she makes one of two, and only 6 seconds remain for us to go full court and chuck a desperation three, which we miss.

After the game, a fellow coach remarked to me “hey, tough day today, eh? losing by 1 and then losing by 3?”. But I disagree. Close, competitive games is why we play sports. Those two exhilarating Saturday losses? I’ll take those any day over 20-pt wins and listless blowouts. Every single player was 100% focused and in the moment, experiencing the thrill of tough competition, with her teammates, learning things about basketball and about herself. Why even bother playing, if not for that?

And then top that off with a team supper at Scores, with the Sr Boys (congrats on the Consolation Championship!), filling the restaurant with laughter and camaraderie, followed by all of us going to watch the Gaiters Women’s and Men’s teams play back-to-back vs the McGill Redmen (featuring ex-Spartan Jamal Mayali) at Bishop’s University?

Tough day? Uh, no.

Au contraire (yes, that’s French) one of my favourite days of the season. Great weekend, ladies!

(From the Stanstead College website, January 31st)

SG Basketball D2: The other side

Sometimes the narrative is simple. Sometimes the other team just plays really well.

That’s my feeling after College Sacre-Coeur handled us pretty easily 51-33 last night in Sherbrooke. It wasn’t a lack of effort on our part; in fact, I liked our warmup and intensity right from the get go. We were ready on defense, we were active in transition, and we fought hard for rebounds and loose balls.

But our opponents were simply better on this night. Employing intelligent strategies on both offense AND defense, the CSC players shot the ball well from outside, pressured us constantly, and crashed the boards aggressively. They didn’t make many mistakes, and they forced us into quite a few uncharacteristic ones (18 turnovers…ugh).

That said, there WERE three bright spots that deserve mention:

1) Rosy Ladouceur had another great game. Slowly but surely her basketball IQ is catching up to her natural athleticism. Sometimes some of us look a step slow compared to our D2 opponents, but that is never true for Rosy. Keep playing with confidence!

2) I was impressed with the comeback we staged in the 3rd quarter. Trying a new defense that we rarely ever play, the girls adapted and fought for every inch, closing the gap from 18 pts down at halftime to just 8 pts with a minute left in the quarter. If we’d managed to corral a few more defensive rebounds in that final minute, who knows?, maybe we bring it all the way back?...

3) And finally there was Player Of The Game Emily Willis, who had a MONSTER performance. How’s this for a statline? 18 pts (on only 12 shots!), 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks, and only 2 turnovers despite being the principal ball-handler against pressure defense. Itellya, if we could have gotten her more shots, she might have dropped 40 pts last night, the way she was feeling it.

All in all, it was a good game against a strong team who was firing on all cylinders on their home floor. Nothing to hang our heads about, let’s just use it to try to get better.

Because the Bailly and the MacLeod are getting closer…closer…

(From the Clarion, February edition)

Without losing, winning isn't great

Junior girls’ sports at Stanstead College are not always the strongest. Unlike the other schools they compete against, like Galt, La Ruche, and Triolet who have a pool ranging from 500-1000 students, Stanstead girls start with a slight disadvantage. However, this does not stop them from enjoying their season. At Stanstead, we have approximately 50 junior girls. On this year's junior girls’ team, the ratio of returning athletes to new students who have never played a team sport is approximately 2:5. This therefore, creates an interesting dynamic.

Having new players on a team forces other players to develop their leadership skills. Starting the season pretty harshly was discouraging for both veterans and returning students. Nonetheless, the team has developed a tremendous team spirit through adversity and challenge. Asking the girls what was the biggest highlight of the season, they all agreed that it was at the MIS tournament. They were down by two points. With 30 seconds left and the other team had the ball in possession, one of their player took away the ball from them, swayed their defense and laid it up, bringing them into overtime. Winning two overtime games in a day, allowed us to win the BSC Tournament division three. This resulted in a memorable win.

Even though the team has only won a few games this season, the girls never give up and always have smiles on their faces. Since the start of the season, every girl on the team has been dedicated to getting better. No matter the wins and the losses, these girls persevere and never quit. This is an important life lesson that we can all take away from this small group of girls. They have learned to love the game with all its ups and downs. They have become leaders and outstanding teammates through adversity. Finally, they are enjoying their time spent with each other and they will forever remember the memories they are creating together.

(From the Stanstead College website, February 26th)

SG Basketball D2: Digging deep

All the omens were bad going into this one.

- This was our 6th full game in only 5 days; physically, mentally and emotionally, the girls were running on fumes. Very little, if anything, left in the tank.

- Our opponent was Alexander Galt, a really good team, with a really good coach. Last time we played them, although we ended up winning, the game was tied after 3 quarters.

- Because we’d played them earlier in the season, they already knew our style, our strengths and weaknesses. We would not be able to surprise them with our defense or transition offense.

- And to top it all off, Galt needed this game to qualify for the RSEQ Playoffs. They were desperate. It was a must-win for the Pipers. Their season was on the line.

Your Spartans had every reason to come up short on this Tuesday night.

But they shook the lead out of their legs, forced themselves to have a good warmup, and flew out of the gate, scoring the first nine points of the game. Shots were falling, the defense was active, and everything was going right. A minute into the 2nd quarter, we were up 15-2, the Pipers were reeling, and the rout was on, right?

Yeah no.

While the offense stayed consistent, the girls couldn’t maintain their defensive intensity. Galt’s best shooter #12 shook loose for consecutive open threes, and when tasked with focusing on her, we couldn’t do it. She finished the quarter with 13 pts, including a late triple, almost singlehandedly bringing her team back. A slim 21-18 lead at half, and the Pipers had all the momentum.

Gut-check time. Schematically, we committed to stopping #12, and the players pulled it off, limiting her to four points in the 2nd half. But Galt is not a one-woman team. The 3rd quarter was scratch and claw, as the girls gave everything they had to keep their determined opponents at bay. 32-28 near the end of the 3rd, and we were hanging on by our fingernails.

Somehow, I have no idea how they found it within themselves, with one final push, your Spartans went on a 13-4 run. The defense stiffened, Emily hit a three on an inbounds play, and Kenz (whose energy reserves are insane) carried us offensively with four straight buckets. 45-32, with four minutes left.

But the tank was well and truly empty now. We would not score another point. Our legs are done. Galt scores. Then scores again. We run the clock down on every possession, willing the game to end. Another Galt basket…45-38…we foul them…45-39…and then mercifully, FINALLY, the final buzzer goes.

The post-game reaction of the players tells the story. No celebrations. No smiles. Just slowly shuffling legs and glazed eyes asking “Can I go home now?” “Can I go to sleep?”.

But my reaction is PRIDE, and given some time to think about it, you girls should feel the same. You showed your coaches, your teammates, and most importantly yourselves just how deep you could dig, and what you could accomplish once you got down there.

Now go to sleep – you’ve earned it.

(From the Stanstead College website, February 26th)

SG Basketball D2: Sometimes the best defense is a good offense

When I look back on this season, this game is going to stick out as one of our best offensive performances of the year. Not that our defense was bad – we allowed a paltry 12 pts total in the 2nd and 3rd quarters combined – but we were firing on offense like never before.

First, Laruche(2) came out in a box and one on Kenz. A smart plan, one would think. But Emily and Rosema, with all the attention on Kenz, simply destroyed that plan, combining for 13 pts in six minutes on a series of wide open jump shots, including 3 threes. Timeout Laruche. New plan. Smart coaching. Pressure man defense.

And that’s when things really got ugly for Les Carnicas.

Because, after our first anemic performance back in January vs Laruche(2) – 30 pts total, and we were lucky to get that many – your Spartans had been working on their offense against a pressure man defense. Practices had been spent figuring out how best to 1) handle the pressure, and 2) get the ball into good spots where our playmakers can make plays. And boy o boy, for the first time this past Monday night it worked, it clicked, and it was bee-YOO-tiful to watch.

Baseline reverse layups, high-post drives, post-post pick and rolls, drive and kicks, sprint handoffs, elbow jumpers, wing pick n rolls – holy smokes EVERYTHING was working. From two minutes left in the 1st quarter until the end of the 3rd quarter, the Big Red Machine put the game away by pumping in no less than 37(!) pts. To fully appreciate this offensive explosion, your Spartans had only reached the 50 pt plateau three times this season; tonight we reached 50 after only three quarters!

Laruche, of course, did not quit, and finished the game on an 11-0 run of their own. But it was too little too late – Final Score 50-33, and Stanstead College was officially on a roll.

Hmmm. Offense clicking. Lockdown defense. Signing championship banners. Great team vibe.

Sometimes it just doesn’t get better than being a Spartan.

(From the Stanstead College website, February 26th)

SG Basketball D2: Fast five

We’d had 2 days off to rest since the “6-games-in-5-days” from earlier in the week. We were rested, we were rolling, and we were eager to take on one of the top teams in the Eastern Townships.

Sure, Triolet’s top team had only lost once all season, but it HAD been to us after all (albeit way back in November). As the ball was tossed up for the opening tip, we were ready.

But when did Triolet get so FAST?

It was like we were Wile E. Coyote playing against the Roadrunner. Les Harfangs exploded out of the gate, every step was a sprint, every cut was at full speed, every pass at Mach 1. They scored on the fast break, they pickpocketed our dribble, they blocked our shots, they rifled passes inside our defense, and they stole our passes. Before you could say Paul Walker, we were down 14-3 with a real chance of being blown right out of the building by the fastest team we’d played all year.

But this is why we play in D2.

I already knew from the Galt game that we weren’t a team that gave up when the going got tough. A timeout, a couple defensive adjustments, an appreciation of Triolet’s athleticism and speed, and the girls put on their hard hats and got back to work. Scoring continued to be really tough, but the defense locked down, generating a 7-0 run that took almost 6 minutes of game time. The half ended with us down 17-11, but we’d dug in and withstood Trio’s initial onslaught.

Ultimately, our opponents’ athletic, pressure defense proved too much for us. Defensively we figured them out – we only allowed 24 pts in the final 3 and a half quarters of the game – but creating any good looks on offense was a challenge. Just how athletic were Les Harfangs on the defensive end? This is the first game of the year where the other team blocked more shots than we did. Final score 38-21, and kudos to our opponents for how far they’ve come since the last time we played them.

Maybe we’ll see them again in the RSEQ Playoffs – best 2 out of 3?

(From the Stanstead College website, March 28th)

RSEQ Semifinal: Out (for break) but far from out

Almost four weeks ago your Stanstead Spartans won the MacLeod Provincials. It was March 1, a Friday. The following week there were no practices, as the winter athletics term had officially ended. On Friday, March 8 everyone left for March break and returned this past Monday night, March 26. Tuesday morning, we had an actual basketball practice from 8:30 to 9:30 am. Wednesday morning we had a 7:00 am light shoot-around.

And Wednesday afternoon, March 28, after barely touching a basketball for 27(!) days, we played the best team in the league in the RSEQ D2 semifinal.

I’m not gonna lie to you, I was legitimately concerned about being blown out of the gym. La Ruche had finished #1 in D2, were fully healthy, were on their home floor, were super-athletic and were firing on all cylinders. Conversely, most of your Stanstead Spartans had trouble making it through Tuesday’s practice without a defibrillator.

But in a season of surprises, this team surprised me (and themselves?) one more time. I could not be more proud. They managed their fatigue; they played fearlessly; they took Les Carnicas’ best punches for 32 minutes but flat-out refused to stay down. Every time La Ruche was poised to put the game out of reach, these courageous young women somehow found a way to keep it in range.

Down 17-9, Alex (inside) and Rosema (outside) score the next 4 pts. Down 21-13, we dig in to make it 23-21. La Ruche goes on a run to make it 33-24, but Rosema and Player Of The GameTM Emily Willis splash back-to-back threes to keep hope alive. Down 36-33 with a minute left in the game, Emily scores on a fast break, gets fouled, and coolly drains the free throw. Tie game! La Ruche scores two tough buckets to go up 40-36 with only 30 seconds left. Almost over, but Kenz bravely attacks the zone, draws the foul, and with the opposing fans doing anything they can (grunting? snorting? I’m not sure) to disrupt her, she somehow swishes both (with a smile ...).

Down 2. Time to foul. Rosy and Emily execute it perfectly, three quick fouls in under 8 seconds to put La Ruche on the line… and they miss one! One last chance… down by 3… time running out… opposing fans going nuts… Kenz somehow finds Emily who squirms free for a desperation contested 3… the shot goes up… but it was not to be. The buzzer sounds, final score 41-38, and the home team celebrates a well-deserved victory. It was a truly fantastic game on both sides, hard-nosed but with excellent sportsmanship, and in special games like these someone gets to win and someone has to lose. That’s the agony, and the beauty, of sport.

But the expression on the face of La Ruche’s coach in the handshake line said it all. You girls just wouldn’t quit, and no matter how little you’d played in the last month, no matter how tired and out of shape you were, he knew he had dodged a bullet. They had to bring their best to beat us, and it almost wasn’t enough. That said, I really like and respect that La Ruche team/program, and I wish them all the best in the finals.

As for your Spartans, one more game to go. Sunday vs Collège Sacre-Coeur for the RSEQ bronze medals. One more game before this unbelievable season comes to an end.

One more chance to do something great.

One more memory to make.