SURREY — This time, the Thunder made all the noise.
In a rematch of last year’s Goodwill Basketball Classic, an all-Surrey tournament featuring 20 teams, the senior girls of Panorama Ridge turned the tables on Tweedsmuir Panthers with a 76-71 win in the Axe bracket’s final game on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 7).
The crosstown rivals squared off once again at Tweedy’s home court, where the Thunder beat the Panthers for the first time in more than a half-dozen tries.
The 2016 tournament saw Tweedsmuir top Panorama Ridge 83-73 in the Axe final.
This time around, Panorama Ridge was the more aggressive team in the final, worked hard to limit the number of turnovers committed, took a lead into halftime and never looked back.
“We weren’t really thinking about anything more than it was just a game against Tweedsmuir,” said Thunder head coach John Sowerby.
“We had a practice that morning and we really talked about what they did, what we have to key on and what we needed to do to win that game,” he continued.
One key strategy was to shut down the Panthers’ Maryn Budiman, who is among B.C.’s best point guards.
“We still gave her 30 (points), but she’s a heck of a player,” Sowerby noted. “It was, stop her and stop their three-point shooting, and we just kept people home in the key and anytime anybody drove, we just collapsed at the hoop.”
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The city-championship tourney, a five-day event that ran from Jan. 3 to 7, is hosted by Surrey Fire Fighters Association.
The most recent Triple-A girls provincial basketball rankings, published on Jan. 4, had Tweedsmuir in fourth, a notch ahead of the fifth-spot Thunder, who obviously had something to prove on Saturday.
“At halftime we spoke and it was all about, this is how you play to win games, how we have to play every half to be successful,” Sowerby said. “I think they picked up on that and they played harder in the second half than they did in the first – diving for loose balls, where before it was bending over and putting one hand on the ball instead of diving for it. It was that kind of effort where they finally turned that corner – at least that’s what I’m hoping. Maybe they’ve realized that this is what it’s got to be like every game, no matter who you play. You gotta go hard and play 40 minutes of basketball.”
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PICTURED: Thunder coach John Sowerby talks to his players during a timeout. Photo: Gord Goble.
Thunder forward Savannah Dhaliwal earned tourney MVP honours.
“Sav was dominant and they had no answer for her,” Sowerby explained. “And Simrit Dosanjh hit a couple key threes down the stretch, Arman Sahota and Arsh Gill were big inside, and then Kuljit Johal had the job of guarding Maryn all night. She’s a soccer player and doesn’t usually start for us, so we took that chance and she did a great job – kept pushing her out and pushing her out. I mean, (Budiman) still scored 30, but it’s a team game, right.”
Seven players in the tourney were each given $750 scholarships by Surrey Fire Fighters’ Charitable Society, for leading on the court and also volunteering their time in the community. This year’s winners were Navdeep Dhunna (QE), Elizabeth Wallace (Frank Hurt), Katrina Frankenberger (Fleetwood Park), Allison Hill (Earl Marriott), Simrit Bindra (Panorama Ridge), Jasmine Ghag (Tamanawis) and Jessica Vidovic (Tweedsmuir).
(Scroll down to see full list of tourney award winners)
The Ladder division title went to Semiahmoo for its victory over Guildford Park.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com
PICTURED: Thunder players celebrate after the final buzzer on Saturday afternoon.
2017 Goodwill Classic Awards
Ladder Division Team Awards
Semiahmoo
Guildford Park
Pacific Academy
Axe Division Team Awards
Panorama Ridge
Lord Tweedsmuir
Sullivan Heights
Most Sportsmanlike Team - Princess Margaret
Most Inspirational Player – Theresa Hicks, Clayton Heights
3pt contest Winner – Simrat Dosanjh, Panorama Ridge
Best Defensive Player – Sophia Kramer, Sullivan Heights
Most Valuable Player Axe Div : Savanah Dhaliwal, Panorama Ridge
Ladder Div: Jennifer Tinnes, Semiahmoo
15 Dream Team All Stars:
Sydney Smith, Pacific Academy
Tanika Bonneville, Elgin Park
Jaya Sandhu, Holy Cross
Jasmine Hamilton, Earl Marriott
Emma Kramer, Sullivan Heights
Amanda Pearson, Fraser Heights
Jada Jordan, Fleetwood Park
Shea McMartin, Earl Marriott
Cassie Shokar, North Surrey
Jasdeep Brar, Frank Hurt
Helen Odong, Guildford Park
Izzy Forsythe, Semiahmoo
Arsh Gill, Panorama Ridge
Maryn Budiman, Lord Tweedsmuir
Shelvin Grewal, Lord Tweedsmuir
Tessa Beauchamp Scholarship from Family - Sahiba Badh, Fleetwood Park
Scholarship Winners:
Jasmine Ghag, Tamanawis
Simrit Bindra, Panorama Ridge
Jessica Vidovic, Lord Tweedsmuir
Allison Hill, Earl Marriott
Elizabeth Wallace, Frank Hurt
Katrina Frakenberger, Fleetwood Park
Navdeep Dhunna, Queen Elizabeth