Submitted by:
Lise Frazer |

On March 2, 2017 the Swan Valley Tigers travelled to Brandon, MB to play Neelin High School for the InterZone championship and a berth at the JV Girls Basketball Provincials.

Pictured above: Click for a larger version.
Front Row: Erica Sembaluk-Hart, Josie Black, Alison Rowe, Decorbea Fleury, Sabrina Kopecky
Back Row: Manager: Jennifer Zamzow, Ireland Staples, Brynlee Spencer, Seanna Stinson, Adria Bateman, Caitlyn Stewart, Brenna Schure, Sydney Fedorchuk, Lauren Klatt, Coach Lise Fraser

The Tigers utilized an aggressive press from the opening minute of the game to prevent Neelin from establishing their offence. Sabrina Kopecky, Decorbea Fleury, Ireland Staples, Josie Black and Alison Rowe combined for 20 steals in the game.

At the half, the Tigers were up 33-9. Neelin attempted to change up their defense in the 2nd half, switching to man-to-man from the zone defense but to no avail. The Tigers utilized their fast break, post plays and perimeter shooting. The Tigers upped their tempo in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 points. Final score of the game was 66-26 for Swan Valley Tigers.

Twelve players scored in the game; scoring leaders were Brenna Schure with 16, Adria Bateman with 14, Lauren Klatt and Erica Sembaluk-Hart with 6. The Tigers owned the boards with Schure, Bateman and Klatt securing over 30 rebounds between the three of them.

The team is looking forward to playing in the JV Girls Provincial Basketball Tournament in Altona on March 9-11th. Check out the MHSAA website, mhsaa.ca and select PROVINCIALS from the menu to check for updates during the tournament.