Assiniboia Blizzard Rockets Through Central
It was a big and large Assiniboia Rockets JV girls basketball team that took on the Central Cyclones Junior Girls team Monday evening.
Despite the Cyclones literally hitting the hardwood on more than one occasion to there was no stopping the Assiniboia blizzard.
In the end the Cyclones were covered with a six foot deep avalanche losing 57 - 32.
One of the numerous times the play literally hit the court - MJ Independent photo
The Cyclones were up against a larger Rockets team.
“We were outsized and there was some big players we had to keep out of the key tonight,” Ryan Gunstenson head coach of the Cyclones said.
The game was very close contact with the play going from battling on the court floor itself to up in the air.
“The girls were relentless and they were focused on chasing balls whenever they can and working hard on both sides of the court,” Guntenson said, adding “lots of girls hit the floor tonight.”
A much taller Assiniboia player (right) starting to get her hands up to block a shot - MJ Independent photo
Despite playing a larger and more physical team, he said it was actually beneficial for the Cyclones.
“It’s definitely beneficial playing a better team. Playing somebody a little bit bigger and playing somebody a little bit older and a little bit better (helps). When we see them again we’ll match up well with them.”
Guntenson said despite the loss he saw good things in the Cyclones play.
“Being able to change up an offence on the fly and watching these young girls work. They’re only in grade nine and they understand how to change on the fly quickly.”
“For them to implement something on the floor in that moment is really, really cool,” he said.
The battle went on as Assiniboia put up a virtual wall to stop Central from getting in close for a shot - MJ Independent photo
The Cyclones junior team consists of mostly grade nine students - 11 players are in grade nine and one player is in grade ten.
High school basketball is much different than elementary school basketball.
Coaching the team has been easy for Guntenson.
“These girls are really close knit. They’re really a fun group to work with. They take this as a job. They take it seriously. They still know they need to have fun when they do this. They have a lot of fun,” he said.
Guntenson realizes the team”s composition and experience means the team needs to be developed.
“This year is definitely a building year seeing they are young. We have to work on becoming a little bit more physical. Basketball has become a very physical game so we have to learn how to play against these bigger players.”
The Rockets Makayla W (right) shows the aggressive nature of Assiniboia’s defence as she rushes the Cyclone’s Sienna Stadnyk - MJ Independent photo
Asked how this fits with Central being seen as a very much a finesse basketball program Guntenson said it’s where the sport is heading.
“Basketball has become a very physical sport and so we are working on that at every practice at just being physical.”
Asked what he was looking forward to with the team this year and he said personally, he was looking forward to helping develop female sport in Moose Jaw.
“It seems like there’s a little bit of a lull in female athletics in Moose Jaw. So we’re developing the soccer season. We’re developing the basketball season. And continue to grow and develop the sport.”
