Central Cyclones Senior Girls Hoopla Bound

Starting the 2025/2026 basketball season the Central Cyclones senior girls basketball team had two goals - to make it to the city league finals and also into the Hoopla tournament.

Last week the Cyclones were in the Moose Jaw city league final.

On Saturday afternoon the Cyclones defeated the Luther Lions 82 - 57 to earn their berth to Hoopla.

Hoopla, the provincial high school championship tournament, runs March 26 - 28 with Moose Jaw hosting the event this year.

The Central Cyclones senior girls basketball team with their regionals trophy - MJ Independent photo

Faced with a tough opponent - the Luther Lions - the Cyclones came out strong.

“It was an amazing game. The best they’ve played all year. Perfect timing, insane effort, great I’m so proud,” Central Cyclones head coach Tonya MacLean said about the game.

The Cyclones had just played a game where the momentum as well as the score had seesawed back and forth.

The Lions had intermittently trailed at times by 20 points while they also fought back within five points.

“Things happen. It goes up and down. It is what it is. We stayed focused and calm and we’re going to Hoopla,” MacLean said.

The goal of making it to the Hoopla tournament was a major goal of the team this season.

To get past the Lions and off to Hoopla the Cyclones were very strong in their shooting. The Cyclones deflated the Lions’ momentum with a series of three pointers in the early going.

“We shot really well and not just one person. A few hit some key threes to get us up by a bit and yeah that was our best game of the year.”

The Cyclones did have to adjust when the Lions fought back to within five points after being down by 16 points.

“That’s basketball you have to hit the right momentum. We just called a time out and got them focused again. You’ve got to play a full 40 (minutes) anything can happen,” she said.

The Cyclones haven’t any goals for the Hoopla tournament other than playing their best.

The team is super excited to be participating in Hoopla.

“Just being here is amazing. And the team is amazing. It’s amazing it’s on Moose Jaw. We get to play in it in front of everyone here at home. We’re super excited,” she said.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them.”