Central Cyclones Advance To The Big Show
They may have been a little bit undisciplined at times but the Central Cyclones senior girls basketball team managed to defeat the Yorkton Sacred Heart Saints 55 - 35 to capture a 4A Regionals crown.
The victory purchases the team’s tickets for Hoopla 2024 - the provincial high school basketball championship - this coming Thursday to Saturday.
The Cyclones will be joined fellow Moose Jaw teams the Vanier Spirits and Peacock Toilers in the tournament. Meadow Lake will round out the four teams in the 4A girl’s competition.
The Central Cyclones senior girls team 4A girls Regionals champion
The game started slow with the Cyclones failing to put up many points in the early going.
The Cyclones aggressive play saw them wrack up the fouls.
Early in the game the Cyclones had to sit one of their better players, Addison Simpson, as she quickly wracked up three fouls. One of the fouls could be argued that it came out of frustration.
Simpson plays an all out go for broke style of basketball that can earn major rewards but also at the same time penalties.
Yorkton Saints Angela Fetsch (left) tries to block out Central Cyclones Taylor Haavisto
“We are known for our slow starts,” Central Cyclones head coach told MJ Independent in the post game interview.
Asked if she was concerned about the Cyclones slow first quarter McLean said she wasn’t.
Regarding the team’s discipline - something that has impacted the team all season - she said “we need to work on our patience.”
Central had a player to player coverage scheme while at the same time employed a strong full court press in an attempt to pop out turnovers and opportunities.
Central Cyclones Ellah Flanagan attempts to go down the center enroute to a layup attempt
“It’s a constant thing we need to work on. And a constant thing we have struggled at. It’s the discipline,” she said.
Despite the slow start and foul problems McLean said she was happy with the team’s performance.
“I’m proud of them for sure. There are definitely things we could have done better always. But all in all we are happy,” she said.
The Cyclones, like many other teams, have not been able to practice over the past couple of weeks due to job actions initiated by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation in a contract dispute with the provincial government.
Central Cyclones Lucy McLean (left) goes past Saints Londyn Reeves who is blocked by Mykenzie Shymko
“It definitely made a mark…we have nothing to go over.”
The Cyclones faced the Saints going in blind as they had not played them out on the tournament circuit this year.
There was a lot of adjusting the team on the fly.
“We could have taken more opportunities because of some mismatches but overall it was fine. It was good.”
The ball pops loose from a crowd of players
A major impact player for the Cyclones was #15 Ellah Flanagan in the game.
“Ellah is a workhorse… We haven’t seen Ellah hit her top yet. She’ll bring it to Hoopla,” McLean said.
Hoopla dreams are big for the Cyclones.
“Just the experience. Just getting the opportunity to play two more games and the fact that it is in Moose Jaw is huge. The gym will be packed it will be amazing,” she said. “We just pray that it happens.”
