by Stephen Dafoe – photos by Jolie Misener
Edmonton – It was gold medals all around for the Bantam Morinville Orijen Sabretooths over the weekend. After sweeping their regular season 15-0, the Bantam Girls took to playoffs at the Saville Community Sports Center in Edmonton, emerging with the city championship.
After sitting out the first round, the Bantam Sabretooths hit the court to take on the Swarm BG Biollo in Round 2. The Morinville girls walked away with a 42-17 victory to take on the SBA Thunder, a team that defeated SW Cooney 48 to 22.
In that final game Morinville finished a tense first quarter with a 9-5 lead over the Thunder. That gap continued to be narrow throughout the second quarter, but the Sabretooths finished with a 16-13 lead. Picking up the pace on the opposite side of the court, the Sabretooths pulled ahead in the third to widen the gap to a 31-23 lead, close enough that it was anyone’s win in what one parent described as a knuckle biter of a game. But the girls pushed on, widening the margin to pull off a 42-33 win.
Coach Serge Froment was pleased with the Bantam Girls results and those of other Morinville teams. “Great day for basketball in Morinville,” Froment said. “Four teams won their divisions in the Edmonton Youth Basketball Association League finals: Mini Boys, Mini Girls, Bantam Girls and Midget Boys.”
Froment went on to thank all coaches, parents and especially “our young stars for their commitment to being great teams.”
The Sabretooths return to the courts in Edmonton this weekend for provincials.
