CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – This one was over early as the Charlottetown Rural Raiders rode an 18-0 run to an 82-35 win over the Colonel Gray Colonels and earned its third straight Prince Edward Island School Athletic Association Domino’s senior AAA girls’ basketball crown Tuesday in Charlottetown.
Ahead 8-7, the pressing Raiders went on a tear turning Gray turnovers into points and keeping the cold-shooting Colonels off-balance. Gray went scoreless almost 10 minutes over the end of the first quarter and early into the second frame.
Freshman Devon Lawlor led all scorers with 19 points for Rural, while tournament MVP Sydney Whitlock and senior Lauren Reid each chipped in 18 points. Lawlor and Reid each nabbed four rebounds.
For Reid, the win capped a three-championship career.
“Each was special in its own way. In Grade 10, we were the underdog. In Grade 12, winning with all your same teammates means a lot. (My biggest memory) are the girls that I’ve been able to win them with,” Reid said. “We played (the press) all year and had success with it, so we thought we’d come out early and get ahead.”
That style worked to a tee and forced several early Gray miscues, which Rural took advantage of and built an 18-7 lead after the first quarter. In the second frame, it was more of same as Rural’s press took its toll and lead the squad out to a 47-16 advantage at the half.
Third quarter? Ditto the second. Rural had a 67-25 edge after three and closed things out in the fourth.
For Gray senior Francis Alvarez, who led her team with 12 points and seven boards, it was an uphill challenge beating a strong Rural team, but she was proud of her squad’s effort.
“We tried to come out hard, go hard and play a good game. We tried our best,” said Alvarez, who was named a tournament all-star. “I think we played pretty hard and didn’t give up, played hard all the way. They were just a really good team.”
Rylee Connolly added 10 points for Gray.
The Westisle Wolverines built a 29-22 en route to a 52-46 win over the Three Oaks Axewomen Tuesday in the bronze medal game to capture its first ever AAA medal.
TOSH closed to 40-36 after three, despite missing 13 foul shots to that point.
Lyndsay Callaghan had a huge game with 16 points and 15 rebounds for Westisle, while Martina Gallant and Hannah MacKinnon each added 10 points and Hannah Hackett seven.
For Three Oaks, Jane Doyle had 11 and Jill Woods and Georgie McKenna had eight points each.
Awards
Top performers in the Prince Edward Island School Athletic Association Domino’s girls’ AAA basketball tournament.
All-stars – Devon Lawlor, Maddie Hurley and Lauren Reid, Charlottetown Rural; Francis Alvarez, Colonel Gray; Lyndsay Callaghan, Westisle.
MVP – Sydney Whitlock.
Looking back
A look the recent Prince Edward Island School Athletic Association senior AAA girls’ basketball champs:
2017 Charlottetown Rural
2016 Charlottetown Rural
2015 Colonel Gray
2014 Colonel Gray
2013 Three Oaks
2012 Three Oaks
2011 Colonel Gray
2010 Three Oaks
2009 Colonel Gray
2008 Colonel Gray
2007 Colonel Gray
2006 Colonel Gray
2005 Colonel Gray
