LANGLEY — Sometimes you’ve just got to get out of Prince George.
The central B.C. city’s College Heights Cougars, losers of three straight games over the last two weeks to crosstown rivals Duchess Park, rode the all-round brilliance of guards Kayleigh Kennedy and Loren Caceres to a 57-45 victory Wednesday over the Pitt Meadows Marauders in a Triple A opener at the provincial senior girls basketball championships.
The No. 5 seed Cougars actually won three of their first five games against the Condors this season. But they then got beat in the city final and twice in the zone championship by Duchess Park, which leapfrogged College Heights into the No. 3 seed for the provincials.
“Yeah we got kind of tired of that,” College Heights head coach Wade Loukes said of the familiar matchup. “Me and Reid (Roberts, the Duchess Park head coach) were talking about that. It’s just a great battle with them.
“But it’s great to get both teams prepared for provincials.”
The Cougars led the Marauders 15-4 after one quarter but it was tight the rest of the way, including 41-34 at the three quarter mark. But College Heights used a 12-5 run to open the fourth to pull away.
“It was a tough battle, but we came prepared to fight,” said Kennedy. “For some of us, it’s our fourth year in (at provincials), and it’s exciting.”
The five-foot-six Caceres and five-foot-nine Kennedy, both Grade 12s, were terrific in breaking the Marauders full-court pressure with exceptional quickness and adroit ball-handling and led the offence with 21 and 16 points, respectively.
“We did a thing back home where we had our boys team prep us,” said Loukes. “That whole quickness and decision-making they developed really helped. We don’t see much pressure all season, so to see that (from Pitt Meadows), our girls have to have a lot of confidence with the ball.
“Sure we turned it over a couple of times, but it’s not a lack of aggression. Lauren just makes great decisions.
Summer Toor is another Grade 12 Cougars’ guard in her fourth consecutive provincials.
“Just their experience is a fantastic asset,” said Loukes.
The sharp-shooting Toor knocked down two early three-pointers, finishing with three treys en route to 11 points.
Dynamic Grade 11 guard Jocelyn Boyes led Pitt Meadows with 27 points, several coming off acrobatic, off-balance scoops while driving into the lane.
College Heights advances to the quarterfinal round and will face the No. 4 Vernon Panthers Thursday at 1:45 p.m.
