If Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer are among your heroes, if watching Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit is your jam, and if you obsess over your rating on Chess.com… Friday evening’s 3A semifinal clash between the Sa-Hali Sabres and the Duchess Park Condors was the game for you.
In what could aptly be described as a high-stakes chess match, testing both coaches’ X-and-O skills and demanding maximum discipline from the on-court participants, it took all of the Sabres’ skill and will to grind out a 55-52 triumph that went right down to the final buzzer.
Both teams leaned on airtight zone defences to keep their opponents’ offensive production to a minimum – Sa-Hali with a 2-3 variety, and Duchess Park with a trapping 1-3-1.
There wasn’t a basket scored in this game that wasn’t hard-earned, and indeed, the outcome wasn’t settled until a last-gasp attempt from beyond the arc by Duchess Park’s Maggie Malfair fell short, setting off a celebration for the weary Sabres and their fans.
How much of a grind was it? Well, in the aftermath, Sa-Hali head coach Jody Vosper identified a box-out, of all things, as a game-breaking play in the final minute.
“We had one key blockout down the stretch – Courtney Grant, No. 13,” he related with a smile. “I’d been pleading with them to block out, and she did it, and the ball went out of bounds and we got it. A defining moment of the game.
“We were struggling to get rebounds, and credit to Duchess, they out-battled us on the boards and made it a game. That was what brought them back into it. They’ve got some great players on their team, and I’ve known Louise (Holmes, Condors manager) for 20-plus years. I just give them a lot of credit. They gave us a really hard go.
“My team, I love them so much. We have so much fun, and we respect them so much for everything they they do. They’re a true team.”
It felt appropriate that the score was knotted 40-40 through three quarters, and the fourth quarter featured myriad lead changes as the two teams battled back and fourth.
The Sabres eventually found a bit of breathing room, going up 53-48 with 2:15 remaining after Nevena Nogic drilled a baseline jumper when the Condors sagged off her just a little bit too far.
Duchess Park’s Zahra Ngabo made a couple big plays to resuscitate her squad – she got a steal and fed Mercedes Black for a breakaway layup, then knocked down a jumper on the Condors’ next possession to get her team back to within 53-52 with just over a minute left.
The score stayed stuck there, as the teams traded frenetic defensive stops. Nogic went 2-for-2 from the free throw line in the dying seconds to provide the final margin, and Malfair’s would-be game-tying shot was off the mark.
In a rather low-scoring game, Nogic and Ngabo found just enough space to operate to stage a compelling scoring duel.
Ngabo, a versatile Grade 10 guard, continued to build her case for a tournament all-star nod, counting four three-pointers among her game-high 26 points, adding eight rebounds and four steals to her tally. Black added nine points for the Prince George squad.
Sabres senior Nogic, meanwhile, racked up 24 points of her own, absorbing an incredible 11 fouls on her way to a 11-of-13 performance from the charity stripe.
Isabel Phillips added 12 points for Sa-Hali, and Iyin Aina registered nine points and 11 rebounds while spearheading her team’s defensive effort.
“It was definitely stressful,” Nogic said with a smile afterward. “But we focused on staying composed and taking it one play at a time. I think what really got us this win was our teamwork together. If we made one mistake, we forgot it and moved on to the next play.”
The Sabres advance to face the MEI Eagles for the 3A title on Saturday (5:30 p.m., LEC Arena Bowl). The two teams met once earlier in the season, with the Eagles eking out an eight-point decision.
“It was at the Tessa tournament, in Holy Cross’s gym,” Vosper recalled. “We actually had a five-point lead in the third quarter, and they made a run and got that lead up to eight and we just couldn’t claw back.
“We’re going to have to play our best basketball. We played them once and it was a lot of fun, so I imagine tomorrow will be fun again.”
