The St. Albert Skyhawks are shooting for their seventh-straight 3A provincial berth today in the Edmonton zone women’s basketball semifinals.
Game time against the Beaumont Bandits is 4:45 p.m. at the SkyDome.
The Skyhawks are 27-12 overall. Beaumont was 6-7 in the metro Edmonton city conference.
If victorious, the defending provincial champions would host the Louis St. Laurent Barons or visit the Edmonton Christian Lions on Thursday afternoon to determine the zone champion and wildcard entry at provincials next week at Chestermere.
The Skyhawks have won the Edmonton zone final the last four years.
They are coming off a 104-30 rout of the Holy Trinity Trojans in Monday’s zone quarter-final at the SkyDome.
Last year’s metro premier champions took their frustrations out on the Trojans, the 10th place team in the city conference, after losing the league semifinal to the rival Paul Kane Blues 75-67 last week at the SkyDome.
In the latest 3A rankings, the Skyhawks slipped from their season-long number-one position to second place. McCoy of Medicine Hat jumped up from second to first on the strength of its 78-69 victory over the Skyhawks in the final of the 3A-calibre Wetaskiwin tournament on Feb. 26.
The undefeated city conference champions Barons are ranked fourth and the Edmonton public league Lions are sixth. Beaumont is an honourable mention.
In zone action Monday, the Barons downed the Ardrossan Bisons 58-55. The Lions had the bye in the seven-team draw.
Meanwhile, in the city conference final Saturday, the Barons erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit against the 2010 champion Sturgeon Spirits, en route to a 47-44 decision at O’Leary High School. The Barons regained the lead at 41-40 with 4:22 remaining in the game.
At halftime it was 28-26 for the Spirits. They were led by Sara Haring’s 16 points and Tiana Campbell’s 15. Sturgeon finished 11-4. The Barons were 15-0.
Two new champions will be crowned at the SAPEC junior high basketball A-side finals Friday night at the SkyDome.
The Lorne Akins Gators and Vincent J. Maloney Marauders will battle for bragging rights. The girls play at 6 p.m. and the boys hit the court at 7:30 p.m.
Both Lorne Akins teams are undefeated in league play. The VJM teams go into the finals with one loss apiece and both were against the Gators: 39-36 by the girls and 70-48 by the boys in week two in the SAPEC schedule.
In semifinal action last week, the VJM girls defeated the Sir George Simpson Voyageurs 39-36 and the VJM boys knocked off the 2010 champion William D. Cuts Crusaders 74-59.
The Gators swept their semifinals against the Richard S. Fowler Falcons: 64-45 by the girls and 67-42 by the boys.
Meanwhile, in the B-side finals Thursday at Ă©cole Secondaire Marguerite d’Youville, the ESSMY Leopards play the Morinville Wolves at 4 p.m. The Wolves won the last two city championships. The boys’ final between Simpson and Morinville tips-off at 5:30 p.m.
This is the first year SAPEC has gone with an A and B playoff bracket.
