Starting today at 10 a.m., single draw tickets go on sale for the 2011 World Financial Group Continental Cup, Jan. 13 to 16 at Servus Credit Union Place.
Fans can purchase individual tickets for any one of the 11 draws featuring the best curlers in the world. Tickets are $30 for draws Thursday (Jan. 13) and Friday (Jan. 14) and $35 for draws Saturday (Jan. 15) and Sunday (Jan. 16). They are available by calling Ticketmaster at 780-451-8000 or online at seasonofchampions.ca. All prices include service charges and GST.
Every draw pass includes complimentary admission to Keith’s Patch, the social centre of the Continental Cup located in Troy Murray Arena. Featured performances include The Classics (Jan. 12), Hey Romeo (Jan. 13), Karac Hendriks and The Chevelles (Jan. 14) and Tera Lee and Souled Out (Jan. 15).
The Continental Cup is a unique challenge format as Team North America battles Team World in four different disciplines. Six teams per side — three men’s, led by Kevin Martin’s Olympic gold-medal winning rink of John Morris, St. Albert product Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert — and three women’s, square off in team games, mixed doubles, singles and skins competitions. Points are awarded for the outcome of each match with a total of 400 at stake over the four days, with varying amounts applied to each discipline. The first team to reach 201 takes the title.
TSN will also provide live coverage of the Continental Cup as part of the Canadian Curling Association’s Season of Champions.
The event website is www.curling.ca/championships/continentalcup/
The Paul Kane Blues knocked off the Mount Baker Mountaineers of Cranbrook 69-67 in Saturday’s bronze-medal game at the 18th annual Totem Hoop Classic at Ross Sheppard High School.
Connor Bradley sank a team-high 26 points and Hyrum Sutton added 10 for the varsity men’s basketball team.
In the tournament opener, Bradley tacked up 22 points and Tyler Wise pitched in with 14 as the Blues downed the Foothills Falcons of Okotoks 94-87.
Bradley also led the way offensively in the 78-68 semifinal loss to the Harry Ainlay Titans with 15 points. Jayden Bordian tattooed 11 points coming off the bench and Wise tossed in 10. The Titans went on to beat Ross Sheppard 71-66 in the final.
The next tournament for the Blues is the Surf and Slam San Diego Hoop Classic starting on Boxing Day.
In the metro Edmonton premier conference, the Blues improved to 3-0 in Monday’s 76-62 win over the Oscar Romero Ravens (0-2) in Edmonton.
The last game for the Blues before the holidays is tonight at 6:15 p.m., when they visit the St. Francis Xavier Rams (2-0), the 2010 premier champions and 4A provincial bronze medallists.
The Blues are 5-1 overall this season.
The injury-plagued St. Albert Skyhawks settled for fourth place at the 29th annual Jasper Place REB tournament.
In Saturday’s third-place playoff, the 3A provincial gold medallists and metro Edmonton premier champions lost 55-47 to the Harry Ainlay Titans. The Skyhawks finished the game with eight players, including four Grade 10s, after third-year standout Shelby Hucul suffered an undisclosed injury. The Skyhawks still played tough defence, but struggled to score. They also didn’t run or press as much as they normally do.
The Skyhawks tipped off the tournament with a 78-61 win over Riffel of Regina, as Grade 11 shooting star Kendall Lydon drained 22 points.
In the semifinal against the host Jasper Place Rebels, Lydon suffered a severe high ankle sprain early in the 58-37 loss.
The Skyhawks were also minus Grade 11 post Katie Burak, who is out until mid-January with knee problems.
In the final the O’Leary Spartans prevailed 77-74 against the Rebels. The previous weekend at the 13th annual Mike Dea Classic, the Spartans dumped the Skyhawks 52-41 in the final.
Meanwhile, in league play Monday the Skyhawks cruised to a convincing 101-39 triumph over the Oscar Romero Ravens (0-3) in Edmonton despite three starters not in the line-up. Five players scored double figures, led by Haley England’s 17 and 15 apiece for Stephanie Gartner and Amber Easthope. Hayley Warmington and Zoe Downing had 14 each.
Today at 4:45 p.m. the Skyhawks (3-0) play the Rams (1-2) at St. Francis Xavier High School.
The Skyhawks’ overall record is 6-3. They lost only five games last season.
