Basketball playoffs underway

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Westwind Weekly

Garrett Simmons
Westwind Weekly News

The Southern Alberta High School Basketball League regular seasons have come to an end, and a number of local teams finished near the top of the standings.

In the league senior-varsity loop, the Raymond Comets ended the season with a 10-4 record, good enough for second behind the 13-1 Cardston Cougars. The Magrath Zeniths finished the campaign with an 8-6 record.

Raymond ended the season with a 108-82 win last Tuesday over Catholic Central, a 129-128 loss on Friday to LCI and a 74-48 win over Chinook on Saturday. Boomer Heggie led the way with 22 points against CCH, as Brock Dewsbery added 20. Spencer Roberts (18), Aaron Fromm (15), Chase Bohne (12) and Jeremy Fairbanks (11) rounded out the balanced attack.

In the loss to LCI, Dewsbery hit for 42 points, while Heggie (29), Bohne (25) and Roberts (17) nearly helped the Comets pull out the win in Lethbridge. Against Chinook, Bohne led the way with 18, followed by Heggie and Dewsbery, who scored 13 points each, and Tyler Baker, who added 12.

The Zeniths finished off the final week of the season with an 81-75 win last Tuesday over LCI, an 80-75 win over Medicine Hat on Friday and a 94-86 loss to Cardston on Saturday.

Sam Payne led Magrath with 24 points against LCI, followed by Taylor Cook with 21, Mason Stock with 13 and Parker Clifton with 10. Cook led Magrath with 29 in the win over Medicine Hat, as Brady Tollestrup (15), Paycen Blackmore (14) and Stock (13) also chipped in. Saturday’s loss to Cardston featured a 19-point performance by Tollestrup, as Blackmore (17), Cook (16), Stock (15) and Payne (14) paced a balanced Zeniths attack.

The 4A zones began Wednesday at the University of Lethbridge, as Raymond was slated to face WCHS in the 7 p.m. game, while Magrath and CCH were set to do battle at that same time. Results were unavailable at press time. A Raymond win would send the Comets to the Thursday game at 9 p.m., against the LCI-Medicine Hat winner. A Magrath win would send the Zeniths to the 7 p.m. game on Thursday against the winner of Chinook-Cardston.

On the girls side of the ledger, Raymond finished with an 8-3 record, while Magrath’s season ended with a 4-8 mark.

Raymond capped off the regular season with an 83-79 win over Cardston on Saturday, as Dez Jensen led the way with 25 points. Lyvia Jensen and Gracie Heggie poured in 12 points each.

Magrath earned a 67-55 win over Chinook last Wednesday, thanks to a 20-point game from Jenna Taylor. Megan McMahon added 13, while Lauren Payne and Bethany Dow added 12 each.

On Saturday, Magrath emerged with a 69-37 win over Winston Churchill, as Dow caught fire for 26 points. Madi Miller and Jianna Hubbard added 11 each.

In 4A zones, Raymond will receive a first-round bye, and will await the winner of Chinook-Cardston. Raymond will take on the winner Thursday at 3 p.m. at the U of L.

In 3A zones, the Pandas will take on WCHS Thursday at 7 p.m. at Crescent Heights High School in Medicine Hat. A win in that game will move Magrath into the Friday game at 2 p.m. against Monsignor McCoy High School, a game McCoy will host.