Local basketball teams gearing up for provincial tournament action

Posted on March 20, 2026 by admin

Garrett Simmons
Westwind Weekly News

It has been a memorable year for the Magrath Zeniths senior varsity high school basketball program.

Saturday night at the University of Lethbridge, Magrath claimed the 5A zone championship with an 85-63 victory over Medicine Hat.

The win capped a southern Alberta season that featured an 11-1 record in the Prairie Sky Conference, for first overall, in a season where the Zeniths averaged 96 points per game in the regular season. The team’s plus-24 point differential per game easily led the league.

That regular-season dominance led to a No. 1 seed in zones, where Magrath faced No. 5 Raymond in the tournament opener for the Zeniths.

Magrath took that contest by a score of 88-74.

Raymond did win its tournament opener, 105-98 against Cardston, to set up the game against Magrath, but the loss against the Zeniths pushed the Comets into the consolation final against Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. With the third provincial berth on the line, the Rams emerged with an 89-74 win.

Now, Magrath prepares for the 2026 5A Provincial Basketball Championships in Edmonton, where the No. 2 ranked Zeniths will play tonight at 8 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday’s game that features Foothills Composite and O’Leary.

On the girls side, Raymond won the 5A title with an 85-63 win over Magrath in the final. Raymond, the No. 1 seed, beat LCI in the first round to qualify for the final, while No. 2 Magrath upended Cardston 73-57 in the semifinal.

Raymond’s provincial quest in Edmonton will begin today at 4 p.m., when the No. 1 ranked Comets take on the winner of Wednesday’s game that features LCI and Ross Sheppard.

Magrath comes in at No. 4, and will also play today, a little later to 6 p.m., against the winner of Wednesday’s game that sees Centennial battle Strathcona.

In 1A girls provincials, Stirling will travel to Foremost, where the No. 2 ranked Lakers will play today at 5:30 p.m. against the winner of Gledon against Gobind Sarvar.

The 2A boys tournament, hosted in Peace River, will feature No. 2 Stirling. The Lakers play today at 7 p.m. against the winner of today’s 10 a.m. game that will see St. Augustine take on Webber Academy.