NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA LAKERS
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The U14 Orillia Lakers 1 team played four hard-fought battles in Ontario Basketball League (OBL) provincials recently in Niagara Falls.
The girls started off by playing two teams that they had previously lost to in sanctioned OBL games, but bested both teams at provincials, securing a spot in a medal game. In the third game, the girls were short-handed and fell short against Nepean. This loss sent the Lakers to the bronze-medal game the next day.
When it came to the medal game, they battled hard against Orangeville in an action-packed, close game that was very tight the whole way through, which eventually led to a four-minute overtime. The girls pulled ahead with a few great plays, including a full-court transition to foul shots, and a cross-court pass that resulted in another point from a foul shot. The girls never gave up, and played with heart the whole game through. With great intuition and teamwork, the girls finished the game with a final score of 30-26, bringing home a medal and memories to last a lifetime. Overall, the girls hustled hard, played well and dug deep to earn the bronze, finishing off the season with a great win.
From a player’s perspective:
“As a player, the experience of provincials is always exciting, but this one probably was one of my favourites. The entire season, I have had so much fun with the wonderful group of girls that I have had the privilege to be on a team with, and I think that this year’s provincials were a great way to end such a great season. You could tell that each of us had a will to win, and we all worked as a team to get our wins.
“I, along with all my teammates, were very nervous, but also excited to begin the game. As the game progressed, our nervousness had gone away, and we were all determined to get that win. One thing that I think really helped us in provincials was having our team cheer for one another on the bench, and raise the team spirit in the gym. That sense of having people hyping you up and cheering you on boosts your playing ability.
“One of the main reasons that we were successful that weekend was because we all brought something to the table to help the team, and we all worked together. Nothing feels better than winning as a team. As sometimes stressful games can be, especially overtime games, they are also very exciting, and this weekend, as a team, we collectively played the best basketball together all season.”
Team members include Avery Bell, Ava Wara, Charlotte Fear, Jaida Keetch, Hailey Devine, Sophie Gough, Bridget Goard, Lily Nanckievill, Chloe Weiler, Morgan Parnell, and coaches Jamie Bell and Steve Castellani.
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