'What's next?' Riders' Armstead focused on showdown with Ottawa
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"I have a 'What's next?' mentality," said Ryquell Armstead, who faces his former team on Saturday.
The noise level and fan support in St. Joseph’s gym felt that of any arena for NCAA’s March Madness.
Hoopla 2019 capped off Saturday night in Saskatoon with the 5A boys and girls provincial basketball championship games.
First, the Regina LeBoldus senior girls basketball team won back to back provincial titles with a 56-49 victory over Saskatoon’s Centennial Chargers.
Golden Suns head coach Garrett Kot said this win concludes a perfect season.
“We didn’t lose one game this year,” he said. “Very very special for the girls. It was a pretty tough feat. Hopefully they can look back on it ten or twenty years from now.”
LeBoldus Golden Suns senior girls basketball team celebrate their provincial championship win in Saskatoon on March 23rd, 2019. (Davis Remenda/650 CKOM)
There was strong fan support for both LeBoldus and Centennial, with chants and cheers going back and forth.
The Chargers had difficulty making shots against the Golden Suns’ pressure defense, only mounting sixteen points in the first half.
Centennial would go on a run in the third quarter to cut the twelve point halftime deficit to eight.
However, the Golden Suns would make clutch free throws in the fourth quarter to hold onto their lead and the championship.
Centennial head coach Trevor Mirtle says the veteran experience of LeBoldus made a big impact.
“The difference in the game was their confidence level and aggressiveness,” he said. “We’re a young team. Some of our girls played on their heels against a team that comes after you.”
Despite the loss, Mirtle said this season was special.
“It was the first time in school history we won the league and city championship,” he said. “That’s something that will always hang up in our school. Nobody can take that from them.”
Holy Cross prevent LeBoldus sweep
The prime time game of the evening featured an old rivalry with the Holy Cross Crusaders defeating the LeBoldus Golden Suns 76-57 to win their first provincial championship in nine years.
Crusaders head coach Brett Hardy says his team took care of the little details.
“It’s about your will to compete,” he said. “We minimized our turnovers, worked to the ball and hustled hard defensively. Good things happen for us when we do that.”
The energy from Holy Cross’ bench and fans was electric throughout the whole game.
It all started with an early Crusader lead thanks in large part to creating turnovers and scoring on the fast break.
LeBoldus would try and close the gap with a run in the second quarter, going into the break only down by nine.
Holy Cross Crusaders senior boys basketball team celebrate their provincial championship win in Saskatoon on March 23rd, 2019. (Davis Remenda/ 650 CKOM)
But Holy Cross’ timely three point shooting and ability to get to the rim to score points would be enough to hold onto their lead and claim the championship.
Hardy’s father Dave is an assistant coach with him at Holy Cross and he said the victory meant even more with his dad by his side.
“It was really special for me to win one together,” he said. “It’s something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”
Golden Suns head coach Wade Bartlett said the Crusaders ability to drive the ball to the basket was the ultimate difference.
“They have dynamite athletes that can all put the ball on the deck and go get it,” he said. “We need to shoot the three, they don’t. They can get to the rim at will.”
Bartlett said he is proud of the team they became on the floor, but even prouder of the team they were off of it.
“As far as kids and young men, they were outstanding,” he said. “We go on trips and there is no misbehaving. It was such a joy to coach this group of kids.”
Holy Cross scored the latest win in this timeless catholic school rivalry as the last time these two teams faced in the provincial final was in 2015 with the Golden Suns prevailing over the Crusaders.