DeltateamsamongbestinB.C.

Seaquam ranked 8th in the province playing mostly Grade 9s & 10s

MARK BOOTH

mbooth@delta-optimist com

Arguably the best junior girls basketball team in the province was on the floor at Seaquam Secondary They just happened to be more than holding their own at the senior ranks.

Led by Grade 9 standouts

Callie Brost and Syra Toor combining for 33 points, the host Seahawks rolled to a 65-44 win over cross-town rival South

Delta Sun Devils in a late season battle of the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in the province respectively at the AAAA level

This is a special era for girls basketball in Delta with two teams in the provincial rankings for the first time in recent memory

“It’s just nice to have that energy and excitement around our team as well as South Delta,” said Seaquam head coach Lucky Toor. “They’re a great team over there and (Sun Devils head coach) Sharon (Butler) and I talked about it last week that we ’ re collectively getting girls basketball in Delta on the map, which is terrific If we ’ re not playing each against each other, we ’ re actually cheering each other on. ”

The teams are poised to meet again in the upcoming South Fraser Zone final and the Sun Devils should be heading to their second straight provincial tournament However, it’s the Seahawks that seem to have all the ingredients for winning the city’s first-ever senior girls B C crown over the next two to three years

Last February, Toor guided the Sunshine Hills school to its first provincial basketball title of any kind at the B C Junior Girls Championships with a win over South Kamloops in the title game at the Langley Events Centre Instead of taking a run at a repeat, the decision was made to age up six junior players with most of them now getting premium minutes with the senior team

“That was a tough one because it does take that moment (of repeating) away from them,” said Toor, who has coached many of his players at the club level with the Surreybased AthElite Basketball Academy But I feel last year, with a really young squad, we already accomplished that goal and maybe accomplishing it again wouldn’t have been the same feel

“It was more about personal development. I just thought it was better for player development for sure ”

Toor has watched his young talent evolve as the season has unfolded. It was evident in the Seahawks’ largest margin of victory over South Delta in four games this season.

Delta Secondary hosting “Super Saturday” & annual rivalry games

It’s a big week ahead for hoops at Delta Secondary School

The Delta Basketball League will culminate city play with “Super Saturday” on Feb. 11 at the Ladner high school.

There will be five city championships on the line, starting with the Grade 8 Boys game at 10 a.m. The rest of the finals schedule includes: 11:45 a.m. Grade 8 Girls; 1:30 p.m. Grade 9 Boys, 3:15 p.m. Junior Girls and 5 p m Junior Boys

The finalists and other top four finishers will all advance to the South Fraser regional playoffs that includes Surrey and Richmond schools

The DSS west gym will also be hosting the annual rivalry games between the Delta Pacers and South Delta Sun Devils senior teams next Wednesday (Feb. 15).

The Brasnett/Lawrence Cup girls game will tips-off at 6 p m The Stebbings/Murray Cup boys tilt follows at 7:30 p.m. and will have added significance for the first time in recent memory

Both teams now play at the 3A tier and are currently battling for second place in the Sur-Del League.