If past performance is any indication expect some playoff fireworks this week.
The Foothills Athletic Council senior girls basketball playoffs kick off on March 4 with the Holy Trinity Academy Knights and Oilfields Drillers hosting semifinals as the top-two teams in a wildly competitive group of four.
The Drillers (4-2) are home to the three-seed Strathmore Spartans (3-3) while the Knights (5-1) host the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans (0-6). Both games are 5:30 p.m. starts.
“We’re excited for the game, they’re ranked 8th in the province for 3A and they’re a good team,” said Drillers head coach James Holladay. “We match up well with them. They’ve taken one, we’ve taken one both on home-court so we’re hoping home-court advantage helps.”
HTA closed out league play by outlasting Strathmore 64-58 on Feb. 26 on the heels of a couple tournament victories.
“The girls were lucky to get by Strathmore,” said Knights head coach Scott Royce. “We were missing two of our posts, Sawyer Harding and Sarah Anderson. Further to these missing players we also got into foul trouble in the fourth quarter with both Kylie Tiedje and Brooklyn Bonertz riding the bench during the crucial final minutes.
“These girls are both exceptionally good basketball players and with Strathmore putting on an effective ¾ press in the final quarter, we really missed their presence on the floor.
“The girls nonetheless managed to hang on to their lead and beat Strathmore.”
Following the league playoffs, the Knights are hosting the 4A South Central Zones for boys and girls, March 10-14.
The Drillers wrapped up their FAC action by outlasting STS by a 77-39 count on Feb. 24. But their biggest results of late have been in tournament play, highlighted by a 21-point victory over the top-ranked 2A team, the West Island College Wolves, in late February.
The provincial rankings have since been updated with the Drillers leaping over the Wolves as the No. 2 ranked squad behind only Pigeon Lake.
“I just think our girls are peaking at the right time,” Holladay added. “The way we played last weekend against West Island College, to take down the No. 1 team.
“It’s a good time to be going into playoffs.”
Following league playoffs, Oilfields will host both the 2A girls South Central Zone Championship, March 13-14, and the 2A girls ASAA Championships from March 19-22.
“The girls are really excited, it’s in our home community,” Holladay said. “They’re excited to play in front of their home crowd and get some excitement in Black Diamond and Turner Valley and area, to build up that and have people come out and cheer them on.”
Defence has been and will continue to be paramount for Oilfields.
“That’s our key right now, is we’re hammering the defence at practice,” the coach said.
“And hammering it in play and in the games and just teaching the girls the importance of it’s not about who scores the most, it’s about stopping the other team.
“They’re seeing the success. We would not have beaten West Island College if our defence wasn’t where it was at.
“That’s what we’re selling as we go into playoffs and zones and provincials. Defence wins championships, that’s what we’re pushing and the girls are buying in.”
