The senior boys Predators basketball team overcame a short bench to notch an im pressive third-place finish at their home tournament last weekend.
Teams from around the zone convened at Edwin Parr Composite for the tournament on Saturday and Sunday. EPC won two of their three games on the way to a bronze medal finish that made coach Mark Francis proud.
Their first game on Friday was against Slave Lake, and EPC won it handily.
ìThey were a little overmatched. They worked hard, but by the end of the first quarter we were in control, and we were able to stretch the bench,î noted Francis. The ability to bring players off the bench and give their key contributors a rest is crucial for the Predators, and it served them well later in the tournament.
ìEvery single player on the bench scored, which was really good to see.î
Their second game of the tournament was played Saturday morning against Westlock. The home team kept the game close for three quarters before being outpaced and losing by 20 points.
ìWe were never out of the game, (but) in the fourth quarter we just ran out of gas,î explained the coach. ìTheyíre a team that lives and dies on the fast break. You have to commit to running with them the whole time.î
Westlock made the wise decision to shadow EPCís leading scorer Braden Anderson very closely, limiting him to 16 points. Francis knows they will have to find an answer for that kind of defense in order to be successful.
The team was missing some key contributors, including the recently injured Michael Pieroway, so their competitiveness in spite of that was a good sign.
ìEven with a depleted lineup and a short bench, we still hung with them. That gives me hope that come seasonís end at zones, with the perfect storm, we could beat them.î
Their final game of the weekend was against J.H. Picard from Edmonton. A high ranked 2A school, they had proven their ability to compete with teams from the bigger zones, and they provided a challenge for the Predators. But ultimately the home team was victorious 62-47. Knowing they were a big shooting team, EPCís strategy was to make them take time on all of their shots, resulting in a lot of unproductive time with the ball.
ìWe forced them to the outside, and they had to shoot over us. We managed to lock it down and manage the clock.î
In the final game, Anderson once again dominated the opposition, scoring 37 points in a standout effort.
ìLots of players donít score (37 points) in a season,î marveled the coach. ìHe put up a performance you donít see often. It was absolutely incredible.î
But it was a total team effort that allowed the Predators to finish third at their tournament.
ìLots of guys are continuing to step up their game.î
This weekend the team is in Morinville for another tournament.
