It took three attempts, but the Barrhead Composite High School Gryphons finally won gold at a prestigious basketball tournament hosted by St. Augustine School in Ponoka.
On the Family Day long weekend, BCHS captured the gold medal going undefeated after being unsuccessful in their other two attempts.
In 2017, the Gryphons came third losing in the semi-final and last year they placed second, losing narrowly in the championship game.
In their first game, Barrhead defeated Christ the King Junior/Senior High School in convincing fashion, steamrolling the Leduc team 102-26.
Head coach Leahan Schaffrick said the girls started off strong and never looked back.
Top scorers were Maci Reschke with 23 points and Kanses Whitten with 18 points. Catarina Deschamps lead the team in defensive rebounds while Kanses Whitten and Deschamps lead the team in offensive rebounds.
The Gryphons second game against Vegreville’s St. Mary’s School was a much closer affair. After the first quarter, the teams were tied 13-all.
At halftime, Barrhead trailed Vegreville by one point, 26-25.
“The girls really came alive in the second half and we ended up taking the game 59-48,” she said.
Reschke was the team’s top point-getter with 23 points. Jocelyn Fisher was the team’s defensive rebound leader while Anna Johnston, Reschke, Whitten and Hannah Tuininga shared the top spot for offensive rebounds.
In their final game, Barrhead defeated Rocky Mountain House 49 - 24.
Top scorers were Reschke, Whitten and Tuininga with 14, 12, and eight points respectively. Whitten and Charrissa Verheul led the team in defensive rebounds, while Whitten led the team in offensive rebounds.
This past weekend, the girls played in a tournament in Athabasca. As of press time, the results were not known.
