Strong effort from Magrath at Provincials

Garrett Simmons
Westwind Weekly News

It was an amazing run for the Magrath Zeniths.

After a win in the championship game at the 4A South Zone final, Magrath ran out of gas in the second round of the ASAA 4A Basketball Provincial Championships, in an 81-72 loss to Bishop McNally. Parker Clifton scored 20 in the loss, while Paycen Blackmore and Sam Payne added 11 each. Josh Jensen chipped in with 10.

The Zeniths then went on to defeat Medicine Hat High School 86-68, as Blackmore paced the attack with 26 and Taylor Cook added 23.

That moved Magrath to the fifth-place game, as the Zeniths fell 80-72 to Harry Ainlay, as Cook led the way with 16, while Payne added 13. Blackmore scored 11, as Parker Clifton and Brady Tollestrup had 10 each.

Magrath won the tournament-opening game 65-54 over Foothills, led by Cook’s 20-point effort. Clifton added 11 and Tollestrup scored 10.

The 4A tournament started on a sour note for the Raymond Comets, as the team lost in the first round in a high-scoring affair, as Calgary’s Sir Winston Churchill stole a 108-92 victory. Chase Bohne had a monster game for Raymond with 42 points, which included 10 three pointers, while Boomer Heggie added 28. Brock Dewsberry added 11.

Raymond earned a 98-78 win over Lacombe on Friday, before the team’s tournament came to an end with a 110-102 loss to Bishop O Byrne.

On the girls side of the 4A tournament, Raymond started strong with a 67-59 win over Spruce Grove Composite, as Lyvia Jensen scored 17 and Kansas Long added 14.

That was followed up with a 99-74 loss to Western Canada, the eventual tournament silver medalists, as Western Canada turned a close game, which was tied at 29 early in the second quarter, into a 25-point win.

Raymond followed that up with a much-better effort against Medicine Hat, which resulted in a tight 79-74 loss.

In 3A action in Medicine Hat. Magrath cruised to wins in the team’s first two games, which started with a 68-21 win over Peace Wapiti. Jenna Taylor, Jianna Hubbard and Ady Strong all scored 11 in the win.

A 60-35 win over Edmonton Christian followed on Friday, as Taylor, along with Bethany Dow, scored 15 each, while Ellie Wilde added 10.

Magrath’s championship hopes ended in a 61-45 loss to W.R. Myers, despite a 19-point outing from Lauren Payne. Dow added 13.

That pushed Magrath to Saturday’s bronze-medal game, where the Pandas were edged 65-63 by Wetaskiwin Composite. Payne scored 26 in a losing effort, while Dow added 20.

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