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Wellington takes tournament, Cedar wins opener

The Wellington senior AA girls won a Courtenay tournament on the weekend; Cedar's senior A girls started league play with a win.
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Cedar Spartans player Hailey Bradley

The Wellington Wildcats ran away with it in their tournament final on the weekend.

Welly’s senior AA girls’ basketball team won the G.P. Vanier Towhees’ tournament Saturday in Courtenay, defeating the hosts 68-29.

Wildcats coach Nicole McRae said she has a sizable roster this year allowing her players to run the court, sub off and stay fresh.

“They seem to slowly be figuring out each other’s roles and it doesn’t really matter what five girls we have on the floor right now, they all work together very well,” she said.

Transfer player Sara Simovic was Wellington’s top scorer was selected tournament MVP. Julie Zhao, chosen a tournament all-star, and Vicky Brown were defensive standouts.

Wellington’s semifinal game was the more memorable matchup of the tourney, as the ’Cats defeated the Woodlands Eagles 57-51 Saturday morning. Simovic’s 12 points led all scorers and Ksenia Malenica and T.J. Andjelkovic had 11 each for the Eagles.

Woodlands ended up going 2-2 at the tourney to build on Thursday’s strong season-opening 63-44 win over Ballenas. Malenica scored 18 in that home game.

Senior boys’ teams were also busy with tournament action on the weekend.

Posting the best results were Cedar’s senior AA boys, who reached the final of the Mark Isfeld Invitational tournament in Courtenay. The Spartans lost that Saturday night game 57-54 to the host Isfeld Ice, after starting the tourney with a 77-42 win against the Carihi Tyees and continuing with an 82-76 win against the Highland Raiders on Saturday morning.

Down at the Welcome Back Tournament in Duncan, both the Dover Bay Dolphins and Wellington Wildcats had to settle for battling through the consolation round.

The Dolphins senior AAA boys were able to finish the tourney with consecutive wins, defeating the Kwalikum Kondors by 11 points and then beating the Ballenas Whalers by 21 points. Jon Bethell was Dover’s top scorer in both those games.

On Monday the Cedar Spartans senior A girls started their regular season with a 46-40 victory over Duncan Christian at the Cedar Community Secondary School gym. It was the team's very first game action of the fall.

"We were a little bit shaky…" said Launa Gannon, the team's co-coach. "The girls were a little unsure of where they were to be and where they were to go but we played OK."

Megan Cawthorne scored 21 points to lead the Spartans and Jordan Stotts added 11.

GAME ON … Tonight (Dec. 13) John Barsby Community Secondary School’s teams host a doubleheader with the Barsby Blazers senior AA girls taking on the Isfeld Ice at 5 p.m. followed by an all-Nanaimo senior AA boys’ matchup pitting the Blazers against the Spartans at 6:30 p.m. Another all-Nanaimo senior boys matchup takes place at Woodlands Secondary School at 6 p.m. where the Wellington Wildcats visit the Woodlands Eagles.

sports@nanaimobulletin.com