Tec Voc girls three-peat as Tier 2 champs

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This article was published 12/03/2018 (2795 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Natural talent and perseverance have once again helped the Tec Voc Hornets varsity girls basketball team win the Winnipeg School Division’s Tier 2 championship.

The Hornets beat Shaftesbury 67-49 on Feb. 28 in the division final at Churchill High School.

The Hornets have won the league banner for three straight years but this season began in uncertainty, with some unexpected results in early games.

“It didn’t affect them when they did do bad,” coach Leanne Turner said. “They didn’t let it get them down, it just motivated them to be better, like OK, they’re not the best team this year… but it was neat to see them persevere like ‘We’re not the best but whatever — we can be the best.’

“They didn’t crash, they kept it together, worked harder.”

Turner said the Hornets’ season started with a 35-point loss to Kelvin but, when the two teams met again at the St. Mary’s Academy tournament, the Hornets won by 12. Kelvin had been undefeated up to that game, but the girls “pulled through,” Turner said.

She said the Hornets put a young team, on the floor this year, with only two Grade 12 starters and one Grade 11.

“They don’t have a lot of background in basketball, none of them are club players —maybe one — but no one from the provincial team. I’ve never recruited them, they just came to Tec Voc and that was that.”

Turner’s strategy is to sign the team up for a minimum of five tournaments each season and making sure they get a lot of time on the court.

“They have heart, passion and coachability,” Turner said. “They’re a short team, and they’re fast… it’s a shooting team.

“Their overall strengths, I’d have to say, is the inside game, and also the shooting, and patience. I have an outstanding guard, Maria Pascual, she is my star. She’s a real leader, she’s so smart and patient. She’s a playmaker, she’s my key component.”

Pascual has been playing with the team since Grade 9 and was one of the two Grade 12 players on this year’s squad.

“It was a pretty tough start,” she said of the season. “It was hard, but at the end we came through. We all got along and had good chemistry.

“We motivated each other to play to get the championship, because we wanted a three-peat and it was our last year… so we wanted to get a win and have a good memory.”

As her coach will attest, Pascual stepped into her role as leader naturally.

“They needed someone to guide them and help them out,” Pascual said. “I was just there to be a team leader.”