Massey JV girls win division

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This article was published 25/03/2022 (1528 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite a rocky start to the season, the Vincent Massey Trojans junior varsity girls basketball team took home the Winnipeg Tier 1 championship earlier this month.

The Trojans seized the title with a 71-56 victory against the Westwood Warriors.

“We didn’t start off the best, but we made our way there by practising five times a week, pushing through workouts and working together as a team to win,” Grade 10 student and forward Keara Howden said.

While Howden and teammate Paige Schatkowsky played club basketball when school-based sports were postponed, Grade 10 student and guard Joumana Gouda hadn’t played since Grade 8.

“I felt like I lost my attachment to basketball. I felt like it wasn’t my sport, but I had a lot of friends tell me I should still try out,” Gouda said. “I was worried in the beginning because I didn’t know what basketball in high school would be like. It was scary because I’ve never had an actual tryout. I was surprised when I was told I made it.”

Trojans head coach Adam Khan said he had “no idea what to expect” upon returning to the court after a hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite settling into a new team, there were “enormous improvements across the board.”

“They made the most of it. They were happy to play and, as they got a taste of it, they wanted more and wanted to improve, work hard and do it for each other,” Khan added.

Khan said focus and not worrying too much about their competitor is what propelled the Trojans to victory.

“There was also this emphasis on our own learning and improvement, including individually and as a team,” he added.

Despite the constant adjustments and time off the court, the girls persevered and landed a spot in the March 15 provincial championship game, but ultimately lost to Garden City Collegiate 60-44.