After losing a game and having to come from behind the pack, Rimbey’s junior A girls were able to finish third in a recent tournament.
The Rimbey Spartans lost their second game of the tournament to Bluffton, and then lost again to the same team in the semifinals.
“The girls played awesome. They did an awesome job, it was a spectacular sight,” said team manager Karen Skeels.
Over the course of the two-day tournament, Rimbey played five games, some of them back to back. The rigorous pace was a factor in their second loss against Bluffton. “It was good, they played a lot of basketball in two days,” said Skeels.
“We can compete with Bluffton … When you’re competing with Bluffton you want all your ducks in a row, you want to be fresh,” she added.
Another factor in the team’s third-place finish was the young age of many of their players. “Bluffton and Bentley (who finish second) are strong. They have a fair number of Grade 9 (players),” said coach Dean Cameron.
Rimbey has only four Grade 9 players and the rest are in Grade 8. “We have a young team,” said Cameron.
However, he feels the girls were able to keep up with the stronger teams and each Spartans player had her own strong moment on the court, which was a highlight for him. “They played three games in six hours and they were still competitive; it was pretty good.”
The girls won their three other games, including one against the Blackfalds Storm, which they won 44-20.
Cameron says the girls are busy preparing for a tournament in Pigeon Lake at the end of February, as well as provincials.