Third Round, Game 18
Britannia 80        York House 58

In a very exciting Senior Girls Division Finals, the Britannia Bruins overtook the York House Tigers with a final score of 80-58.  Number 15 for the Tigers had a standout second quarter, giving York House some much needed momentum. However, Britannia’s Ashley dela Cruz Yip was too much both offensively and defensively, proving that she was correctly named the Telus VGBA Classic Most Valuable Player.

-Virginia Watson (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Jilliane Vina (Britannia): 24 points
#13 (York House): 14 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Ashley dela Cruz Yip (Britannia)
#15 (York House)

3-POINT CONTEST

Marinel Santiago (Churchill, Grade 12) with 7 treys in 2nd Overtime.

JUNIOR GIRLS FINALS

Third Round, Game 17
Britannia 44        York House 39

Britannia Bruins started with a strong first quarter with York House close behind. Both teams played great defence with York House making a run into the half. A score of 30-30 at the end of the third reflected the pace and intensity of the game. Britannia managed to pull away with defensive stops and crucial free throws to win the 2013 Telus VGBA Classic in the Junior Division.

-Juliane Chien (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Jeanne d’Arc Le (Britannia): 14 points
Joy Lin (York House): 19 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Julian Duong (Britannia)
Joy Lin (York House)

SENIOR GIRLS CONSOLATION

Third Round, Game 15
St. Patrick’s  61        Magee  46

It was a well-matched game between the St. Patrick’s Celtics and the Magee Lions. Grade 11 St. Patrick’s guard Samantha Patko came out strong right off the start with 9 points in the first few minutes. At the half, it was 37-23 for the Celtics. It was a fast-paced game, with both teams taking it hard to the basket. The final score was 61-46 for St.Pats.

-Stephanie Shea (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Samantha Patko & Marie Meyer (St. Patrick’s): 19 points
Serena Seraphim & Amanda Hui (Magee): 14 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Samantha Patko (St. Patrick’s)
Serena Seraphim (Magee)

Third Round, Game 16
Notre Dame 69        Churchill 37

It was an intense game right from the tipoff and you could feel the energy in the gym. Notre Dame senior Vanessa Pizzolon was a force to be reckoned with throughout the game. The score was 44-13 at the half for the Jugglers. However, Churchill kept battling and had a run in the 4th, but it wasn’t enough, with a final score of 69-37 for Notre Dame.

-Stephanie Shea (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Vanessa Pizzolon (Notre Dame): 30pts
Shikha Kumar (Churchill): 9pts

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Vanessa Pizzolon (Notre Dame)
Shikha Kumar (Churchill)

Second Round, Game 10
Churchill  58        Magee  20

The Churchill Bulldogs dominated the second half to record a 58-20 victory over the host Magee Lions in pool play at the TELUS VGBA Challenge on Thursday night.

The halftime score was 28-11 in favour of Churchill, thanks to the Bulldogs’ relentless defence.  With strong play from Heather Lepard, Magee scored the first seven points of the third quarter to close the gap to 28-18. But the Lions wouldn’t get any closer as the Bulldogs closed the game on a 30-2 run to clinch the victory.

Churchill will play for third place on Friday at Langara College at 2:30 p.m. Magee will vie for fifth place in the 12:45 p.m. game at Langara on Friday.

- Wilson Wong (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Bronte Stark & Adora Kwong (Churchill): 12 points
Heather Lepard (Magee): 12 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Marinel Santiago & Adora Kwong (Churchill)
Heather Lepard (Magee)

Second Round, Game 12
Notre Dame 58        St. Patrick’s 41

St.Patrick’s started strong controlling the tempo and built a small 12-9 lead after the first quarter. The game remained very close through three quarters but foul trouble to some key St. Patrick’s players opened the door for Notre Dame. The Jugglers generated turnovers and quick baskets in the 4th quarter, taking control of the game outscoring St. Patrick’s 23-2 in the 4th.

-David Prissinotti (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Vanessa Pizzolon (Notre Dame)
Jenylyn Urmaza (St. Patrick’s)

JUNIOR GIRLS

Second Round, Game 9
Crofton House 55        St. Patrick’s 48

Strong showings from both teams tonight. The teams traded points for most of the first three quarters but Crofton House just edged out St. Patrick’s for the win in the fourth. Outstanding performance from point guards on both teams; Crofton’s Michelle Kwok and St.Patrick’s Kate Perez.

-Jamie Hartwell (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Michelle Kwok (Crofton House): 14 points
Kate Perez (St. Patrick’s): 16 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Michelle Kwok (Crofton House)
Kate Perez (St. Patrick’s

Second Round, Game 11
York House 57        Killarney 30

While turnovers plagued each of these two Junior teams, York House’s traps over centre court proved to be too much for the Killarney Cougars. Killarney was within arm’s reach in the third quarter as they made back to back steals followed by a 3 point play. In the fourth quarter, the Tigers pulled away pushing the tempo to win 57-30.

-Virginia Watson (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Brianna Tsui (York House)
Julie Panganaban (Killarney)

Second Round, Game 13
Notre Dame 50        Prince of Wales 44

Prince of Wales came out strong but couldn’t hold off a last minute push from Notre Dame losing 55-40. Strong performances from both teams with key players from Prince of Wales, Angel Lee and from Notre Dame, Jolene Robinson. Hard work and determination was shown by both teams with this game going down to wire.

-Jamie Hartwell (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Jolene Robinson (Notre Dame): 18 points
Angel Lee (Prince of Wales): 12 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Jolene Robinson (Notre Dame)
Angel Lee (Prince of Wales)

Second Round, Game 14
Britannia  61        Magee  45

The Britannia Bruins beat the Magee Lions 61-45 in the semifinals of the TELUS VGBA Classic Junior division.

Britannia opened up an early lead but Magee closed to within two points (35-33) in the third quarter. The Bruins increased their defensive presence and built their lead back up to double digits in the fourth.

With the win, Britannia advances to the championship game on Friday night at Langara College.

- Wilson Wong (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Julian Duong (Britannia): 28 points
Amanda Hui  (Magee): 17 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Jereena Oracion (Britannia)
Reizel Balmes (Magee)

SENIOR GIRLS

First Round, Game 2
Britannia  79        St. Patrick’s  36

Britannia rolled off to a quick start with a series of transition points and never looked back.  St. Patrick’s rallied back in the second half with strong inside play from post player, Katarina Oliveira. It was a balanced attack for Britannia with 3 starters in double digits.

-Mitra Tshan (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Ashley dela Cruz Yip (Britannia): 22 points
Katarina Oliveira (St. Patrick’s): 10 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Helen Wilson (Britannia)
Marie Meyer (St. Patrick’s)

First Round, Game 4
Britannia 83        Notre Dame 67

Britannia opened the game with its usual up-tempo pace but Notre Dame was able to match the Bruins for most of the first quarter. Up 12-10, Britannia went on a 13-4 run that bridged the first and second periods to open up a comfortable lead.

The Jugglers fought back to close the deficit to seven points in the third quarter but couldn’t complete the comeback.

With the victory, the Bruins advance to the championship final on Friday night at Langara College, where they’ll face the York House Tigers.

-Wilson Wong (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Helen Wilson (Britannia): 22 points
Vanessa Valdez (Notre Dame): 17 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Jilliane Vina (Britannia)
Lauren Bondi (Notre Dame)

First Round, Game 5
York House 67        Magee 21

It was the first game of the tournament for the two teams, and both were looking to come out playing hard. The York House Tigers executed their tough defense, which created a lot of fast breaks opportunities.

The first quarter ended with a close 18-8 score for the Tigers. However, they pulled ahead in the 2nd, with a final score of 67-21 for York House.

-Stephanie Shea (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Laura Worsley (York House): 24 points
Joy Wosk & Katrina Kwong (Magee): 6 points

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Laura Worsley (York House)
Katrina Kwong (Magee)

First Round, Game 8
York House  58        Churchill 24

York House, playing their 2nd game of the day, struggled to score early as both teams played tough defense. The first quarter ended in a 8-8 deadlock and it looked to be a tough defensive battle. The Tigers found their form, hitting for 21 second quarter points and built a 27-17 half time lead.

The Bulldogs struggled from the field in the 3rd quarter as the Tigers built a comfortable lead they never relinquished.

-David Prissinotti (Game Director)

LEADING SCORERS
Laura Worsley (York House): 16 points
Jasmine Bhangoo (Churchill): 6 points

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Gina O’Niell (York House)

Most Valuable Player
Alisha Roberts   (York House)

Best Defensive Player
Jennifer Carpio  (Britannia)

Tournament All-Stars
Clare Bahena  (Killarney)
Laura Baker  (York House)
Jolissa Crossley  (Britannia)
Francis Kaye-Penafiel  (St. Patrick’s)
Karen Li  (Britannia)
Sarah McBain  (Kitsilano)
Bronte Stark  (Churchill)
Andrea Strujic  (Kitsilano)
Natalie Wallace  (York House)
Melissa Wells  (Crofton House)

3-Point Winners
11 treys – Amanda Young  (Britannia)
10 treys – Joanne Tung  (Crofton House)
9 treys – Karen Li  (Britannia)

SCHOLARSHIPS

Since the tournament’s inception in 2008, the VGBA has been committed to recognizing individual student athletes playing in the Vancouver Girls’ Basketball Challenge who are true citizens of our community. A number of scholarship are being awarded every year from TELUS to graduating student-athletes who are active leaders in school and community programs, and who have shown proof of academic and athletic accomplishments, and post-secondary aspirations.

TELUS scholarships may be used at any recognized post-secondary institution. And through a collaboration between VGBA and Langara College, there will be additional scholarship opportunities for participants in the tournament who choose to attend Langara.  Here are the scholarship winners this year:

TELUS Challenge Scholarship Winners
Laura Baker  (York House)
Samantha Brassington  (Notre Dame)
Jennifer Carpio  (Britannia)
Jasmine Chan  (Crofton House)
Jolissa Crossley  (Britannia)
Rebeca Fernandez  (Britannia)
Karen Li  (Britannia)
Wendy Lin  (Britannia)
Cherub Lum  (York House)
Tesicca Truong  (Churchill)
Sally Zhao  (Britannia)

Langara College Scholarship Winner
Jolissa Crossley  (Britannia)

VGBA Falcon Basketball Scholarship Winner 
Jennifer Carpio  (Britannia)

To date, 37 scholarships have been awarded since the inception of the TELUS Vancouver Girls’ Basketball Challenge.

*If we have inadvertently missed a player, please let us know.

The TELUS Vancouver Girls’ Basketball Challenge tournament takes place every year in January. It includes the top 8 basketball programs in Vancouver: 4 public schools (VSSAA), and 4 independent schools (LMISSAA). The following schools have been invited this year (Jan 2011):

• Kitsilano Secondary School
• Britannia Secondary School
• Point Grey Secondary School
• Prince of Wales Secondary School

• York House School
• St. Patrick’s Regional School
• Crofton House School
• Notre Dame Regional School

Since only a few players will continue to play sports at the post-secondary school level, this tournament is a highlight of the basketball careers for many female athletes from Vancouver. And for those student athletes moving on to post secondary school, this event provides many opportunities for scholarships.

Congratulations to the Britannia Bruins on a Runner-Up finish at
the 2011 Vancouver Challenge Tournament!

Scholarships

Since the tournament’s inception in 2008, the VGBA has been committed to recognizing individual student athletes playing in the Vancouver Girls’ Basketball Challenge who are true citizens of our community. A number of scholarship bursaries are being awarded every year from TELUS to graduating student-athletes who are active leaders in school and community programs, and who have shown proof of academic and athletic accomplishments, and post-secondary aspirations.

TELUS bursary/scholarships may be used at any recognized post-secondary institution. And through a collaboration between VGBA and Langara College, there will be additional scholarship opportunities for participants in the tournament who choose to attend Langara.

Download the scholarship application package (PDF).

3-Pt. Shooting Contest

This competition is open to any Vancouver female player. It takes place at Langara College on Sat, Jan 22 at 4:15 PM.
To register, email Mitra at  bball_chicky@yahoo.com  by January 14th. More info…

Presentations and Awards

Several prominent members of the basketball community and its supporters will take part in the closing ceremony, including the guest speaker Howard Kelsey, the Executive Vice President of Canada Basketball.

The following awards will be presented on the final day of the tournament:

• Medals/ trophy to winning and second place teams
• Trophy for tournament’s Most Valuable Player
• Awarding of Bursaries to 6 recipients
• Tournament All-Stars (10 players)
• Best Defensive Player Award
• Award to the winner of 3-pt. shooting competition

Presenting Sponsor

VGBA is pleased to announce TELUS as the naming sponsor for the Vancouver Girls’ Basketball Challenge tournament. In November 2010, TELUS has generously donated $5000/year for 3 years for bursaries for the tournament players. The funds not awarded at the tournament will be used to help players participating in elite spring and summer programs and needing financial assistance. The support TELUS provides at this tournament goes a long way in helping students achieve their basketball and academic goals.

Tournament Supporters

This event would not have been possible without the generosity of Langara College and our partnership with both the Vancouver Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association (VSSAA) and the Lower Mainland Independent Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association (LMISSAA).

Tournament Organization

The tournament is run under the direction of the Vancouver Girls’ Basketball Association (VGBA).