John Paul II Collegiate are celebrating two junior basketball titles.
Both their boys and girls teams won their Battle West District Championship games on Monday in North Battleford, sweeping both junior titles for the Crusaders.
For the boys team, it caps an amazing undefeated season, with 20 wins and no losses. The Crusaders won seven tournaments this season in Lloydminster, Melfort, Edmonton, Meadow Lake and three in North Battleford, including the district tournament.
It was a tougher road to the title for the girls. They lost only three times all season, playing five tournaments and the district championship. The Crusaders pounded Unity in the semi-final 47-17 to get to the title game against the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings.
The Crusaders trailed early in that final contest, but never quit in a game that was ultimately decided on the final possession.
“We had a slow start,” said Coach Kristina Binette. “We were making some good shots but nothing was really falling for us. We were down by 16 points during the second quarter at one point in time, and the girls worked hard. They had a positive attitude throughout. They had some fun, we made some shots and we were able to win 40 to 39.”
It was a different story for the boys team. Their final game, also against the Vikings, was not even close, clinching a perfect undefeated season for the boys Crusaders.
“They just focused on the little things that win games,” said Coach Nate Jurgens, who was proud of his team’s performance in the final game. He said the team showed a lot of development over the course of the season.
“The group that we were lucky to have this year were such a wonderful group of kids,” said Jurgens. “They really played the game the right way. They play together, they play as a team, and they never hesitate to go out and work hard.”
