This season, the SRSS Sabres varsity girls basketball team is turning heads through their play, chemistry and growth.
As they near the end of the regular season, coach Ray Algera says that being able to witness the development of the team is a “great feeling.”
“We started in early November. I believe we've had 24 practices already, and we did three tournaments. Suddenly, you see this improvement with their basic skills, and their fundamentals are coming a long way,” Algera says. “We're playing teams closer now as compared to getting blown out at the beginning of the season. It's always great to see the growth of the players.”
The team currently has a 5-2 record and sits in second place in the South Central Athletic Conference. Algera adds that the team bonding off the court has translated into their play on the court.
“We were at our first tournament and weren't doing well on the floor. We went out to Boston Pizza, and because our school is so big and they don't know each other, I said ‘okay, phones away and get to know your teammates.’ They chatted, got to know each other, and had some laughs. And I think they really bonded well,” he recalls. “It's been a fun team to work with. I'm really proud of them as well as for coming to practice. I've heard in the past, six girls that have practiced, and seven girls at practice. I'm getting nine, ten, 11 girls consistently, which is great because you can do more.”
In January, they took gold at the Royal Rumble tournament in Selkirk. It is the team’s first tournament win in recent memory.
“Talking to some staff, recollection-wise, it's been a while. Maybe some coaches from the past could correct me on that, but I think it has been a while, so it's exciting,” he says.
Grade 11 guard Peyton Kehler echoes Algera’s remarks.
“We're all growing as a team and finding each other on the court in a way the team wouldn't have been able to at the beginning of the year. Seeing each other deep, seeing each other for those three opportunities and the pocket passes is something is new to us,” Kehler says.
Their most recent game was a nail-biter against Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, where they pulled the 45-44 win. Kehler recalls the memories she has made with the team.
“I mean [the game against Collège Jeanne-Sauvé] has got to be a close one. The stands were pretty full, and our team was getting hyped, it was a close one. The bus rides to tournaments are a big one too. Early mornings, nothing quite like them with the team,” she says.
She shares her appreciation for her teammates and the friendships they have developed over the past season. Three qualities that stand out to her are “caring, sarcastic and loyal.”
"We make fun of each other on a daily basis, and that's just how it is," she says. "We have each other’s backs out there. You can't just get shoved around and not hear about it.”
They close out the regular season against the undefeated Dakota Lancers next Wednesday in Winnipeg before heading into playoffs next month.
Check out the photo gallery below: