The Chemainus Secondary School Cougars junior girls basketball team got its first taste of game action Tuesday night in its home gym against Duncan Christian School.
The visiting Chargers jumped into a 10-2 lead after the first quarter, doubled the advantage to 20-4 at halftime and extended it to 32-6 after three quarters en route to the eventual 43-10 victory.
“Our junior girls had a slow start to the game, but played much better as the game went along,” noted coach Graeme Arkell.
“Since that was the first competitive basketball game our girls have played, I thought there was lots of potential and room for improvement.”
Arkell noted the girls have been working on the basics of positioning, especially on defence so they stay between their checks and the hoop as well as making accurate passes and blocking shots.
“I made sure that everyone got plenty of time on the court in order to develop their skills under pressure,” he added. “Overall, I liked our team spirit. There were plenty of cheers and kind words from our players. Plus, there were a few nice passing plays that we were able to convert for some baskets.”
Paige Tattman was the top scorer with four points while Nina Bumstead, Louisa Funk and Katia Bannister contributed one basket apiece.
“I am very enthusiastic about working with this group of girls, they’ve got great potential,” Arkell pointed out.