Mallaig hosted a Jr. SPAA basketball doubleheader on Jan. 22, with two teams from Kihew Asiniy heading to town for the matchup.
The girls were first to take the court, with the home team Stingers amassing a slim 18-14 lead by halftime. Things remained close throughout the second half, with Mallaig pulling off an eventual 31-28 win.
KAEC coach Gary Bull was happy with his team’s performance in the game.
“The girls played hard, but they could have been a little better on defence,” he said.
When he looked at the schedule, Bull realized that the game on Wednesday night would be a good early-season test for his team.
“We were kind of looking forward to this game. We wanted to see how we would match up against Mallaig,” he said. “We matched up well. A few baskets our way, or a three-pointer at the end, would have made the difference.”
Mallaig coach Kayla Fluker was also looking forward to the matchup, choosing to use the game to present some of her younger players with some valuable game-time experience.
“I thought they did a really good job,” she said of her team. “They had hustle, and some girls stepped up and took the lead, which was really nice to see.”
The Mallaig girls have a large team this year – boasting a total of 28 players on their roster – and Fluker is hoping that this will help lead to a successful season.
“There’s just this energy and buzz that the team has this year that I’ve never seen before. This is my third year coaching, and I am really enjoying it,” Fluker said.
Mallaig player Stephanie Simpson was also happy with the win on Jan. 22.
“It was a hard game, but we all worked really hard. I think our team is working really well this year,” she said. “I think we have a good strong team, and we need to keep up the good work.”
The boys’ game was a little more one-sided, with the Mallaig Stingers dribbling away with a 46-14 win over their opponents.
According to KAEC coach Prosper Large, a cancellation early in the season meant that Wednesday’s game was the first of the year for his team.
“For our first game of the season, I thought they played pretty good,” Large said of his players, adding that things seemed to improve as the game wore on. “They started running more, and playing harder on defence, which was good.”
Over on the other bench, Mallaig coach Claude Seguin was pleased with the way things played out on the court.
“It was not as competitive as I thought it would be, but both teams played really well,” he said. “The kids stayed in the game and had fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”
For Seguin and his team, the game on Jan. 22 was another step in the right direction.
“We’re having a good season so far,” he said. “We’ve got some big expectations, we hope to do well, but we also hope to keep working hard and to teach the kids how to improve each game.”
