Queens hosting tourney

The transition from volleyball to basketball season is always a tough one, it is even tougher when your volleyball players are elite volleyball calibre, going deep into the season with very little time for turnover.

Nevertheless, having only one practice under its belt, the Vauxhall Queens girls basketball team sported a 1-1 record at a tournament over the weekend in Fort Macleod.

“We have seven girls on our team from the volleyball team including all of our starters,” said Allen Matthews, head coach of the Vauxhall Queens girls basketball team.

The Queens fell to Picture Butte in its opening game on Friday in a 12-point decision. A road-weary team on Saturday in which the Queens left at 6 a.m. to play an 8 a.m. contest against Matthew Halton had the opposition as a no show.

The Queens had to wait until the consolation final at 5 p.m. against Coaldale Christian in which the Queens dominated in a 35-point win.

“We knew Picture Butte would have a couple of weeks on us practice wise, but we stayed right in there with them. It was a two-point game with four minutes left in the game and they just hit some shots down the stretch,” said Matthews.

“I was pleased with the girls with how they responded against Coaldale Christian. We got a couple of girls back that didn’t play last year that are in Grade 12 and they are helping us out immensely. The girls are working hard and doing what we are asking them to do. We watched Coaldale Christian and they fast broke another team like crazy and speed wise we are right there, so they didn’t get anything on the fast break at all which they rely on quite a bit. We put a lot of pressure on their guards which caused some turnovers.”

The Queens have 14 players on its roster this year which includes three Grade 12s, four Grade 11s, and seven Grade 10s according to Matthews.

“We are relatively young, but we are definitely stronger than we were last year,” said Matthews.

That youth will be showcased this weekend as the Queens host its home eight-team tournament this Friday and Saturday. Queens play

“I expect us to do well and be in the final. Matthew Halton is a pretty decent team, and then we’ll have Sedgewick and Erle Rivers,” said Matthews. “It won’t be an easy road, but I expect that if everyone plays to their potential we will at least be in the final,” said Matthews.

“We have Mikayla Virostek playing for us in the middle in the post. From one game to the next last weekend, she improved by leaps and bounds. She had eight blocks in each game — defensively she is a huge help.”

Get More Vauxhall Advance →