After a nine-year drought, the Little Flower Academy Angels are back at the senior girls AA B.C. Championships.
The Angels last appeared at the senior show in 2006 but, as juniors, this season’s stand-out roster went to provincials in back-to-back years, finishing ninth in 2012 and ’13. Both times, LFA lost their opening game, but went on to three consecutive victories to win the consolation side of the bracket.
With one game behind them at the 2015 senior provincials — a 74-61 win over the Vernon Panthers — these Angels will finish eighth or higher and have lit a spark at the private girls school off King Edward Avenue.
“It’s super exciting to be part of the mix,” said Roland St. Cyr, a vice-principal and assistant coach at LFA. “We’ve gone through a dry run but it’s nice to be back.”
This weekend, the Grade 8 girls are also competing at provincials in Pitt Meadows.
In the win over Vernon, Jessica Hanson scored 35 points and Alessia Risi added 15. They play St. Thomas Aquinas this afternoon and were gunning for a semi-final meeting against No. 1 Duchess Park on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
The Angels have beat STA three times, including by 24 points in January and most recently by 19 points in the Lower Mainland tournament.
A win Thursday would set them up to meet Prince George’s Duchess Park secondary for the first time this season.
“They’re an unknown,” said St. Cyr, who said the team reviews all the film they can to scout an opponent. “We prepare through watching film and checking out what they run. That’s a big part of the preparation process.”
Duchess Park must beat Vancouver’s Notre Dame Jugglers to reach Friday’s semi-finals. On Wednesday, the Jugglers beat Princess Margaret 65-46 to advance and play Duchess Park this afternoon.
The semi-final is at 4:15 p.m., March 6 at the Langley Events Centre. The championship final is 3:30 p.m. March 7.Â
