The Sabres faced a tough final at their home tournament, but put in a strong effort to win silver at the Sabres Invitational.
The Sabres started the tournament against a much improved Our Lady of the Snows team from Canmore, and were up 45-11 after the first half. Led by Brandon Gruber’s 28 points, the Sabres went on to an easy 74 -28 victory. Alex Cliche had a solid 18 points and Mitch Barry contributed 10.
The Sabres were to play Rosemary Saturday morning, who had defeated Rundle Academy to advance, however they forfeited when they did not show up, putting the Sabres up against the Ecole de la Rose Sauvage Cougars in the final, who handily cruised through their side of the draw.
It was a fast paced final, with aggressive slashing to the basket on both sides. The Sabres found themselves in early foul trouble. It was frustrating to players who scaled back their defensive game so they would not foul out. The Sabres were down by seven points after the first quarter, and clung to an eight-point deficit by half.
The Sabre’s press was effective in creating turnovers keeping the Sabres in the game.
In the third, the Cougars broke open the game, and while the Sabres tied offensive output in the fourth quarter with the Cougars, they could not come close. The Cougars won 70-55.
Despite the loss, the Sabres were able to grow from the experience. The Cougars, more than any other team demonstrated how to penetrate to the basket in a consistent and aggressive manner. They also communicated well on the court on offense and defence.
The Sabres also proved they could play a full game with intensity on offence and defence, and never let up.
The Sabres were to play on Monday evening in Three Hills, but because of road conditions, the game was cancelled.
