The St. Anthony’s Sabres senior boys basketball team ended 2011 with a 3-3 record following a tough tournament in Acme.
    The Sabres bragged a 3-0 record going into the tournament after beating Airdire Koinonia, Hanna and Trochu. The tournament in Acme on December 16 and 17 was not as successful for the young squad.
    The team faced Holy Cross of Strathmore in the first game of the tournament. The Sabres were able to play competitively with Holy Cross and were within two points after the first quarter. Turnovers plagued the Sabres as the game continued and Holy Cross pulled away with an 85-64 win.
Tanner Borowicz was the leading scorer for the Sabres with 20, with Jordan Comstock and Emmanuelle Doolittle each scoring 13.
     Friday night continued for the Sabres as they faced a well-coached and fundamentally sound Acme Redmen junior varsity team.
    Only four points separated the two squads after the first half. Acme had a strong third quarter and was up 63-47. The Sabres clawed back and outscored the Redmen 17-7 in the final quarter but were not able to close the game, losing 70-66. Borowicz had 23 points and 16 rebounds, T.J. Jones had 13 point and nine assists.
    The final game for the Sabres was Saturday afternoon as they took on the Senator Gershaw Gators. The two teams were well matched, however the Gators were the stronger team on this day. The Sabres had trouble penetrating their zone, and the Gators’ trapping press allowed them to take the lead. The Sabres did make a late game press but were not able to close the gap.
    Despite the losses, the Sabres did show improvement and the senior core of players led the team vocally and through hard work on the court.
    The Sabres are now off for the Christmas break but will be back on court to face Carbon when school resumes.

    The Sabres senior boys basketball team is 3-0 after defeating Hanna last Thursday at home.
    This was the first time any senior boys basketball team from St. Anthony’s has defeated the J.C Charyk Hawks, and it was a battle.
    The Sabres came out slow and sloppy. They were sluggish implementing their offense and generating good shots. Passing fell flat as they racked up seven turnovers in the first quarter alone while only scoring three baskets, ending the quarter 6-14. By the half the Sabres were down 27-17.
 The team was ignited in the second half by small successes. By being more aggressive on offence they were able to get in the paint and draw fouls. They also stepped up their defensive efforts on the press and capitalised on turnovers. By the end of the third quarter they were in striking distance.
    With four minutes left in the game the Sabres finally pulled ahead for the first time. The score see-sawed in the final minutes. The Sabres were up 50-48 with one shot clock left. The Sabres turned over the ball with 12 seconds left, but the defense stood strong not allowing the Hawks to tie the game.
    T.J. Jones led the way with 18 points while Tanner Borowicz, in his first game of the season for the Sabres, came alive in the second half, with 17 points, two blocks and solid work on the offensive and defensive glass.
    The Sabres are off to Acme this weekend for tournament play. On Friday night they face Holy Cross at 5:30 and Acme at 8:30. On Saturday they play Senator Gershaw.