With a spate of
injuries behind
them, Capilano
cagers on track

By Robert Galster
News Reporter

FRESH from a
Southern California
road trip, the Capilano
College Blues basket-
bail team is locking to
put a little heat into
its game.

The nine-day trip includ-
ed stops in San Diego and
Los Angeles and gave the
squad a much-needed chance
to gel. While this may be a
slow process, Greg Zavediuk,
the women’s team's second
year coach, says the team has
made huge strides in’ that
direction.

“We've gone through a
bunch of adversity through
the year with injuries and
now we've come together,”
said Zavediuk. “We've prob-
ably had che best week of
practice down there (in
California),” he added.

For many teams there
comes a time when nothing
seems to go right and adver-
sity is little more than a
diplomatic label for some-
thing that feels a lot more
like terribly bad luck.

The trip south almost
turned into one of those
times when in addition ro the
usual financial challenges,
the blizzard of °96 also had
to be reckoned with.

“It took us 35 hours to
get to San Diego by plane,”
recounted Zavediuk. Once
there, the cream lost its first
two games — a result of the
arduous journey and the
thoroughly different playing
style of the opposition.

In the end not only did
they manage to be competi-
tive, three of the next four
games ended up in the win
column for the Blues.

“It was great for the
team,” said Zavediuk, “once
we got our bearings.”

A North Shore native son,
Zavediuk is hoping the trip
and its collective experience
helps the team to build on
last season’s campaign which
culminated with a playoff
berth.

After splitting last week-
end’s garies, the Blues’ con-
ference record is a steady five
wins against four losses —
good tor third place in the
conference. However,
Zavediuk’s approach to
coaching: should pay off in
the second half of the season.

“A lot of it for me is try-
ing to teach the game,” said
Zavediuk. “You’re not our
there to just run plays, you're
out there ta learn haw to
play basketball.”

A call order worth waiting
for.

Carla King, a 5°8” fourth-
year guard, praises
Zavediuk’s work cthie and
says the coach does an excel-
lent job of preparing the
twa for its opposition.

“He puts a lot of time in,
he definitely puts in his

turn up the heat

Wednesday, January 15, 1997 — North Shore News — 35

or

2

NEWS photo paul McGrath

CAPILANO College women’s basketball team coach Greg Zavediuk is building a winner at the Nerth Vancouver school. Joining him are
second year players Catherine Olsen (ieft to right), Madeline Lemaire, Carla King and Amanda Henderson.

share,” said King.

King says the tcam’s
California experience has
helped make the team sharp-
er.

“When we played
Okanagan ! could cell the
trip really helped a lot,” said
King. That game, played Jast
Friday at the Sportsplex saw
the Biues demolish their
opponents 99-65. The fol-
lowing Saturday turned out
to be a fetdown with Fraser
Valley cking out a ‘last-
minute 63-57 road victory at
the Blues” expense.

Consistency is the next
step.

Another aspect of build-
ing on last year’s success
revolves around the commu-
nity’s, and as an extension,
the fans* response. Rogers
cable telecasts and promo-
tions sponsored by
Milestones restaurants all
serve to contribute to that
end.

“We're trying to per out
to the community to help it
realize they've got this great
program in the community,”
said Zavediuk.

Zavedink is irying to cap-
ture some of the school spir-
it thar fills U.S. auditoriums
to the gills night after night.
For reasons unknown
though. it’s along and hard
road.

“I's (community sup-
port) building, but it’s: still
samething where I don’t
think many people know
about us.”

The Blues baskerball
team’s neat game takes place
this Friday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m.
when the Langara Falcons
visit the Sportsplex.

Pair of posis
punish Pipers

By Andrew McCredie
Sports Editor

A maxim of high school basketball is that
height beats speed. A maxim of any sport
is that experience beats inexperience.

Both maxims held Saturday afternoon at GM Place
as the Lambrick Park Pride (the height and the expe-
riencc) bear the Argyle Pipers (the speed and the inex-
perience) to win the 9th Annual North Shore
Firefighters Girls Basketball Tournament.

Boasting two Grade 12 forwards that looked to
scale in the cavernous Vancouver Grizzlies’ den —-
6°3” Carli Halpenny and 6°1" Tina Thompson —-
Lambrick Park slowly ground down the speedy Pipers
for a 65-46 decision.

“We knew we couldn't bear them on the half-
court game so we tried to go full court,” Argyle coach
Jack Tasaka said following the game. “Ar times we
thought we were in the game.”

And in the first quarter the Pipers most certainly
were in the game. Paced by the speedy ball handling
of point guard Rosalyn Hicks, Argyle pushed the ball
up the court on offense and full-pressed the Pride on
defence to jump our to an carly 10-4 fead.

Bat as the second quarter began and fatigue set in
among the Piper starters — four Grade 11s and one
Grade 12 — the twin towers of Lambrick Park began
te dominate under both boards. At the end of the half
Lambrick Park held a 33-26 lead.

“1 think our girls grew up a bit roday,” said Tasaka
of the final, “We're a pretty young team.”

West Vancouver finished third in the 16-tceam
tournament. Halpenny was named tournament MVP.

‘Tournament all-star selections included: Nicole
Bates-Eamer (Woodlands), Tricia Basi (Lambrick
Park), Ashley Dobbe (Arg te), Samantha Haladner
(WV), Rosalyn Hicks (Argyle), Christina Kiperchuk
(Windsor), Tami MacKinnon (Kamloops), Caroline
Rowles (WV), Merrin Thompson (Centennial) and
‘Tina Thompson (Lambrick Park).

NEWS pnoto Mike Wakefield
SENTINEL guard Rachel Shum crashes the boards along
with a Kamloops player during opening roucd action at .
the 9th annual North Shore Firefighters Basketball
Tournament. Sentinel lost to Kamioops 76-45. tn the tour-
ney final at GM Place, Lambrick Fark beat Argyle 65-46.

od