Girls’ basketball team travels to Canada

Bundled up in sweats, Uggs and parkas, the girls’ varsity basketball team met up at the San Jose Airport at 5 a.m. on the Thursday after finals last December. This year, the team flew to Victoria, Canada, where head coach Mike Davey has taken his boys’ varsity team twice in previous years for winter games.

The team stayed from Dec. 17-21 in Victoria, where they played against three Canadian teams and also explored the capital of British Columbia. Out of a total of three games played, the girls were able to win two, which helped them attain a spot in CCS. Davey, assistant coach Aron Mitsunaga and a few other families members of the players accompanied the girls.

“Because it’s the senior year for [number] players, it was really amazing to go to such a far place,” senior captain point guard Nicole Prowse said. “It was a nice change from Fort Bragg, where we have gone for the past few years.”

On the first day in Canada, the girls were able to practice before their first game the next day. Many unfamiliar Canadian basketball rules were explained to the team as well.

For example, instead of a 30-second shot clock, the girls were only given 24 seconds to bring the ball up the court and score. In addition, the three point lines in Canada were a few feet further back, and refereeing was comparatively lenient.

“Because we were given six seconds less, we were forced to execute our plays faster,” junior guard Aryana Goodarzi said. “The referees in Canada also allowed us to play a lot more, so the games were pretty physical.”

The girls played their first game on Dec. 18 against Oak Bay High School, which is ranked as the fifth best high school team in the British Columbia. Playing with different regulations, the girls gave their best but ultimately lost 59-78.

“Even though we had lost, it was a really fun game,” Goodarzi said. “Being our first game in Canada, we were able to adjust quickly to the different rules, and we got many steals in the beginning of the game. I think we introduced them to the American way of playing and they weren’t that used to that.”

The next day, the team played against St. Michael’s Academy and won 65-54. Following their win, the Falcons defeated Lambrick Park 69-59 on Dec. 21.

Celebrating their two wins, the girls then went sightseeing in Victoria, having high tea at the Empress Hotel, touring the University of Victoria and visiting the Butchart Gardens.

“Overall, the trip was not only rewarding in that we won games, but it was also a huge bonding experience for the team. We really became one big family and made great memories together,” Prowse said.