Marauders eliminate Redcoats
Ryan Zapata is the first to admit when he’s wrong.
The coach the A.N. Myer Marauders freely concedes he made the incorrect call when he cut Jenna Saddler from the Niagara Red Raiders a few years ago.
“It was one of the biggest regrets I made as a coach,” Zapata said. “You’re never perfect and it was years ago. I said she’s going to be a real good player. She was playing an older age and then she made Juel Prep.”
Zapata is thrilled to be reunited with Saddler this season with the Marauders.
“When she came to Myer, it was like ‘Oh, my goodness, I finally get to coach you.’ “I’m glad for her. It came full circle for her and now she gets to play for our team.”
Saddler poured in 11 points and also helped run the offence as the Marauders defeated the Governor Simcoe Redcoats 60-35 at Simcoe in quarter-final action Wednesday at the Second Annual BPSN Girls Basketball Tournament.
Saddler, a 16-year-old, Grade 11 student, is happy to be a court general.
“You just have to set the tone of the game and relax and get things going,” she said. “We want to go far (in this tournament) and win so we have to work hard and play as a team and get there.”
Saddler, who is now playing at the club level for the St. Catharines Rebels, is thrilled to return to competition after the pandemic wreaked havoc with sports for the past two seasons.
“It’s great to be back playing again in the gym,” she said. “It was hard. You still have to work and keep your game going so you know you’re smooth.”
Zapata said Saddler is an asset in a number of ways.
“She knows how to dribble, she’s a thinker out there, and she’s got a great shot. She has great moves and it’s definitely an advantage for us,” he said. “Certain times she knows when it gets a little squirrelly out there she has to be coached and she’s very coachable. Once you tell her once, she fixes it and our offence seems to improve as a result.”
The pesky Redcoats trailed only 38-36 after three quarters, but star guard Jamie Addy fouled out at the end of the third with 29 points, effectively ending any chance for the upset.
“That was a huge difference. I followed her since she was little playing basketball. We know she’s a great adversary,” Zapata said. “We knew everything would run through her. While she was on the floor we tried our best to play team defence against her but the turning point was that foul. As soon as she sat you could tell the momentum swung and we were able to get out on transition and play the defence we wanted to play and get some easier baskets than with her on the floor.”
Simcoe coach John Ingribelli said the Redcoats need to try and not relay on Addy so much.
“I’ve been preaching the whole season — we’re a very young team — you have to learn to play without her. They know that but they look for her way too much and then we stand around,” he said. “This is what we’re going to have next year and regardless we have to fight tooth and nail and just play.”
STATS PACK
Marauders 60 Redcoats 35
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Myer guard Jenna Saddler with 11 points.
For the A.N. Myer Marauders: Sadler 11; Emma Venditelli 8; Marielle Zapata 6; Maia Walker 6; Mya Pierini 5; Stella Petrakis 5; Carly Casciano 5; Layla Marois 4; Maggie Mannella 4; Sophia Kotsanis 4.
For the Governor Simcoe Redcoats: Jamie Addy 29; Keira Teske 7.
CONSOLATION ROUND
Thorold 33 Brebeuf 30
Tiana Hicks and Grace Sargeant scored seven points each as the Thorold Golden Eagles held off the St. Jean de Brebeuf Lynx by three points in consolation round semifinal action.
Also scoring for Thorold were: Ava Conway (6); Marissa Hahl (5); Ashley Mayhew (2); Kaydence Hales (2); Anna Hammond (2).
Scoring for Brebeuf were: Alexandra Roberge (7); Emma Leitch (6); Seanna Savoury (6); Isabella Roberge (4); Jemma Dube (4); Mia Wendling (3).
Up next: Consolation semifinals Thursday at Governor Simcoe: Smithville Christian vs. Saint Francis at 2:30 p.m. and Thorold vs. E.L. Crossley at 4 p.m. Championship semifinals Thursday at Governor Simcoe: Churchill vs. Eden at 5:30 p.m. and Myer vs. Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.
The tournament is made possible with the help of primary sponsors, Women Networking in Sports of Niagara and Tora Inc., and secondary sponsors, Alltech Automotive, St. Catharines CYO Basketball, Pelham Panthers basketball, Niagara Falls Red Raiders basketball, Niagara Rangers basketball and the Niagara District Referees Association.
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