Crossley tests Dundas Valley
The Dundas Valley Gryphons seniors girls basketball team is projected to be a serious contender at next week’s Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ AA championships in London.
The Gryphons returned the bulk of their team that went into last year’s OFSAA championships ranked sixth and ending up losing in the quarter-finals to the eventual silver medalist. After beating AAA Westdale 55-42 last Friday to win the Hamilton city championship, the Gryphons were the clear favourites Thursday against the E.L. Crossley Cyclones in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association semifinals at Sir Winston Churchill.
But the Cyclones came up with their best game of the season, never trailing by more than eight points before ending up on the losing end of a hard fought 60-54 decision.
“They played really well,” Dundas Valley head coach Nick White said. “We made some big shots down the stretch when it counted, but they’re a good team and their best players played really well today.
“We struggled defensively against them and we couldn’t contain the dribble, and they made plays.”
The Gryphons would have loved to have the same type of semifinal game that the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs had Thursday — Churchill won 90-27 over McKinnon Park— but E.L. Crossley was having none of it. The Cyclones forced the Dundas Valley starters to play major minutes and only seven Gryphons saw playing time.
“Any time you are playing in a SOSSA semifinal, they are going to be good games,” White said.
He agrees this is the year his team is expecting to accomplish big things, but knows Churchill will be a tough test to get to OFSAA.
“They have a really good team, they are well-coached and they have some fabulous players,” he said. “We are going to have to play much better tonight (Thursday) if we want to win that game.”
Crossley head coach Aaron Belding was proud of how his team played.
“It was a hard-fought game all the way through and for some reason we came up short on our shots,” he said. “I told the girls that when we are not shooting the ball well we have to find a way to put the ball in the net. We did some and didn’t do some.”
Crossley’s Emily Bonisteel was held without a field goal — she did hit seven free throws — but her defensive play on Dundas Valley post player Julia Sylvester was an important part of Thursday’s game.
“It was awesome job on her and keeping her off the scoresheet was as good as her being on the scoresheet,” Belding said. “She frustrated her and made her take fouls and that shows she was playing hard and was involved in the game.”
Bonisteel was well aware of all of Sylvester’s tendencies.
“I’ve played against her since we were eight,” she said. “I knew she was post, I knew what I had to do and I knew she would get frustrated really quickly.”
It took a lot of effort on Bonisteel’s part.
“I was tired, but I like to play defence,” she said. “That’s my thing.”
Belding will miss the presence of Bonisteel, who played her last high school game Thursday.
“She’s coachable, hard-working and always shows up to practice,” he said. “The fact that she shows up to practice and works hard translates into the game.”
The 17-year-old will miss playing Crossley basketball.
“It’s sad,” the 5-foot-11 player said. “I love the blue and gold all my life and it’s tough to give it up.”
Making it a little easier was playing on a successful team in her final year.
“This is the farthest we have ever made it and to be able to make it this far in SOSSA in my final year is awesome.”
Bonisteel is hoping to play basketball at the next level and has already talk to a few schools.
“I’m taking to a few schools, but it’s program first and schooling first,” the future kinesiology major said.
STATS PACK
Gryphons 60 Cyclones 54
Mick and Angelo’s Johnny Rocco’s Player of the Game: E.L. Crossley’s Emily Bonisteel with seven points and a strong defensive game in the paint.
For the E.L. Crossley Cyclone: Sydney Grummett 13; Taryn Mitchell 10; Bonisteel 7; Tess Puchalski 7; Hannah Nicholls 6; Martha Lirio 6; Leah McIntee 5.
For the Dundas Valley Gryphons: Taylor Cumming 21; Megan Spenlor 12; Julia Sylvester 10; Jenna Button 9; Sara Vanel 8.
