Cyclone wrap up regular season undefeated
Izzy Brenzil loves being handed the keys to drive the offence for the E.L. Crossley Cyclone.
The 14-year-old, Grade 10 student shares point guard duties with Katie Brophy and enjoys her role as floor general.
“I’ve always loved doing that, I’ve done that since I started basketball,” Brenzil said, after pouring in 14 points to pace the visiting Cyclone past the St. Jean de Brebeuf Lynx 54-23 in Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Zone 3 senior girls basketball action Wednesday.
Brenzil, who has no problem taking the ball to the hoop as well, did so early, scoring all of her points in the first half.
“I try to be a leader, read the court and get the things moving to set up the offence,” she said, when asked to explain her role. “When you’re setting up the offence, you look for opportunities for yourself and you look for other players also. I noticed they were open in the paint so and I took advantage and used my other teammates, so they can get some baskets also.”
Brenzil, who has played travel ball since she began the sport, has played JUEL prep the last two years.
The Welland native missed not suiting up last season when all high school sports were cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I love it,” she said. “I’ve missed the competitiveness. It’s not like practice. You’re getting the plays and doing all this stuff. You’re getting the competitiveness and you’re getting the competition, the steals and the energy on the bench.”
Crossley coach Aaron Belding noted Brenzil sometimes has to be reminded less is more.
“She has a good drive to the net with a nice finish,” Belding said. “Sometimes she gets a little too aggressive so I have to rein her in. She told me, ‘I only got one foul this game as opposed to the four I usually get.’ ”
Belding feels fortunate to have two good point guards on the roster.
“We’re letting both of them work it out on the floor, between her and Katie,” he said. “Neither one has been told they have to be in that position, they get can go back and forth.
“The point guard gets tired if that’s the only place that they can go. They’re both skilled enough that they can both do it. So alternate. Do whatever, work together as a team.”
The victory improved Crossley’s record to a perfect 6-0 heading into the playoffs next week. The Cyclone will square off versus the Centennial Cougars Wednesday.
The Cyclone are running a varsity squad with four seniors as well as a strong junior program.
“We had 24 juniors sign up and we had 12 seniors,” Belding said. “So by the time everybody showed up and did everything, we ended up with four seniors and then we were able to pull some juniors up to make us very competitive.”
The Lynx fell to 0-5 and have one game remaining in their regular season.
“We have one have that plays outside of school in the last two years,” Lynx coach Justine Wendling said. “At first we only had 10 girls who even wanted to play and we just tried to pull in natural athletes.”
Wendling, who gradated from the school in 2015, felt it important the Lynx do whatever they could to put a team together.
“At the of the day, they were living through on-line school and only school for the last year and it was really hard on some of these girls,” she said. “School is not a big motivator for some of these girls so it was really just to go out there and have fun and make friendships.”
STATS PACK
Cyclone 54 Lynx 23
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: E.L. Crossley guard Izzy Brenzil with 14 points.
For the E.L. Crossley Cyclone: Brenzil 14; Jordan Hilton 11; Claire Pienky 11; Sarah Lowery 6; L’Jaya Simmonds 5; Grace Sodtke 4; Mackenna Belding 2; Katie Brophy 1.
For the St. Jean de Brebeuf Lynx: Seanna Savoury 12; Amelia Wendling 4; Solange Savoury 3; Brielle Boudreau 2; Mia Nadeau 2.
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