Spartan girls climbing

Times Reporter   

 

The Strathmore High School (SHS) Spartan girls basketball team lost to Holy Trinity Academy (HTA) on Dec. 11, by a narrow score of 54-52 – however, that was their first game of the season. The varsity girls have only suffered one loss in league play since returning from Christmas break; they revenged their December game against HTA on Feb. 12, by a score of 61-36.

“That first game was the first time we had everybody together,” girls coach Dion Galandy said. “(This time) it was good. We’re sort of building on our positive play here.”

Galandy expressed that there was nothing against HTA that his girls did poorly on the court.

“They played a very good game – they minimized turnovers, they capitalized on steals, and shot well,” he said.

SHS has found success not just in league play, but exhibition tournaments as well. In the Magrath Tournament from Feb. 14-15, the ladies defeated Winston Churchill High School – who are fourth in provincial standings – by a score of 59-46. Injuries took over after that, Galandy said, as they lost to Magrath 57-42, and McCoy 56-42.

“We were down to seven girls. We’ve got a couple of injuries still going on,” he said. “Not too crucial, but played well enough on the weekend to show we can certainly be a top ten team.”

SHS has their next league game against Foothills Composite High School at home on Feb. 27. The Spartans dropped their last meeting, 72-39 on Jan. 8.

“We’re playing pretty good as of late. Foothills will be a question mark, I don’t know, we’ll see what happens,” Galandy said. “As long as my injuries are healed, it might be a pretty interesting game.”

Foothills is 4-0 on the season to Strathmore’s 4-2 record. Strathmore has 317 points for to Foothills 257, but Strathmore has also allowed 265 points in comparison to Foothills’ 157. Strathmore’s best recent finish on the varsity girls’ basketball court was a bronze in 2011, whereas Foothills won silver in 2013, and gold in 2012.