Hapnot Collegiate and Creighton Community School hosted a rare double exhibition basketball game shortly before the holiday break. Both schools’ senior basketball teams faced off, both to stay sharp and for a good cause.
The host Kings and Kweens won both games, but the community ended up picking up the biggest W - due to food gathered as part of the game for the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank. Dozens of cans and non-perishable food items were brought in as part of the event, which filled the Hapnot gym for both schools’ best players.
Boys
The Kodiaks and Kings started the evening off with a head-to-head matchup and the Kings came to play early - with a smothering full-court-press defence and opportunistic offence, Hapnot got out to an early 13-5 lead. Creighton would make the most of the Kings’ lack of discipline in their own paint, scoring most of their points on foul shots, but Hapnot still led 18-9 after one quarter.
The Kodiaks’ success from the charity stripe continued in the second and was responsible for a run of Creighton success early, making the game 21-16 Hapnot, but the Kings tightened back up and ended the half 35-21.
Creighton would start the second half on a 10-4 run, cutting the lead to eight, but Hapnot would once again recover and reload, with Kenny MacDonald and the Kings’ fast break offence teaming up with help from both Tye Burke and Bryson Dumas. Hapnot went on their own 15-0 run late in the quarter, going into the fourth up 56-31.
The momentum stayed with the Kings, who outrebounded, outran and outscored the Kodiaks, at one point extending their lead past 30 points. The Kings were doubling up on the Kodiaks late, but a few Creighton three-pointers cut the final score to 78-50 Hapnot.
MacDonald led the way with 24 points for the Kings, sinking two threes but doing most of his damage in the paint and near the rim. Bobby Smith aided matters with 17 points of his own, with seven other Kings players putting a ball through the hoop. Dumas added eight points off the bench, including a pair of three-pointers.
Creighton’s offence was paced by Tanner Werbicki and Leland Feuerstein, who led the Kodiaks’ eight players with 19 and 15 points respectively. Werbicki sunk a game-high six foul shots, the most of any player in either game.
Girls
Hapnot entered the game riding the high of winning the Bill McDonald Varsity Invitational tournament in The Pas less than a week earlier. The Kodiaks, who also entered that tourney, picked up third place, beating Thompson’s R.D. Parker Collegiate Trojans - representing a school with almost 10 times as many high school students as Creighton - in the bronze medal game.
The girls’ matchup was much more even early, with both teams having difficulties finding the basket. Each team was missing at least one starter from their lineup, with several off-target passes and turnovers early, but both teams would eventually find their groove. Creighton shot more from outside, putting up more shots in total, but Hapnot directed their offence inside, shooting more efficiently. Both teams were tied at 12 after the first quarter.
The Kodiaks opened quarter two with an 8-2 run, causing the Kweens to call a timeout and regroup. Creighton would start moving the rock with speed, holding on to a 27-22 lead at half.
That lead would vanish fast in the third, with Hapnot’s offence waking up and seeing results. The Kweens erased the five point deficit and took the lead back, but a quick Creighton three-ball put them back ahead 30-28. More long-range shots extended the Kodiak lead to nine, but Hapnot played big ball late in the quarter, getting into the paint and pushing Creighton away from the hoop.
With more inside play came more fouls, but neither team could hit consistently from the line. Both teams saw players miss key shots late in the third, culminating in a 39-38 Creighton lead entering the final quarter.
In the last quarter, Hapnot locked the door on Creighton’s offence. Katrina MacQuarrie and Gianna Watt hit key layups to pull the Kweens ahead and the team continued outpushing the Kodiaks for rebounds. Creighton was almost completely blocked from entering the Hapnot paint, left to shoot from long range. The Kweens held a 44-39 lead with five minutes left.
Grace Dubinak sunk a long two for Creighton to cut the lead to three, but Hapnot countered soon after with a quick layup. Olivia Fernandes pulled the Kweens ahead again with a mid-range jumper to push the lead to seven.
A pair of late foul shots for the Kodiaks that would have pulled them to a four-point deficit with one minute to go were both missed, leading Hapnot to march right back up the court with a chance to ice the win. MacQuarrie was fouled, stepped up to take the shots and sunk two daggers from the line to seal the deal for Hapnot. When the final whistle blew, the board showed a 50-42 score - Hapnot won, but the Kodiaks gave them their toughest test so far this season.
MacQuarrie led all scorers with 21 points for Hapnot, followed by Watt and Addie Neill - both finished with nine points apiece, with Neill sinking a game-leading three three-balls. Five of MacQuarrie’s points came from foul shots.
Creighton, who entered the game with just nine players suited up, was led by Kenzy Harrower and Dubinak, who scored 17 and 14 points respectively. Harrower scored the Kodiaks’ only two three-pointers on the day.
