A soon-to-graduate Creighton high school basketball player made history last week, taking part in a Saskatchewan senior all-star game.
Talissa Alexander represented Creighton Community School at this year’s Basketball Saskatchewan Senior All Star Classic April 2. The Kodiaks senior suited up for Team White during the A-AAA game at Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate and put up 10 points for her team.
Alexander was the only player in the game from a northern Saskatchewan school. Along with former Kodiaks teammate Naomi Dickens, Alexander has become part of a small, elite group - the two players are, to date, the only Kodiaks players to ever make the cut for the game.
Alexander was the Kodiaks’ top scorer this year and a team captain, playing her senior season and helping them win a northeast Saskatchewan league title, a conference tournament title and get within one game of the province-wide Hoopla tournament.
“She averages 20 points, eight rebounds and three steals per game so far this season. Talissa is also a key player for us on defence - she puts pressure up top on any player with the ball and even though she plays most of the game, she sprints as hard as she can to pressure the ball as it is being moved by the opposing team, no matter how far into the game we are,” said Connie Atkinson, Alexander’s coach with the Kodiaks. Atkinson nominated Alexander to take part in the event, sending in an application for her to take part earlier this season.
“Talissa is also a team leader on the floor. She coordinates all of the team’s warmups and she takes charge of the team’s chat prior to each game. She calls out the inbounds plays - and all of her teammates respect her as a captain,” said Atkinson.
The Kodiaks finished on the podium in three tournaments this season and won the North East Saskatchewan Sports Athletic Conference (NESSAC) league championship in February, beating Nipawin and Tisdale to take the title. Only a loss to top-ranked Lanigan kept Alexander and the Kodiaks from entering the provincial tournament.
In an exhibition matchup just before Christmas, the Kodiaks played their crossborder rivals at Hapnot and, despite having a much shorter bench, played the Kweens to a 50-42 loss. Hapnot would later go 27-1 on the season and finish second at provincials - the rivalry game would end up being one of their closest games all year.
