Hapnot Collegiate will have another banner to tack up in their gym, courtesy of the school’s senior Kweens squad.
It was zones weekend for the school’s senior basketball squads Feb. 27-29, with each of the school’s top teams in action. The Kweens played their zone tournament in Norway House, while the Kings hit the hardwood in The Pas.
The Kweens headed into the weekend ranked third in the province in the Manitoba High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) AA power rankings, the highest rank of any Zone 11 team.
After heading to Norway House, the Kweens played three games of pool play, with the eight-team field being separated into two four-team round robins. The winner of each pool would face off in a one game final for the zone banner.
Hapnot, paired up against OCN’s Oscar Lathlin Wolverines, Nisichawayasihk Neyo Ohtinwak Collegiate (NNOC) from Nelson House and Oxford House’s 1972 Memorial Thunder, ran the table through the round robin. The Kweens broke the century mark twice, winning 47-26 over Oscar Lathlin and earning 100-13 and 103-11 routs against NNOC and 1972.
As the top finisher in their pool, Hapnot was paired up with another impressive club, the host Helen Betty Osbourne Ininiw (HBOIERC) Huskies. Both clubs went undefeated through the pool round, with HBOIERC taking down the favoured Margaret Barbour Collegiate (MBCI) Spartans from The Pas 67-45.
With a banner on the line, the Kweens came out on top, getting a 41-28 win against the Huskies and sending the Kweens to provincials.
Boys
Heading into zones, Hapnot was ranked eighth out of Manitoba’s AA basketball teams by the MHSAA. Only one other northern team was ranked higher - the MBCI Spartans. MBCI, who hosted the Zone 11 boys’ championships, was ranked second in the province heading into the tournament.
The Kings drew into a three-team group in the first round, facing HBOIERC and 1972. They knocked them both down, winning a tight 58-56 game on a last-second buzzer beater and another game 92-32 to 1972.
Hapnot advanced out of their group in first place, earning a semifinal berth against Oscar Lathlin. The Kings won that game 70-56, setting up a final date with the ever-formidable MBCI.
Both offences came out slinging, but MBCI’s ended up slinging more, winning the zone banner in a 86-63 shootout. Between junior and senior varsity ranks, MBCI teams have claimed all Zone 11 basketball banners this season, aside from Hapnot’s senior girls’ title.
