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DCS Chargers earn senior girls 1A basketball Island title

“Our focus this tournament was to know who we were playing for”
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The Duncan Christian School senior girls basketball team has won the 1A Island basketball title. (Submitted photo)

The Duncan Christian School Chargers senior girls basketball team are 1A Island champions following a successful tournament Feb. 13-14 at St. Margaret’s School in Victoria.

“What a battle this tournament was,” said DCS head coach Michelle Nederlof. “We have been melding as a team and it definitely showed in this round of playoffs.”

In the first game of the Islands, DCS defeated fellow Cowichan team, Queen Margaret’s, by a 47-17 score.

With 19 points and six rebounds, Michaela Wall was the player of the game for DCS.

The win sent the Chargers straight to the semi-finals against St. Andrews. In a hard-fought battle, DCS prevailed 63-54.

Wall had 23 points and seven rebounds while player of the game, Sydney Dollman, had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Other top scorers in the contest were Clare Scholefield with 10 points and 13 rebounds and Danika Fitzpatrick with seven points.

“After beating a team we had lost to earlier in the season, the girls proved to themselves they had what it takes to go all the way,” Nederlof explained. “Our focus this tournament was to know who we were playing for. Firstly, being on the court is an amazing way for our faith to show, however, the girls also noted they were playing for each other, the Grade 12s, their parents, the coaches, the school. And in playing for the other, self shines and that was tangible in our final game.”

DCS faced Nanaimo Christian in the championship game and competition was fierce. Wall (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Dollman (2 points, six steals) again led the way with Scholefield’s 12 points and eight rebounds earning her the player of the game honours. The crowd also played a role in the victory.

“The fans were spectacular, erupting on every DCS score,” Nederlof said.

When the final whistle sounded, it was DCS 59, Nanaimo Christian 48.

Violette Muller had five points and 12 rebounds in the final while Dara deVries also pitched in with five points. Nema deVries had six assists in the win.

“The girls were composed, focused and tough as nails. They believed in each other and utilized each other’s skill set,” Nederlof noted. “The leadership by our players out there made me as a coach very proud. We have a dedicated coaching team and each one of us are incredibly proud of the girls’ performance and integrity. As the lower ranked team, winning well is a skill set in itself and our girls wore it well.”

Wall and Julianna Dunn were given Island All-Star awards while Dollman was named the Island MVP.

The team is scheduled to compete as Vancouver Island No. 1 in the provincial tournament March 1-4 at Nanaimo Christian School.