ABBOTSFORD PANTHERS WIN 2020 3A GIRLS TITLE

The Marin Lenz show continued for a fourth straight day, wrapping up with the Most Valuable Player award.

The Abbotsford Panthers guard was simply too much, scoring 44 points to lead her team to its first provincial title since 1984 with an 85-77 victory over the Okanagan Mission Huskies in the gold medal game at the BC Secondary School 3A Girls Championship on Saturday. More than 1,200 fans took in the action at Langley Events Centre.

Lenz was masterful all tournament long, finishing with 141 points, or an average of 35 points per game. She also averaged 11 rebounds, five assists and 5.5 steals per game. She was named both the Championship Player of the Game and the Most Valuable Player for the tournament.

The Huskies led 27-20 at the first quarter break before the Panthers took leads of one point and three points at the half and third quarter mark, respectively. OKM did tie the score early in the fourth at 69 but Lenz had 11 points in the final quarter to help Abbotsford pull away.

Younger sister Malia Lenz finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists while Lindsey Roufosse had 10 points and a dozen boards and Lakresha Edwards chipped in 10 points and three assists.

“It was tight throughout, but we got a few defensive stops and then hit a couple of big shots at the end,” said Panthers coach Prentice Lenz. “I thought our big girls, Lindsey (Roufosse) and Chelsey (Dulku) and then Riya (Sahota)  came off the bench; they did a really good job of rebounding and sort of causing some commotion on the defensive end of the floor which made a really big difference for us.”

For the Huskies, the difference between winning and losing was simple.

 “Marin Lenz was definitely the difference. We put our best defenders on her – we knew that a junk defence wasn’t going to work because she is such a smart player so we thought we would just play her straight up,” said OKM coach Meghan Faust.

“Defence has got us to this game, but she hit from everywhere and she is an unbelievable player. That was definitely one of the biggest differences.

“(But) we gave everything we could and I am so proud of the girls.”

Lily Pink (who would win the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award) led the Huskies with 22 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks with Tatum Wade adding 15 points and five boards, and Makenna Jacklin finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

For the Panthers, this was their third medal in the past four years after they won silver in 2017 and bronze in 2018 at what is now the 4A tier. They came ninth in 2019.

Marin Lenz has been playing at the senior level since Grade 8 and has been a part of those teams and losing the championship game left a lasting impression.

“Remembering that moment and how it felt and then putting in the work the next couple of years and then showing up here and trying to get it done,” she said.

With her 44-point performance in the biggest game of the season, Lenz wasn’t focused on the number.

“I was just thinking about working hard and competing and just giving it all for this last game,” she said.

As for his daughter’s performance both at this tournament and over the course of a season (she was named the Baden Player of the Year earlier in the week) the coach praised both her and her teammates.

“Just a real gutsy, gritty performance. And all the rest of the girls did whatever they could to make sure she had the ball in good scoring positions and she hit some great shots,” he said.

In the bronze medal game, Argyle defeated R.A. McMath 75-70 in overtime.

All-Stars and Awards

Lily Pink (Okanagan Mission), Malia Lenz (Abbotsford), Devon Felt (Okanagan Mission), Lakresha Edwards (Abbotsford) and Liz Kennedy (R.A. McMath) were named First Team All-Stars.

The Second Team All-Stars were Makenna Jacklin (Okanagan Mission), Marina Radocaj (R.A. McMath), Tatum Wade (Okanagan Mission), Holly Brewer (Argyle) and Kendra McDonald (South Kamloops).

The Ballenas Whalers were named the Most Sportsmanlike Team.