Atom Wildcats Capture Silver
The Chatham-Kent Wildcats won silver this past weekend – Contributed Photo
The Wildcats opened the tournament strong, going 3-0 in pool play. In their opening game, Chatham-Kent took an exciting 36-33 win over a tough and taller Brampton Warriors team.
Down throughout much of the game, the Wildcats were able to take a late lead on a timely 3 pointer from Claire Cox. Solara Howe led the team with 8 points along with 8 boards and Marissa Beselaere contributed 5 points and 5 steals, to seal the win.
In their second game, the Wildcats continued their winning ways with another close contest, winning against the again much taller Sudbury Jam team by a score of 36-32. Elliot Cowan led the team with 10 points, 8 boards, 3 assists and 6 blocked shots. Claire Cox had 9 points and Jillian Vickery added 8 points in the victory.
To finish out pool play, Chatham-Kent took a 37-27 win over the Etobicoke Thunder. Claire Cox led the team with 12 points, which included shooting 2 out of 5 from beyond the 3 point line. Solara Howe contributed 9 points and 5 boards and Elliot Cowan led the team defensively with 11 boards and 5 blocked shots.
Once again facing the much taller Sudbury Jam in the gold medal final, the Chatham-Kent girls held a narrow lead for much of the game, but lost by 1 point on a buzzer beater, with a final score of 38-37. Marissa Beselaere led the team with 13 points, including 2 for 5 from the 3 point line and added 6 steals in the contest. Jillian Vickery continued her strong play at both ends of the court with 11 points and 3 steals. Elliot Cowan was again strong with 13 boards and a team season high 8 assists.
Team members include Isabella Bugros, Claire Cox, Sara Turner, Marissa Beselaere, Meghan Malott, Briyah Baylis, Sydney Sheppy, Jillian Vickery, Sofia Butler, Elliot Cowan, Solara Howe, and Melissa Pardy. The team is coached by Charles Peet and Tracey Goosney, with number one fan distinction going to Mr. Geoff Beselaere.