Vikings take title

The St. Ignatius Falcons are varsity girls basketball champions no more.

Led by Aliisa Heiskanen’s 19-point attack, the Hammarskjold Vikings upended the three-time defending champion Falcons on Monday, continuing their perfect season with a 49-40 triumph in the title game.

“It’s awesome, especially since last year they beat us in the final, so it feels good to finally come back and beat them,” said Heiskanen.
It’s a testament to hard work, said teammate Shannon McKitrick, author of seven points for the Vikings, who ran their record to 14-0, a date with Dryden looming in the NWOSSAA championship.

“We worked hard all season and we want to continue on,” she said. “We won in junior in Grade 9 and we’re continuing with the same team, so it was great to win.

Beating an intense rival made it all that sweeter.

The Vikings lost to the Falcons in last year’s final, St. Ignatius capturing its third straight title. No team has won four in Superior Secondary School Athletics Association history.

McKitrick said their goal was to deny them a fourth title in as many years at all costs.

“For sure, we’ve always had major competition between us. It’s friendly, we’re competitive with each other, but it feels great to win after all this time,” she said.

It was a game of stops and starts for Hammarskjold, who raced out to a 23-15 lead at the half and were up a dozen moments into the third quarter on back-to-back buckets by Megan Foster and Heiskanen.

But as they did all game, the Falcons kept battling back.

Down 12, Guard Amanda Walberg buried a three, then off a steal scored another basket to cut the lead to seven. McKitrick responded with a three.

Alessandra Wood closed the gap to six with a pair of baskets, but with the clock running down in the third Rachel Stoot hit a shot and Heiskanen stole the ball and scored ahead of the buzzer to restore the 10-point lead.

Twice in the fourth the Falcons closed to within six, but missed free throws and open shots plagued their comeback bid.

Hammarskjold coach Bruno Corbin said it wasn’t a perfectly executed game plan, but he’ll take the end result, no questions asked.

“I think anytime you win the championship it’s a good thing, although it was challenging and difficult. It’s never easy, but certainly winning is a good thing. If you look back, most of these kids have been with the team at least two years, some of them three,” Corbin said.

“It’s just nice for the kids putting in the time and finally getting something for it.”

On the line against Dryden is a trip to provincials in Windsor, Ont. later this month.