After a season of unique challenges and obstacles, the Canora Cougars senior girls basketball team is headed into the postseason with a great deal of determination after a hard-fought 61 to 47 loss to the visiting Yorkton Regional High School Raiders on March 9.
In this intense, back-and-forth contest, the teams were tied at the end of the first quarter, and YRHS had a tenuous 45 to 42 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
“Although we came up short, I thought our team played well,” said Cougars Coach Steve Merriam. "We managed to generate steals and turnovers, and rebounded well for most of the game. I think in the end, conditioning was likely the difference. Overall, I am happy about where we are at this point in the season, and I think we are ready for a good playoff push.”
With the loss, the Cougars record stands at five wins and six losses.
“We had several tournaments and games cancelled this year, and I feel that our season record doesn’t reflect the potential of our team,” reported Merriam. “We had some tough losses this season, complicated by COVID-19 restrictions. We have some very talented individuals on our team, and when they play cohesively as a team, I think they match up well with any team they play.
Playoff action started with the four-team conference tournament in Norquay on March 12. The two top teams from each conference (Cougars are seeded second) advance to one of the four regional tournaments on March 18-19. The winners of the four regional tournaments advance to HOOPLA, the provincial final tournament to be held the following weekend.
“We are focused on one game at a time, hopefully culminating in the provincial final,” concluded Merriam.
