Big Success Start to Finish

Basketball Day in Miramichi was a big success. On January 3rd the gym at MVHS was beehive of basketball activity all day long culminating in an exciting college game between STU and UPEI featuring some local players, and an announcement that starting in April. Miramichi will have a team in the Maritime Women's Basketball League. The Miramichi Her-icames will play their first game on May 5th at MVHS.

Early in the day STU players including Miramichiers Owen Amos and Eval Valanne took to the court for a couple of hours of instruction for young players.Hundreds of kids in Miramichi play basketball on school teams and also in house league competition. The numbers grow every year and Miramichi teams are competitive across the province with several titles as proof.

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Pulamoo and Tommie girls play a thriller

Later in the day cross-town rivals the Tommies and the Pulamoo faced off in a girls high school game which the Tommies won by a score of 59 to 55. The Tommies benefitted from the heroics of Riley Lynch who had 17 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter playing with four fowls. Lynch made three 3-pointers in the final frame that were daggers to the home team effort. Lynch was named player of the game and walked away with Miramichi Her-icanes t-shirt.

Also contributing for the Tommies were Launa Davis with 18 points, Reese MacDonald with 10. Playing good games on the losing side for MVHS were Lily Casey with 26 points and Molly Taylor with 10. These teams will undoubtedly play more tense games against each other as the season progresses toward the playoffs.

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Councillors bounced in match against Special Olympics team

The high school thriller was followed up by a game between Miramichi City Councillors and the local Special Olympics Team. The Special Olympics team backed up some tough talk with a 46-11 drubbing of wind-sucking councillors.

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Local plays key in STU win over UPEI

In the evening STU took on UPEI. STU plays in the ACAA and competes against colleges like Crandall, UNBSJ and Mount A, while UPEI plays in the more competitive AUS league against teams like UNB, STX and Memorial. Even without three of its best players for the exhibition match, STU defeated UPEI 76-71. The Tommies staged late quarter rallies in the 1st and 2nd to keep the game close in the first half, but pulled away in the second half of the match to seal the win.

Local players Owen Amos and Evan Valanne started for the Tommies and were impactful all game. Amos chipped in with 15 points and several tough defensive plays and assists, while Evan Valanne had 10 points and was an absolute stud on defence and earned the player of the game nod. Valanne played the most minutes, and while STU’s centre was getting a breather in the second half, Valanne stepped up to guard UPEI’s biggest players in the paint with very good results.

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Miramichi Her-icanes join MWBL

At halftime during the STU game the announcement was made that Miramichi would have a team in the MWBL starting in April called the Miramichi Her-icanes.   The team is owned by Whitney Handerson (of Three Rivers Construction) who posted a welcome video seen below.    Coach Brittany Sullivan (far right) was introduced along with four local players who will suit up for the Canes, (left to right in center of the photo) Trista Desroches, , Bailey Black, Cassidy Hamilton and Ashley Cortes. Also pictured are League Commissioner Jen MacKenzie and Jim Watters.

The league is entering its third year with 6 teams from Halifax (2), Windsor, Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John. Miramichi will make the 7th team. The league was borne out of the need for a place for female athletes to continue their playing careers after their school playing days are over.

Miramichi player Bailey Black, who played 4 years at UNB and now teaches in Campbellton and coaches a team there, says there was something definitely missing in her life after she graduated university.

Black was a stand-out in high school for the MVHS teams she played on, and was a leader on and off the court at UNB as her career there progressed. Black said after graduation she played one season in the MVBL for Moncton and was blown away by the level of support the team got and how many people attended the games. She expects many local players will be on the court for the Her-icanes as well as other recruited talent. Black said women who have been out of school for a few years still possess the basketball IQ to compete at a higher level and the games are quite spirited and competitive.

The Her-icane begin playing in April and their first home game is scheduled for May 5th

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