After running rough shot throughout the regular season, the undefeated Loyola Hawks walked into the Sheridan Field House with a bit of a swagger in their step.
If you ask Hawks head coach James Mojica about his squad's regular season prowess, he's a little tougher on the girls than you might expect. "My mindset is that we weren't undefeated because we were defeated in tournament play, and that kind of keeps us hungry because we know we're not perfect."
That level of intensity served his squad well as the Hawks came out starving for a win.
From the opening whistle, Grade 9 sensation Niki Rupcich was determined to leave her mark on the Halton Catholic Athletic Association's Senior Girls Basketball final, and she did just that.
Rupcic would assert her supremacy early on - diving for loose balls and making big defensive stops, all on the way to scoring 10 points in the opening stanza.
In the second quarter, Rupcich got a little help on the score sheet from Paige Ryce, who would drain back-to-back three-pointers only moments apart to blow the game wide open, making it 19 to 6 in favour of Loyola early on. There was no turning back after that.
"We've kind of leaned on Paige a lot this season, especially through this playoff run. We trust her to make the right decision with the ball," stated Mojica.
Alyssa Stephenson controlled the game's tempo masterfully, pushing the ball up the court and feeding a steady diet of interior passes to Rupcich and Nuju Ubosi in the paint. The Hawks took a 30-11 lead into the Half.
In the third period, the Hawks seemingly took their foot off the proverbial gas pedal, only outscoring the opposition 7-6, but by then, the damage had already been done.
With the scoreline 37-17 in favour of the Hawks going into the fourth quarter, Head Coach James Mojica spread some minutes around to his bench players so they could get a taste of the action.
With the fourth interval seeming like a foregone conclusion, Royals began to show signs of life. In fact, they would outscore the Hawks 13-8, but alas, it was too little too late.
When the final whistle blew, the result was never in question as the Loyola Hawks took the victory 45-30.
Rupcich's masterclass finished with her scoring 20 points in her first HCAA Sr. Girl's Basketball Final. A performance that was indeed a sight to behold.
Following the game, the freshman was quick to pile praise on to her teammates, showing maturity beyond her years, saying, "these amazing girls beside me really led me this way and helped me get through this thing, and as a team together, we're all just so happy for each other. It's such a positive environment. It's made this experience so much better. It's really exciting."
She even shined praise on the opposition for forcing an elite performance from her squad, "they really brought it today, and I just feel like as a team, we really had to work together and stay calm. BR was putting the pressure on, and we just had to do the things we do well."
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Loyola will match up against Iroquois Ridge in the GHAC Semi-Finals. It will be a 3:15 pm tipoff at Loyola.
In HSAA Boys Football, Abbey Park lost 22-20 to Craig Kielburger in one of two Tier 2 Semi-Finals, while Iroquois Ridge put up a valiant effort in the Tier 1 Sr. Boy's Final against the mighty Nelson Lords. The Trailblazers were even leading in the 4th quarter, forcing Lords to tie the game up in the dying seconds. Ultimately, a failed 2-point conversion would be the Ridge's undoing, giving Nelson their 25th Sr. Boy's Football Championship.