Gabrielle's Basketball Season

Gabrielle played basketball again this year for the St. Paul middle school team. She and her classmates were much improved over last year and with only three 8th graders and three 7th graders (plus two 6th graders) on the 'A' team, she played nearly the whole game every game. Her team did great in their league, two highlights of the league season were beating the then undefeated Junction City team at home and nearly beating the eventual league winner, O'Hara, in a 2 point home game. The team's final league record was 8-4 (two losses to O'Hara and one each to Central Linn & J.C.). Gabrielle played great, usually scoring about six points and often getting eight to ten rebounds and a couple steals each game. 

Her team also played in a tournament in Crow in January and took 3rd place, playing very well against some club-type/select teams. The St. Paul tournament in February is always the highlight of the season for the players. As always, there were eight girls teams and eight boys teams in the tourney. Elle's team won their first two games which put them in the Sunday afternoon final against O'Hara. St. Paul fought hard but couldn't stop the tall Eagen twins, and had to settle for second place. The weekend activities were also a lot of fun including a Saturday morning breakfast and inspirational talk by former UO and NBA player Luke Jackson, the mass and all school dance on Saturday evening, and the end of tourney pizza gathering. Gabrielle says she does not want to play basketball in high school and that soccer is what she really loves but she enjoys the girls on her basketball team a lot and had fun playing for her school. We look forward to her final year of basketball next winter.

The girls got ready for the St. Paul Tournament dance at Kyndsi's house again. Emma, Meleesa, Elle, Paras, Jorja and Kyndsi (the 7th & 8th grade 'A' team players)

League Play....

 

 

Nev got in on the fun at most timeouts and halftimes :)

Excitement before the girls are introduced at the pep rally before the St. Paul Tournament...

Play at the St. Paul Tournament...

All dressed up for the tournament mass and dance...

 

 

All but a couple players from both 'A' & 'B' teams (plus Julia)

The starters!

The Championship Game... 

The stands were full and loud the championship game!