The first brackets begin this week for the NCAA's March Madness and last week the Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association started their local version of March Madness.
Two Battlefords teams remain heading into the regional championship weekend. At the 4A level, both the North Battleford Comprehensive High School boys' and girls' teams advanced while the John Paul II teams were both eliminated.
Conference playoffs were at John Paul II for the girls and in the first game of the tournament, Martensville battled their way to a 43-36 win over John Paul II to advance forward in the A bracket while the Crusaders dropped to the B bracket.
John Paul II ended up playing Warman in their next conference game with the winner advancing to regionals and the loser's season coming to an end.
The first quarter was close and Warman carried a 15-12 lead into the first break. At half time the lead increased to 25-20 for Warman. The Crusaders struggled from the free-throw line in the second half and fell behind 40-28 at the end of the third quarter before losing 60-41. John Paul II did go out on a high note though, as the last shot they took of the season was a three-pointer.
NBCHS had a first round bye and played Martensville in their first action of the conference championship. The Vikings dominated Martensville earning an 80-13 win to qualify for regionals and advance to the conference final.
In the conference final, the unranked Meadow Lake Spartans took on the first ranked Vikings for the title.
The old sports adage of "defence wins championships" proved true, as Meadow Lake held the Vikings shooters at bay, drained a couple clutch shots and took the lead when it really mattered to earn the upset win.
The Vikings grabbed a 6-0 lead and at the end of the first quarter led 10-5. The Vikings were up 17-11 at half time, but the Spartans were still within striking distance and one of the Vikings players was in foul trouble by that time.
The Vikings pulled away to a 23-15 lead, but had that evaporate to a 23-20 lead. The teams traded baskets until late in the fourth quarter when the scorer was 36-35 for the Vikings. Thanks in large part to two-three pointers, Meadow Lake was a basket away from taking their first lead of the game.
The Spartans did that and led 37-36. Meadow Lake nailed a free throw late to seal the win.
Meadow Lake were just 5/18 from the free throw line, but their team defence was the difference, holding three of the five Vikings' starters to four points or less. Kendra Humenny led the Vikings' offence with 13 points while Shannia Magnisson had 12 points.
NBCHS will have a chance to redeem themselves at conference playoffs this weekend, as Martensville, Prince Albert St. Mary and Moose Jaw Central will be playing off for the regional title at NBCHS.
In Kindersley, the fourth ranked NBCHS senior boys' team disposed of the conference hosts in their first game last weekend. The Vikings' starters jumped out to a 10-point lead early and turned it over to the bench players to hold that in the second half. The Vikings' bench carried the team in the second half to an 86-45 win.
In the conference final, the Vikings again earned a lead and held on beating Meadow Lake by a 78-60 score to win the conference playoffs and balance the Meadow Lake versus NBCHS battle to one win for each school in the playoffs.
Regionals for the Vikings will take place at NBCHS, with seventh ranked Yorkton Sacred Heart and unranked Melfort and Moose Jaw Peacock joining the Vikings Friday and Saturday.
Evan Hardy in Saskatoon, Prince Albert St. Mary and Lumsden High School will also be hosting regional playoffs with winners earning a berth to HOOPLA in Moose Jaw next weekend.
As for the John Paul II Crusaders, they led by two-points after the first half against Meadow Lake in their first game, but it turned into a six-point spread at half time in favour of Meadow Lake. The Spartans controlled the play late earning a 74-61 win and eliminated John Paul II from the madness.
