ESTEVAN — The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs senior girls basketball team defended their home court and claimed victory in the annual Victor Elias Memorial Shoot for a Cure Pink Basketball Tournament, defeating Moose Jaw Peacock 62-56 in the final.
"We were up at half by 20 points, but Moose Jaw never gave up and fired back at us in the second half, which made for an exciting game for everyone," said Elecs head coach Jessica Smoliak.
The win marked the Elecs' first championship at their home tournament since 2017, when they also faced Peacock in the final.
The tournament took place the same week as the McLeod Series, won by Estevan, which Smoliak said was a good experience ahead of another competition.
“The girls learned that taking care of defence first and playing as a team on offence would benefit them with winning their home tournament,” she said.
The tournament, which raises funds for local individuals battling cancer, saw six teams compete in Estevan over the weekend. ECS started strong with a dominant 66-24 victory over Gladmar, followed by a 53-28 win against Moose Jaw Vanier in the semifinals. In the final, ECS held off a resilient Peacock squad to secure the title.
Leading the way in the championship game was Megan Porter, who recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Jordyn Tarnes contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Sadie Aspinall added eight points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Smoliak highlighted the sportsmanship and generosity of Peacock's coaching staff, Brendan and Megan Fedoski, who officiated games and donated their payment back to the tournament.
"They sure know the meaning of paying it forward," she said.
Megan Fedoski’s mother, Tammie Crone, was a strong supporter of the Pink Tournament before passing away from cancer in 2021. During the event’s pink 小蓝视频, Smoliak presented Megan with a pink balloon in Tammie's.
"She was a wonderful supporter of ECS basketball and the pink tournament."
Other results from the tournament included Central defeating Vanier 51-24 for the bronze medal, North Battleford edging Yorkton 70-69 in the B final, and Weyburn narrowly beating Gladmar 51-49. Smoliak noted that Gladmar stepped in at the last minute due to another team dropping off and had a good showing.
“Gladmar was able to step in and attend as a 1A school. I thought they had a great weekend playing 4 and 5 A schools. I love how they didn’t give up and stepped up for the challenge,” Smoliak said. “Gladmar actually had a great last game against Weyburn, losing by 2 in the last second of the game. We thought it was going to go into overtime. We really appreciated Gladmar attending our tournament with such short notice. I hope they gained experience and got that much better going into 1A conferences this weekend.”
The tournament also raised $7,000 to support Clarice Abucayan, a Grade 8 student from Westview School who was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia last July. Smoliak noted that her treatment is still ongoing and the projection is almost a year of doing treatment with bone marrow biopsy in between the treatment cycle. She is getting treatment at the Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon.
"I am just so thankful for the generous donations from our community and how we always seem to give back to those who are in need," Smoliak said.
She was particularly touched by the presence of previous beneficiaries who came to show their support.
"The highlight of the tournament was seeing previous beneficiaries in the stands supporting our team but also supporting the next pink tournament family."
The Elecs are now shifting their focus to their next challenge.
"The girls need to remain focused on their goal, which is getting to play at Hoopla March 20-22," Smoliak said.
ECS will compete in a tournament in Weyburn this coming weekend before hosting 5A Rural Girls Basketball on March 14-15. Their regional ranking will be determined on March 10.
Reflecting on the success of the tournament, Smoliak expressed her gratitude to the ECS community.
"Thank you to my basketball parents and ECS staff members and students for organizing, volunteering and supporting the 14th year of our tournament," she said. "So many compliments from opposing teams that attend and say this is their favourite tournament of the year.
“Aside from fundraising and playing basketball, we also give a shoutout to graduating players from every team that attends and give them a pink rose. A Loving Touch donated all of the flowers this year, and I am so thankful for their generosity.”
The tournament continues to hold deep personal meaning for Smoliak, whose father, Victor Elias, died from cancer in 2017 and was the event's namesake.
"My dad, who we named the tournament after, would be so proud. He was always one to donate or support someone in need," Smoliak said thanking everyone involved for their contributions and support.
