Crusaders win bronze at P.A. Hoopla
On Friday night after their 5A Girls semifinals defeat to the Aden Bowman Bears, Carlton Crusaders forward Mackenzie Emmerson said she wanted her final game in her high school basketball career to be a victory and a Hoopla medal.
She got her wish on Saturday afternoon, as her Crusaders defeated the Centennial Chargers from Saskatoon 81-67 at École St. Mary to win bronze.
As she walked out to do her postgame interviews, Crusaders head coach Jenn Ferguson was still wiping tears from her face after giving her final postgame speech to her players of the season. For Emmerson, Payton Izsak and Nyariak Monyrew, it was their last high school basketball game of their careers.
“I’m so proud of them, it’s a really tough game to play in,” Ferguson said. “Composure was critical today and they did a really good job. That’s a really tough team, physical and they battle hard for rebounds and they obviously got a couple of exceptional players. We just kept finding ways to answer back. I think we got a little bit in their heads and worked them over that way. It affected the outcome of the game, most definitely.”