Mavs team to beat as 4A high school girls' hoops championship opens

The host St. Kevin’s Mavericks take a near-perfect 25-1 record in provincial play into the School Sports NL provincial 4A high school girls’ basketball championship which opens Thursday afternoon in the Goulds.

The Mavs have enjoyed a fine season so far, winning the Keith Keating Memorial tournament, Clarence Sutton Classic which St. Kevin’s played host, and Hall of Fame Cup (Elite 8) tournament.

St. Kevin’s went 2-2 earlier this season at the East Coast Classic in Wolfville, N.S., which featured the top teams in Atlantic Canada.

Already, the Mavs have two players who are committed to the Memorial University Sea-Hawks next year — point guard Emma Power and post player Grace Bennett.

Eight teams are entered in the 4As, split into two divisions. Joining St. Kevin’s in Division A are the Holy Trinity Tigers from Torbay, Mount Pearl’s O’Donel Patriots and Corner Brook High Titans. In Division B are two-time defending champions Waterford Valley Warriors, Holy Heart Highlanders, Gonzaga Vikings and Prince of Wales Collegiate Cavaliers, all from St. John’s.

The final is scheduled for noon Sunday.

The tournament schedule is:

Thursday, March 15

3:45 p.m., Holy Heart vs. PWC, at Waterford Valley

5:30 p.m., Waterford Valley vs. Gonzaga, at Waterford Valley

5:15 p.m., St. Kevin’s vs. O’Donel

7:00 p.m., Holy Trinity vs. Corner Brook

Friday, March 16

9 a.m., Holy Heart vs. Waterford Valley

10:45 a.m., Corner Brook vs. O’Donel

12:30 p.m., St. Kevin’s vs Holy Trinity

2:15 p.m., Gonzaga vs. PWC

Saturday, March 17

9 a.m., Holy Trinity vs. O’Donel

10:45 a.m., Waterford Valley vs. PWC

12:30 p.m., Corner Brook vs. St. Kevin’s

2:15 p.m., Holy Heart vs. Gonzaga

6 p.m., 1^st in A vs. 2^nd in B (semifinal 1)

7:45 p.m., 1^st in B vs. 2^nd in A (semifinal 2)

Sunday, March 18

12 p.m., championship game