The Argyle Pipers will battle for a berth in the senior girls AAA provincial championship tournament final tonight at the Langley Events Centre.
The fourth-seeded Pipers will have their hands full as they take on the top-ranked Abbotsford Panthers in a semifinal matchup that tips off at 5 p.m. Friday. Argyle earned their way into the medal round with a 71-30 opening round win over Delta followed by a 65-57 victory over fifth-seeded South Kamloops, the two-time defending provincial champs, in quarterfinal action Thursday.
The Pipers built up a big lead against South Kamloops, taking a 20-point advantage in the third quarter, and then withstood a late comeback push to hold on to the win. Point guard Holly Brewer stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four steals while Hope Pearmain led the team with 16 points. Argyle was hot from behind the arc, hitting eight of their 20 three-point attempts, while their imposing front line – the Pipers are one of the tallest teams in the province – helped them grab 20 offensive rebounds in the win.
In tonight’s semifinal Abbotsford will be led into battle by Marin Lenz, who registered 37 points, 12 rebounds, eight steals and four assists in a 76-49 quarterfinal win over Duchess Park Thursday.
The Pipers, coached by Anthony Beyrouti, are attempting to make it to the provincial final for the first time in team history. Their previous best finish was a third-place showing in 1998.
