It was a good test for the St. Augustine Catholic Kings senior boys basketball team, even though they came out on the losing end.
The Kings wound up falling at home 72-66 to St. Dominic’s from Rocky Mountain House on Dec. 15, but it ended up a far better finish than it began.
“We had not idea what to expect from this team,” explained Kings head coach Adam Bowie.
“We knew it would be a good game either way and they showed up and played well.”
In fact, St. Dom’s played so great that the Kings were left licking their wounds at halftime, down by 20 points.
It was at that point the Kings started to play much better, digging themselves out and climbing back two within a bucket.
“But, we just couldn’t get over that hill. It was a great game and the boys played well,” Bowie added.
Queens learning
As for the Queens senior girls squad, they took some lumps from St. Dominic’s losing by 30-plus points Dec. 15.
Head coach Katherine Bergum explained the team is extremely young, having lost six players to graduation last season, and many of them are still learning the game at this level.
“That said, we are tall and fast, the only issue is we have to learn how to use it in the right way,” she said.
“They are all eager and want to learn, so it’s going to take time. The girls just have to be patient and it will come.”
Holding court - The Kings looked to help improve their younger players last weekend as the Grade 10 and 11 players participated in a tournament at Our Lady of Mount Pleasant in Camrose. The team lost a a tough game to Edmonton’s J. Percy Page in their tournament opener before defeating Caroline in their next game. Accordinag to Bowie, that contest was an extremely physical one, something the club isn’t too used to yet. That win put them into the consolation final, which they lost to Red Deer’s Koinonia School. Bowie added the tournament proved to be a great experience for the boys.