Image credit: CFJC Today/Anthony Corea

By Marty Hastings

HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS

No. 2-ranked Sa-Hali Sabres aiming to make school history at B.C. High School Basketball Championships

Feb 25, 2025 | 4:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — Looking ahead flies against team philosophy.

But all the Sa-Hali Sabres have to do is look up for a reminder of the place they can take in school history.

“We’ve got that spot on the wall over there,” said Isabel Phillips of the Sabres, pointing to space perfectly shaped for a championship banner. “We want to fill it really bad.”

The Sabres are ranked No. 2 in the B.C. School Sports AAA Girls Basketball Provincial Championship tournament and positioned well to win the first senior hoops title in school history.

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“We’ve been talking about this all year and it’s something my wife works on with TRU [Thompson Rivers University] athletes,” Sabres’ head coach Jody Vosper said when asked about preparing for the pressure packed atmosphere of the Langley Events Centre.

“The real focus is on our purpose for each other as opposed to our performance and trying to get them to understand that is not easy to do, but we really want to battle each possession. Whether we’re making shots or missing shots, we want to have the same mentality and support our teammates through it all.”

Sa-Hali will square off against the No. 15 Stelly’s Stingers of Saanichton on Wednesday (Feb. 26) in Round 1 action.

“Togetherness, which is a big motto at Sa-Hali, is a big thing for us,” said Phillips, noting the team has been working toward this week for the past three years.

“We’re all very close and have good chemistry together.”

Sa-Hali has 20 wins and six losses this season, but has suffered only one defeat since rocking the South Kamloops Titans in the Fulton Cup (Kamloops city basketball championship) final 93-34 in December.

That loss was an eight-point defeat to Mennonite Educational Institute of Abbotsford, the No. 1-ranked team in B.C.

Vosper said M.E.I. deserves its place atop the rankings, but noted his Sa-Hali squad was riddled with sickness when the teams clashed.

“We recognized we’re a legit No. 2 and we gave them a really good game,” Vosper said.

“I’ve had a lot of special Sa-Hali teams over the years, but I think they’re just very together and they’re talented, as well. We have great leadership, good skills and they work hard and have fun.”

No. 11 Valleyview and No. 16 South Kamloops are among underdogs in the AAA girls tournament.

The Westsyde Whundas are ranked 12th in the AA girls bracket.

Grade 12 Sabres’ standout Nevena Nogic said she has often pictured winning the B.C. title in her senior year and it is hard to believe this week marks the culmination of her high school basketball career.

“It’s definitely crazy to think about how it’s my last year, but honestly I’m just trying to enjoy it with these girls as I don’t know what the future holds for us,” Nogic said. “I’m just really excited to go into this week playing together, working hard.”