Image Credit: BC 3A Girls Basketball

By Victor Kaisar

Basketball Provincials

Sa-Hali Sabres come up just short in bid for first-ever provincial basketball title

Mar 2, 2025 | 9:12 AM

LANGLEY B.C. — The Sa-Hali Sabres had to settle for a silver medal after a heartbreaking 50-49 loss to M.E.I. of Abbotsford in the final of the 3A Girls Basketball Provincial Championships.

The Sabres were the second ranked team in the province, but they weren’t able to knock off the top team in Saturday’s (March 1) championship game at the Langley Events Centre.

Nevena Nogic led the way with 25 points as the Sabres recorded their best ever result in school history. Nogic, the Grade 12 standout, was also named tournament MVP.

Trailing 13-7 after one quarter, the Sabres went on an 11-0 run in the second and led 25-21 at the half. They fell back behind and trailed 37-35 after three quarters, and came up just short despite outscoring M.E.I. 14-13 in the final quarter.

The Sabres were up 49-43 at one point in the fourth quarter before the Eagles clawed back. They hit two free throws before Olivia Sidhu’s three-pointer to cut the margin to one with 1:22 to play.

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The Eagles then stole the ball and heaved it down the court as Sidhu, who was named player of the game, scored the winning basket with 19.3 seconds left.

A last-ditch effort by Nogic to put the Sabres back in the lead came up short as the buzzer sounded.

“We had the ball in the hands of who we wanted [Nogic] at the end of the game,” Sabres Head Coach Jody Vosper told VarsityLetters.ca. “And that’s life, sometimes the ball will drop and sometimes it won’t.”

“But I’m super proud of us. I’m one of the luckiest coaches in the world. I just love this group. I’m really going to miss them.”

Sabres’ Grade 11 forward Iyin Aina, who finished with 10 points Saturday, was named a first team all-star, while Isabel Phillips, who had seven points, was named a second team all-star.

Elsewhere, the South Kamloops Secondary Titans finished in 11th place with a 53-44 win over Pitt Meadows Saturday, while the Valleyview Vikes finished 14th after they fell 51-42 to Sentinel from West Vancouver. The Vikes were also named the Most Sportsmanlike Team at the tournament.

And in 2A girls basketball action, the Westsyde Whundas finished in 12th place after they lost 53-50 to Mulgrave also from West Vancouver.