The North Star Wolves senior and junior girls basketball teams both got to the WECSSAA “AA” quarterfinals but could get no further.
The senior Wolves were at Tecumseh Vista Academy last Tuesday evening and despite a close game early, the Wolves eventually lost 41-22 to the Vortex. The loss marked the end of the 2024 season for the Wolves, who went 6-3 in Tier 2 regular season play.
“We had our chances,” said North Star coach Dom Silvaggio. “It was probably our worst shooting game of the year. We had open looks but nothing was falling.”
Silvaggio said there was a roughly ten-minute stretch where the Wolves were unable to score, noting it lasted from midway in the first quarter to about halfway through the second quarter. The game was tied at ten when North Star’s scoring dried up and when they were finally able to get the offense going again, they faced a deficit.
“Once (Tecumseh Vista) built a lead of about 10-12 points, we had to take chances,” he said.
The Wolves made great strides this year and coaches Silvaggio and Frank Palumbo were pleased with how things went during this season.
“The effort was great,” said Silvaggio. “I was happy with their overall game.”
Silvaggio added after last Tuesday’s game that Tecumseh Vista had a chance to get to the WECSSAA “AA” final, pointing out they played in Tier 1 this season. In the end, that’s what the Vortex did, and they won the “AA” title Sunday with a 48-41 win over Erie Migration from Kingsville.
While Sophia Aspila, Taliyah Robson and Rylee Varney graduate this year, the remainder of the team is eligible to come back next season. That includes all of the starters, with Silvaggio stating four of the five starters can play two more years as they are Grade 10 players.
“The only thing they have to work on is their shooting,” he said. “The other parts of their game have improved immensely.”
The players’ skills have progressed, but Silvaggio noted there should also be improvement as they mature in age. They played well for young players but their understanding of the game will also come along as they move forward through high school.
The junior girls were at Riverside in a game also played last Tuesday. The Wolves beat the Stingers in a double overtime game in the regular season but fell 39-22 this time around. The junior Wolves had an excellent regular season, going 7-2 in Tier 2, and won a playoff game over Herman. Despite their development during the season and a strong effort against Riverside, they were unable to advance further.
Season comes to a close for Wolves girls basketball
By Ron Giofu
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