“The big change we made was on our defence and trying to top their three-pointers from going in. “That was exciting to watch,” Smithville coach Derrick DeKlerk said. The Storm trailed 23-6 after one quarter and 39-22 at the half before roaring back to make the game a thriller at the final buzzer. “We lost a little bit of our intensity and we lost a little bit of steam and patience and that is when they started to gain momentum,” McDonald said. Tuesday’s game was a tale of two halves for the Patriots a dominant first half following by hanging on for dear life in the second. The 16-year-old Niagara Falls resident has been playing basketball since she was nine or 10 and suited up with the Niagara Falls Red Raiders and Welland Warriors before making the Niagara Juel team this fall. “I just want to continue to get better and hopefully get some sort of scholarship.” She is not sure what her basketball goals are quite yet. “I was doing that and going on the treadmill to build up my endurance to be ready to play games like these.” “I went to the gym a lot and practised my shooting because that was something I really wanted to get better at,” she said. It made me a better player and I realized how much I loved the sport and how much I wanted to get back.” It was obviously very frustrating but it was something I had to work through. “It was really tough watching my team play and not being able to compete with them. She admits it was a difficult year rehabbing her knee. I got surgery pretty fast so that was good and I have been cleared to play now for about three weeks.” “I was at a basketball practice with my team and I got hit on the knee and my ACL and meniscus tore. The Grade 11 student was looking forward to her first year of senior ball last fall when things came to an untimely end. “We didn’t have her last year because she hurt her knee and it was a very disappointing year for her and us as well.” She is an awesome scoring machine, is great on defence and she knows the game inside and out,” McDonald said. “She is a great player and a game-changer. The Saint Paul senior girls basketball coach had a front row seat Tuesday as Stranges poured in 29 points to lead the Patriots to a 54-51 victory over the Smithville Christian Storm in opening-round play at the Second Annual BPSN Girls Basketball Tournament at Eden. No one is happier to see Ava Stranges back on the basketball court than Kristin McDonald.
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