Saint-Bruno: Last-Second Win!

The mini AAA women’s team from the Saint-Bruno Basketball Association held off its rival from Victoriaville until the last second. While the two teams were tied, the table showed a score of 30 to 30.

Emma, Anne-Sophie, Céleste, Diyala, Elitodo, Emily, Raphaëlle, Romy, Shanice, Stella, Sydney and Yulin delivered a whole game to the supporters present. Through teamwork, coordinated to prevent possession of the ball by the opponent, the five players on the field had to complete six passes before one of them decided to advance to the basket to successfully complete a stride throw, also called lay-upthus leading his team to victory.

Believe that everything is possible

It must be remembered that the match was not exciting until the very end. At halftime, the players were ten points behind the Victoriaville team. “All the girls looked like they were back at the slaughterhouse for the half. Our role was to make them believe that everything was still possible, to keep the flame alive. We had to succeed in making them see the rest of the game one basket at a time,” explains Alexandre Dumouchel, the team’s coach.

In front of a group of young players who, despite their 11 years, have a lot of experience, Alexandre and Jessy Girard, responsible for the competitive program, have confidence in the girls in the game. “It is not our role to tell them what to do on the field. They know what to do, they try things,” says the coach.

Over the past few years, this team has experienced several games where the final score was decided in the last seconds. Note that during the game, with only 50 seconds remaining, the girls still had to make up for a three-point deficit.

“They are proof that in basketball, anything is possible when you believe in it until the end. I say it often, but the team that wants the ball the most is the team that will go for victory,” expresses the head of the competitive program.

At Place Bell

The mini AAA women’s team also had the chance to play during the NCAA event at Place Bell, just like their male colleagues. Both teams went for victory during these ten-minute clashes. “It was beautiful to see their calm on the pitch, despite the crowd and the atmosphere,” explains Alexandre.

Opportunities like this present themselves at the Saint-Bruno Basketball Association, according to François Bibeau, volunteer president – Saint-Bruno Basketball Association, because of the good reputation of the organization. It’s a pride shared by the athletes, many of whom are returning to the adult league or even as coaches for the little ones.

Not just a sport

The objective of this association is also to continue to develop women’s teams. “There will always be boys who are interested in sport, but we have a challenge to keep it attractive to girls,” explains François Bibeau.

For Alexandre, basketball, like all other sports practiced by young people, is a lifelong learning experience. “They don’t just play basketball, they learn teamwork, to respect their limits, to develop self-confidence,” names the coach as an example.

Among the values of the Saint-Bruno Basketball Association, we want to develop young people before developing athletes. “We often say it, but we want our players to play other sports. At a certain age, specializing increases the risk of injury. For our players, it takes a rest in the summer. Young people can go play soccer.

It will help them develop better footwork, which is also essential on a basketball court,” explains Jessy, who, like Alexandre, wishes that the basketball courts close for a few weeks in the summer to give young people a deserved break from the sport they play.