INUVIK - Samuel Hearne Secondary School's girls basketball team took home the championship banner at the Junior Cager tournament held in Yellowknife recently.

The 12-girl squad managed to stay undefeated in the Feb. 19 weekend tournament where they faced off against three teams representing Yellowknife area schools.

Members of the SHSS championship basketball team show off their Junior Cager championship banner. Back row, from left, Megan Lennie, Alyson Miller (coach), Karly King-Simpson, Tanya Moore, Kanelsa Noksana, Brandi Larocque, Kristen Elias, Tamara Moore, Darielle Bonnetplume, Chelsea Elias and Meghan Etter (coach). Front row, from left, Hilary Charlie, Charissa Goeson and Chloe Larocque. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo

The result is a far cry from how last year's team did in the tournament.

"Last year we got clobbered," said Meghan Etter, an educational assistant at the school who coached both teams. "I wasn't going down with the hopes of winning, I was hoping to improve from last year, and we did that."

With the exception of one Grade 9 player, the hometown team was made up of Grade 7 and 8 students. Etter said many of the Grade 7 students benefited from strong coaching at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School. The team beat out William McDonald Middle School by just one point in a narrow 21 to 20 semifinal game. They also won a hard-fought championship game against Weledeh Catholic School by a score of 21 to 17.

Etter said the girls were strong defensively and offensively throughout the tournament.

"When they had to, they stepped up," she said. "They worked really well together. That was nice to see."

Being a bit superstitious, the girls brought along two lucky charms: a glass alligator and a black beaded necklace for coach Etter to wear.

Team member Chelsea Elias said she wasn't expecting the team to fare that well, but they started wining their round robin games.

"I starting thinking that we might have a chance," said the Grade 8 student.

Her teammate Brandi Larocque agreed and said she's proud of the banner and how hard the girls worked to get it. She also gave a lot of credit to her coach.

"She keeps pushing us to do our best," she said.

The girls had been practising three times a week with a strong emphasis on cardio exercise to increase stamina. By the time the final team selections were made they had only about two weeks to get used to one another.

Etter had nothing but praise for her team.

"They were so much fun," she said. "They were so excited and so positive and they encouraged each other all the time."