NOSSA playdowns set to begin Friday

The stage has been set for the NOSSA championships beginning Friday afternoon at St. Basil.

Two more teams entered the Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (NOSSA) AAA playdown mix on Tuesday after the High School Girls Basketball League held a pair of special playoff games between the playoff semi-final losers in each division.

Joining city finalist St. Mary's in the senior division AAA playdowns as the city's second seed are the Bawating Braves, who advanced with a 41-36 win over the Korah Colts on Tuesday.

Christine Thayer led the Braves with 12 points while Stephanie Thayer added 11. Lauren Podolski replied with nine and Katrina Huopalainen eight for the Colts.

The Mount St. Joseph College Royals claimed the second seed in the junior division after a 39-34 win over the Korah Colts.

Stephanie Colizza led the winner with 15 points with Deanna Buonoumo adding nine. Jaclyn Cummings led the Colts with 12 while Brittany Hogan added 10.

Both local city champions, the St. Basil Saints in senior and the St. Mary's Knights in junior, have elected to participate in the NOSSA AA playdowns beginning Friday in North Bay.

The AAA playdowns begin Friday at St. Basil with seeding games as Sudbury LaSalle meets the Mount at 3 p.m. and St. Basil plays North Bay Scollard Hall at 4:30 p.m. in junior.

Senior division action tips off at 6 p.m. as LaSalle battles Bawating followed by St. Mary's and Scollard Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Teams will then be reseeded and action will resume at 9 a.m. on Saturday with both junior semi-finals. The senior semi-final games will follow beginning at noon.

The junior championship will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday followed by the senior tilt at 7 p.m.