WINNIPEG – The Oak Park Raiders won not one, but two provincial basketball championships on Monday.
Oak Park became just the second school to sweep both AAAA basketball championships in the 48 years they’ve been contested.
The top seeded Raiders won the boys crown with a 78-73 win over the third ranked St. Paul’s Crusaders. Wyatt Tait lead the charge for Oak Park with a team high 24 points in getting named the most valuable player. It’s the sixth boys basketball championship for the school.
Mark Tachie scored a game high 26 points in the loss for the Crusaders.
WATCH: Highlights AAAA High School Provincial Boys Basketball Final
In a battle of the two top seeds the Raiders girl’s team was also victorious in the final. The second seeded Raiders upset the top seeded Vincent Massey Trojans 81-67. The Raiders built up a 15 point lead in the first half. The Trojans cut the deficit all the way down to four points in the fourth quarter but the Raiders hung on to win their fifth AAAA girl’s basketball championship.
“We had a good game plan going in and defended them really well.” said Oak Park head coach Murray Brown. “Deidre Bartlett was spectacular. She stepped up and hit some huge shots. All our kids played well. It was awesome.”
The Raiders were lead by the Bartlett sisters. Lauren had 18 points while Deidre was chosen MVP after making five 3-pointers in the final while finishing with 19 points.
“It’s an amazing feeling.” Deidre said. “It’s such a good way to go out, play my last high school game like this with my sister. I just think it’s an amazing feeling, indescribable.”
Niyah Becker scored 32 points in the final in a losing cause for the Trojans.
WATCH: Highlights AAAA High School Provincial Girls Basketball Final
The Dakota Lancers are the only other school to win both Manitoba AAAA Basketball titles in the same year. They did it twice but that was way back in 1970 and 1977.
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