Tia Tsang finds herself among some elite company.
Maren Corrigal, Julie Little and Katie Miyazaki were university-bound basketball talents that played in relative obscurity on average Richmond high school teams. Now, Tsang will be looking to take the McRoberts Strikers as far as she can before heading to Simon Fraser University next fall.
The Grade 12 guard was among five players locked up by SFU back in November in what head coach Bruce Langford described as his “most talented” recruiting class ever. While Tsang’s future teammates, including McMath star Jessica Jones, will be trying to win championships with their respective school teams, she is content on just reaching next month’s Lower Mainland playoffs.a
The Strikers are enjoying modest success with a limited schedule that should carry them to the city title game. After that, all bets are off.
McRoberts would be up against powerhouse McMath in the Richmond final, then head to a very competitive Lower Mainland AA playoff tournament.
The Strikers have produced five easy wins in league play but also got a taste of the elite level when McMath handed them a 71-20 loss last week.
“We just weren’t ready for that pace,” said Tsang, following her team’s win over MacNeill Monday night. “They just basically ran around us. They have a lot of practice and concentrate on basketball.
“Once our rotation and movement improves, we will be better. It would be nice to compete a bit at (McMath’s) level and maybe go to the Lower Mainlands and see how it goes.”
Tsang had her chance to join her good friends across town at McMath and go for provincial glory but she is right where she wants to be.
She not only gets to graduate with her lifelong classmates, but was a key part of a talented McRoberts volleyball team that was among the best in B.C. this past season.
It was Tsang’s decision to stay that brought longtime McRoberts teacher and volunteer coach Trish Nicholson back to guide the senior team. Nicholson also coached volleyball, making it one massive commitment since September.
It reunites her with a basketball group that did show promise with a fifth place finish at the Grade 9 provincials. Tsang was also the star player back then but not all of her teammates stuck with hoops.
“I’m here for her. I would rather be at home right now,” laughed Nicholson. I do feel bad that what we started (three years ago) didn’t evolve. It just wasn’t their thing and basketball is hard (to commit and compete at the elite level). But Tia also loves volleyball and we happen to be better at it.
“It’s tough for her when I’m having to go over fundamental stuff for the kids that don’t play. She is out there on the court giving them no look passes and doing other stuff.”
Tsang is still getting to work on her game for the next chapter of her career. She credits her time with 3D Basketball for taking an already superb shooting stroke to another level. Tsang also has benefitted from being in Nicholson’s Strength and Conditioning class.
“I just feel stronger out there and more durable too,” added Tsang. “Everything just seems much easier for me this season.
“Last summer really helped me be more of a scorer on my club team. We shared the ball more and had more rotations. I had a lot more opportunities to shoot.”
