Underdogs going into today’s quarter-final game, the Kelowna Owls will retain that role on Friday in semifinal play at the B.C. School Sports senior AAA girls basketball championship.

Seeded fifth at the 70th annual affair at the Langley Events Centre, the Owls came from behind late in the game and held off a late charge by the No. 4-ranked Yale Lions of Abbotsford for a 65-64 victory.

Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowJaeli Ibbetson led the Owls with 23 points and 20 rebounds.With the upset over the Lions, the Owls earned the opportunity to defend their first-ever provincial title when they take on the highly favoured Semiahmoo Totems of Surrey in a semifinal match beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Despite the win, the consensus among the Kelowna Secondary School  coaches and players was that the team’s best performance is still ahead.

Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowA 15-point, 14-rebound effort by Kennedy Dickie played a key role in the Owls' success.“Honestly, our game wasn’t very good,” said Heather Semeniuk, assistant to her son Darren. “The girls looked tired. I think adjusting to the change in altitude is an issue for the Interior teams.”

In an interview with Varsity Letters’ Howard Tsumura, Darren Semeniuk conceded the Owls were “lucky we were able to get away with that one.”

Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowGrade 11 Rylee Semeniuk complemented the dynamic duo with a 13-point contribution.“But we had some big moments from key players. If you can find a way to win in the last two minutes, it tells you a lot about what’s going on in our locker room . . . and the character our Grade 12s are bringing.”

Once again it was the dynamic senior duo of Jaeli Ibbetson and Kennedy Dickie leading the charge against Yale, a team that upset favoured Brookswood twice during the season.

Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowKassidy Day contributed nine points to the KSS victory.Ibbetson, signed on to play for the UBC Okanagan Heat this fall, scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebound while Dickie, a Eastern Washington University signee for next season, added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

The ever-improving Rylee Semeniuk (Grade 11) stepped up with a 13-point effort and recorded four steals while Kassidy Day chipped in with nine points to go along with five points and 12 rebounds by Jordan Kemper.

Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowOKM's Makenna Jacklin scored 11 points in a losing cause against No. 1 Semiahmoo.Trailing with about four minutes remaining, the Owls went on a 9-3 run to take a two-point lead with a minute remaining. And although they missed a pair of free throws that would have salted the win, the Owls hung on.

Yale had a chance to pull into a tie with a pair of free throws of their own, scoring on the first, but missing the second. Dickie grabbed a huge rebound on the miss.

Meanwhile, a young Semiahmoo team earned its berth in the Final Four and a meeting with KSS by defeating the Okanagan Mission Huskies 86-33 in another quarter-final on Thursday.

Playing in their first-ever provincial tournament in the AAA division, the Huskies, seeded eighth going in, were no match for the highly-touted Totems, But, also having a young team, gained valuable experience for what they hope will be a return engagement in 2020.

Jordan Robb topped the Husky scorers with 12 points and Grade 10 Makenna Jacklin, added 11.

The Huskies, winners over the Abbotsford Panthers in their first game on Wednesday, will play Yale on Friday. The best the OKM can finish is fifth.

The other semifinal on Friday will see No. 2 Walnut Grove Gators taking on the No. 6 Brookswood Bobcats in an all-Langley affair.