R.D. Parker Collegiate's senior basketball teams will represent Zone 11 at the AAA basketball provincials in Brandon March 18-20, but it wasn't easy getting there.

The boys had only a three-point lead at halftime in their final against Hapnot Collegiate Institute of Flin Flon during the Zone 11 championships in The Pas, but coach Jonathan Wamboldt said once they got back to playing their style, they broke the game open.

"We made some adjustments in the third and fourth quarters and ended up winning by 27 points," he said, with the final score 90-63 in the Trojans' favour. "I told them if we come out strong, we'll be okay."

The girls' start to the final was even worse, as they were outscored 12-0 to start the game.

"It was kind of worrisome," said head coach Sara Gillis, noting that the situation isn't unusual for this year's team. "We had some slow starts. I don't get panicky when they aren't playing well."

The Trojans girls recovered, dropping 22 points in the second quarter while holding Hapnot to four en route to a 64-49 win.

The girls put themselves in a position to finish strong by winning both of their games on Friday, after travelling to The Pas, to earn a bye to Saturday's final, where they were matched up against a Hapnot team that had already played a hard-fought semifinal against Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute of The Pas in the morning.

"They're peaking at the right time," said Gillis, who has six more practices in store for them before provincials, only one of them light. "They're going to work hard the last five practices."

Wamboldt says the boys will also be busy as they wait for provincials, working on a new defensive scheme.

"We'll be working hard this week and next week in practice," he said.