Basketball season ends for UTS girls team
Top scorer is off to university next year
The University of Toronto Schools senior girls high school basketball team made it to the Tier II quarter-finals before being eliminated. 
They finished with a record of six wins, four losses in the league.
Team captain Alexandra Aliferis, who lives in Bloor West Village, gets a lot of credit for the team's success.
"She did very well," said coach and teacher Garry Kollins. "She's been our top scorer all year. She's been a leader. She's been a captain. She's a remarkable person."
He said she has a natural ability to lead the team and has a lot of energy.
"They just gelled around her," he said. "The team just wouldn't have been the same without her."
She also works hard.
"She's had a exceptional year," he said.
Even off the court she helps her teammates.
"She sent e-mails around to encourage the other players," he said. "At a student conference she made an announcement to the whole school that the team did very well. She didn't even mention that she scored 39 points. That's just the type of person she is. She's so humble."
"She is probably the best person and player that I have ever coached," Kollins said, who added he's been coaching for a number of years.
Aliferis, 17, said she enjoys playing basketball because it's a team sport.
"It's nice being part of a team," she said. "I've been playing basketball for a long time. I like it. I used to play basketball all the time with my dad."
The five-foot, 10-inch Grade 12 student plays various positions on the team.
"We're a pretty new team," she said. "A lot of them are younger and some have never played basketball before. They really improved a lot. They got really good."
She also gives credit to coach Kollins.
"He's been great," she said. "We all go to him for help and advice."
Aliferis plans to study business either at McGill or Western University next year. She's considering playing basketball at university level.
"I never really considered it," she said. "But my coach seems to think it's a possibility, so I'm thinking about it."
