(Pictured: Left to Right. Gonzaga Bound big man Rob Sacre takes the ball to the hoop during the Finals of the HSBC tournament. Senior Swingman Brent Malish is freshly coming off winning the MVP of the Valley's and will be a 4th seed at this years Provincials. Athletic wingman Bol Kong leads the Saints as the 3rd seed heading into the Agrodome this week. These 3 young talents are players to keep an eye on through out the tourament as they guide their respective teams on a quest for a Provincial Championship.)
2006 AAA PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT
Round 5, Final
By: BCSportsFanatic
Date: March 11, 2006
Handsworth Royals vs Kitsilano Blue Demons
Five days, 34 games, all came down to the final game tonight between the Handsworth Royals and Kitsilano Blue Demons. A capacity crowd of approximately 4500 fans packed the Agrodome for the 61st Championship Title game.
The game started out sloppy with both teams turning the ball over uncharacteristically, the nerves of the big game certainly a big factor. The Royals would settle down as Scott Leigh would hit consecutive jumpers, one a 3 pointer to give the Royals an 11-7 edge midway through the quarter. The Blue Demons tried to answer but started out shooting ice cold. The Royals would break out on a 5-0 run to close out the 1st quarter 21-11, Leigh with 8 of those points.
The Royals attacked aggressively in the open court scoring easy baskets in transition. The combination of Don Lee, Scott, Leigh, and Quinn Keast put on a shooting clinic as they fired on all cylinders. In stark contrast, the Blue Demons were firing blanks missing shot after shot as they attempted to shoot their way back into the game. The Royals used their hot shooting to stretch the lead to 43-28 at the end of halftime.
In the 2nd half, the Blue Demons switched to a full court press to force turnovers and get back into the game. The Royals were patient in attacking the zone press getting the ball to their star Center Robert Sacre down low for back-to-back layups. A Keast 3 pointer stretched the lead to 54-35 with 6 minutes to go in the quarter. The Blue Demons full court press finally started producing dividends as the Royals turned the ball over multiple times allowing the Blue Demons to score in transition. Blue Demons guard Ty Nurse scored on a fast break layup to make it 56-46, an 11-2 run for the Blue Demons to close out the 3rd quarter.
With the momentum on their side, it appeared the Blue Demons would mount a comeback. However, the Blue Demons went on another uncharacteristic cold shooting streak to start the 4th. The Royals hot shooting cooled as well so they went back to their bread and butter down low with Sacre. The Blue Demons mounted several comeback attempts but could not cut the deficit to anything less than 10 points. With 4 minutes left in the game, Sacre brought the crowed to it’s feet with a massive throw down that seemed to shake the entire building. The Royals made their free throws to close out the game for an 82-65 win and the AAA Provincial Title.
Player of the Game: Robert Sacre, 17 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks
Awards:
TOURNAMENT MVP: Robert Sacre (Handsworth)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Bol Kong (St. George's)
INSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Dylan Gatner (Pitt Meadows)
1ST ALL STAR TEAM:
Robert Sacre (Handsworth)
Bol Kong (St. George's)
Annetan Braich (Pinetree)
Niko Cochran (Kitsilano)
Scott Leigh (Handsworth)
2ND ALL STAR TEAM:
Graham Bath (Brookswood)
Brent Malish (Brookswood)
Mitch Halloway (Cowichan)
Paul Woodham (Kitsilano)
Gary Pelton (Pitt Meadows)
3RD ALL STAR TEAM:
Quinn Keast (Handsworth)
Dylan Gatner (Pitt Meadows)
Drew Slaght (Gleneagle)
Alex Murphy (St. George's)
Hunter Jordan (Magee)
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Round 4, Final Four
By: BCSportsFanatic
Date: March 10, 2006
St. George’s Saints vs Handsworth Royals
The best on best matchup of the tournament happened tonight at the Agrodome. The packed crowd came to watch 2 of the best players in BC and possibly the country go head-to-head in the most anticipated game of the season. Back in December, both these teams faced each other in the Finals of the HSBC Classic where the Saints pulled out a close OT win. The Royals had revenge on their mind this time around.
Scott Leigh of the Royals started the ball rolling with a layup and a 3 pointer to give them the early edge. Bol Kong of the Saints answered with several layups of his own to keep the score in check. The Royals set the tempo early on by pushing the ball up the floor and attacking the rim, Royals’ center Robert Sacre also threw down consecutive thunder dunks to the delight of the Royal faithful on hand. The Royals held the advantage, 17-13 after the first quarter.
Both teams started the 2nd quarter by tightening up the defenses which generated a higher rate of turnovers and missed shots. Kong would hit a mid-range jumper leaping effortlessly into the air and skying one over the outstretched arms of the 7 foot Sacre. With less than 4 minutes in the 2nd, the Royals and Saints remained deadlocked at 24 a piece before finishing the quarter with a score of 28-26 for the Royals.
The lead changed hands a couple of more times early in the 3rd quarter in the defensive battle. With neither team able to generate any significant momentum, Don Lee of the Royals hit a huge 3 pointer to give the Royals the 40-35 lead with less than 4 minutes left in the quarter. Leigh built on the lead for the Royals hitting on a 3 pointer and then a layup to extend their lead to 47-37, their largest in the game to end the 3rd quarter. Leigh would have 17 points on the night at this point.
The Saints switched to a full court press in the 4th quarter to force some much needed turnovers and shift the momentum of the game. And that is exactly what happened, as the Saints would cut the lead to 4 with several athletic tip-ins by Kong on Alex Murphy misses. However, the Royals would once again regain that momentum after another big 3 pointer made by Don Lee from the exact same spot in the corner. The Royals would not look back after that key 3 pointer, finishing the game with some clutch free throws by Cole Allinger and a low post bucket from Sacre. The final score would be 64-57 for the Royals.
Player of the Game: Robert Sacre, 27 points, 14 rebounds, 7 blocks
Brookswood Bobcats vs Kitsilano Blue Demons
The Fraser Valley Champion Brookswood Bobcats and Lower Mainland Champion Kitsilano Blue Demons would face each other in the latter semifinal match of the day. Both featured differing styles of play with the Bobcats using their strength at the forward position while the Blue Demons preferring to light it up with their speedy guard combo.
The first 2 points of the game came the hard way as Bobcats’ forward Graham Bath fended off several pesky defenders on his way to the basket and the foul. The game was looking to be a really physical matchup as bodies were flying all around early on. The Bobcats had done their homework on the Blue Demons and were aggressively putting the body on both Ty Nuse and Niko Cochran limiting both of their perimeter games. However, the rest of the Blue Demons picked up the slack hitting on 3 consecutive 3 point attempts from Davor Isic, Paul Woodham and Albert Mundini. Meanwhile, Graham Bath was cleaning up in the low post picking up 8 hard earned points. The physical play would lead to both teams already in the penalty before the end of the quarter, the Blue Demons led 20-16 after 1.
The physical play continued in the 2nd quarter as both teams jockeyed for position in the race to the finish. The Bobcats held a distinct edge in the rebounding category all game as Brent Malish and Bath owned the glass. Both teams struggled to find any kind of rhythm with the Blue Demons especially struggling managing only 3 points in the first 7 minutes played in the 2nd quarter. Malish started to get hot completing several basket and the foul situations to keep the Bobcats within reach of the Blue Demons 35-30. Woodham and Cochran pacing the Blue Demons and their lead.
Whatever the halftime speech was for the Bobcats, it must’ve worked as Malish and Co. shot their way to an 11-0 run and took a convincing 41-35 lead halfway through the quarter. The Blue Demons crawled their way back into the game with exceptional contributions from super-substitute Clayton Crellin. Crellin was subbed into the game as a replacement for Ty Nurse who had picked up 2 quick fouls in the 3rd quarter, including a called charge. The Blue Demons once again put on the full court press and came all the way back with several turnover fast-breaks turned in by Cochrane en route to the 10-1 run. The score at the end of 3 was 56-47 for the Blue Demons.
Crellin continued his solid play into the 4th quarter making an athletic give-and-go score, he would have a total of 12 points at the point in the game. Malish was mostly non-existent in the last quarter, Bath wasn’t much better either. With the time winding down on their season, all the Bobcats could do was foul and watch the scoreboard only to have the Blue Demons hit 26 of 37 free throws attempted in total. The final score would end up 80-60 for the Blue Demons.
Player of the Game: Paul Woodham, 21 points, 8 rebounds
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Round 3, Elite Eight
By: BCSportsFanatic
Date: March 9, 2006
Brookswood Bobcats vs Pitt Meadows Marauders
The Brookswood Bobcats head into the game looking to extend their unbeaten streak in the playoffs. Meanwhile the Pitt Meadows Marauders, coming off their upset win over the Oak Bay Bays the night before, looked to continue their solid play. A ticket to the Final Four on the line for both.
Both teams had good starts early on, the Bobcats establishing their presence down low with several post up baskets by Graham Bath, while the Marauders getting early production from their point guard Dylan Gatner. With the score tied 7-7, all-star forward Brent Malish would heat up leading the Bobcats on a 7-2 run. However, the Bobcats could not stretch the lead any further due to silly turnovers allowing the Marauders to stay close at the end of the quarter 19-15 for the Bobcats
Bath would pick up his 2nd foul early in the 2nd quarter and would sit the rest of the quarter. Marauder’s center Gary Pelton would capitalize on back-to-back baskets to even up the scoring. Malish would go on a tear both running the floor and finishing. He would hit several baseline 3 pointers leading to another Bobcats run to stretch the lead back to 26-20. The Marauders would answer with fast break layups by Gatner and Udot as the Bobcats continued to turn the ball over. The score would end up in a deadlock 29-29 at the end of the half.
The Marauders would continue their momentum in the 3rd quarter as Pelton would score on back-to-back baskets, including a 3 pointer, 4 minutes into the quarter. An energized Malish would turn it up on both ends of the floor hitting back-to-back baseline 3 pointers of his own while playing suffocating defense on Pelton. The Marauders would again have an answer as Pelton would continue to hit 2 footers via Gatner passes to keep the score in check, 52-47 for the Bobcats at the end of 3.
The Marauders took charge on Gatner jumpers to pull within 52-51 with 8 minutes to go. Nick Lafleur of the Marauders would hit a deep 3 pointer with the shot clock winding down to give the Marauders the lead. Both teams would trade baskets as Bath would get 2 hard-earned baskets down low, Pelton would pick up his 4th foul on one of those Bath baskets. As Gatner would penetrate, he would find Lafleur then Udot for back-to-back 3 pointers to give the Marauders a 67-61 lead with 2 minutes to go. After a Bobcats timeout, the Bobcats would go down low to Bath who would hit on back-to-back baskets including a free throw to cut the lead to 67-66. The Marauders would miss 2 close shots on their next 2 possessions. With 30 seconds to go, the Bobcats would work the ball back into Bath who would turn, jump-stop and go up for the short lay-in. The shot was no good, but Pelton was called for his 5th and disqualifying foul. Bath would hit 2 clutch free throws to get back the lead 68-67. With 6 seconds left, Gatner would dribble the length of the floor, and shoot from the free-throw line extended but would miss the hoop altogether. Bobcats would win in a thriller 68-67. Brookswood goes on to face Kitsilano in the Semifinals.
Player of the Game: Graham Bath, 27 points, 11 rebounds
Maple Ridge Ramblers vs Kitsilano Blue Demons
The Maple Ridge Ramblers, fresh off a big win over the upstart Cowichan Thunderbirds looked for the major upset today. Meanwhile, the Kitsilano Blue Demons looked to continue their dominance in this year’s tournament after thumping Centennial yesterday.
The Ramblers ran into trouble early on and could never really recover the rest of the way. The Blue Demons would use their 1-2 combination of Ty Nurse and Niko Cochrane to attack the open floor. On defense, The Blue Demons would force Casey outside of the paint where he couldn’t hit any of his jumpers and his teammates were missing their as well. The combination of the 2 would result in the Blue Demons racing out to a 14-0 run to start the game.
The Blue Demons would never look back from there, leading by 20 or more points the rest of the way. Jared Casey of the Ramblers would get a basket here or there to keep the game somewhat respectable, but their inability to contain Blue Demons shooting guard Ty Nurse would be their undoing. With mostly bench players playing most of the 3rd and 4th quarters, the Blue Demons would cruise to an easy 60-35 win.
Player of the Game: Ty Nurse, 22 points, 7 steals
Handsworth Royals vs Pinetree Timberwolves
The team that had the greatest chance of an upset tonight was the surprise team of the tournament so far, the Pinetree Timberwolves. The Handsworth Royals looked forward to a competitive game, as they’ve yet to play a team they haven’t routed in more than 3 weeks.
The Timberwolves and Royals would play a tight first quarter with both teams exchanging baskets. Superstar guard/forward Aneetan Braich of the Timberwolves struggled early shooting a couple of airballs, but his teammates stepped up to fill in the void hitting big 3 pointers including Anderson Lai and Tyler Lutton. The Royals would get balanced scoring from Robert Sacre, Quinn Keast, and Scott Leigh to play to a 15-15 tie after 1.
The Royals would open the game up by running the open floor and using their excellent guard play to score 22 points in the quarter. Don Lee, Quinn Keast, and Scott Leigh would push the tempo for the Royals. In contrast, the Timberwolves could only muster 11 points, 6 coming off of Braich 3 pointers. The Royals would lead 37-26 at halftime.
Next to Calvin Westbrook’s 52 points yesterday, Aneetan Braich would simply take control for the next 15 minutes of the game scoring 30+ points, the majority of the Timberwolves points the rest of the way. There were the amazing up and unders, double-pump jumpshots, NBA 3 pointers, layups around defenders, and finally all those rebounds. All with Sacre down low on defense. The Timberwolves would keep the score close in the 2nd half, but they simply couldn’t stop Rob Sacre from getting the ball down low and scoring easy basket after easy basket. Braich would eventually run out of answers with 4 minutes left, meanwhile Sacre, Keast and Leigh would get fast break baskets to close out the game, 79-64 for the Royals. The Royals will battle the St. George’s Saints in the Semifinals tomorrow.
Player of the Game: Aneetan Braich, 39 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals
WRCA Warriors vs St. George’s Saints
After winning that marathon triplt OT game over GP Vanier last night, the WRCA Warriors looked to find their legs in their toughest matchup yet, tournament favorites St. George’s Saints.
The Saints would attack early on with the ultra-athletic Bol Kong throwing down a couple of nasty dunks on fast breaks. The Warriors would lean on Seniors Matt Wirch and Adam Stewart to keep their team in it, 20-13 for the Saints after 1.
After a great 1st quarter start, the Saints would struggle against the younger less experience Warriors scoring only 8 points in the quarter (2 coming in the final seconds of the quarter). The Warriors used a half-court zone press in the 2nd quarter to keep them in the game. The undisputable leader of the Warriors, Adam Stewart would gut out several key baskets and hustle defense to lead the charge. The amazing physical condition that Stewart displayed tonight despite playing 51 minutes last night was no doubt a by product of a rigorous off-season training regimen. Alex Murphy of the Saints would get the buzzer beater score to give the Saints a 28-22 lead at halftime.
Both teams started the 3rd quarter with back-to-back turnovers. The Saints would solve their turnover issues as Bol Kong broke away for several highlight reel dunks. The Warriors would see their turnover issues continue throughout the 3rd quarter. Fatigue would creep into the Warriors as they could not keep up with the fresher Saints. The Warriors did not score their first 2 points of the 2nd half until the 9 minute mark of the 3rd quarter. The Saints would extend their lead to 43-24 after 3.
The Warriors would not threaten the Saints lead anytime in the 4th quarter as the Saints cruised to a 56-40 final score and the win. They face the #1 ranked Handsworth Royals in the semifinals.
Player of the Game: Bol Kong, 22 points, 5 rebounds
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Round 2, Sweet 16
By: BCSportsFanatic
Date: March 8, 2006
Maple Ridge Ramblers vs Cowichan Thunderbirds
Jared Casey and his top 15 ranked Ramblers faced the upstart Cowichan Thunderbirds in their first game at the Provincial Tournament. The Thunderbirds upset and eliminated top 5 ranked Claremont in the Island Championships to reach the Tournament. The key to a Thunberbirds win would be whether Cowichan could slow the Ramblers big man, Jared Casey.
The name of the game early on for both teams was defense as both squads picked up fouls early and often. A total of 12 fouls called in the first quarter meant a stop and go pace for most of the way. David Lin of the Ramblers got hot at the end of the quarter hitting a 3 pointer to close out the first, 14-13 for the Ramblers.
The tempo picked up considerably in the 2nd quarter as both teams attempted to gain some much needed momentum. It was the Ramblers though that cashed in first, going on a 9-2 run to lead 20-13 before a Cowichan timeout stopped the frantic pace. The Ramblers 1-3-1 zone threw off the Thunderbirds forcing them to turn the ball over and take bad shots. Both teams stalled in the last 4 min to close out the half, 29-20 for the Ramblers.
Like a bat out of hell, the Cowichan Thunderbirds thundered back into the game with all out hustle on both ends of the floor. They attacked the hoop with reckless abandon on offense, and on defense put on a suffocating full court press. Then Mitch Holloway for the Thunderbirds caught fire from beyond and hit back to back 3 pointers to even the score at 42-42. Jared Casey kept his Ramblers in it with some key turnaround jumpers. The Ramblers held onto a close 46-45 lead after 3.
Holloway continued his barrage of 3 pointers and gave the Thunderbirds their first lead since the first quarter, 51-48. As the game was closing out, the Thunderbirds extremely aggressive play backfired culminating in back-to-back turnovers with 3 minutes to go. On the other end, the Ramblers got some timely buckets from Casey who scored the games final 2 baskets to lead 61-56. David Lin picked up a huge steal with 30 seconds to go to end the game. The Ramblers go on to play Kitsilano in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Jared Casey, 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks
Pinetree Timberwolves vs Churchill Bulldogs
Both the Timberwolves and Bulldogs entered this year’s Provincial Tournament as underdogs. Would the Timberwolves magical run starting in the tough Fraser Valley North division playoffs continue today? Would the Bulldogs continue to shock their opponents, winning with pure hustle?
The energy for this game was fantastic from the start as both teams came to play today. Tyler Lutton of Pinetree grabbed the loose ball after the tip-off and scored a quick 2 to start the game. Blake Poritz for Churchill answered with a quick jumper on the baseline. The Bulldogs used a full court press to generate turnovers and get easy fast break scores. The Timberwolves relied on superstar Aneetan Braich to carry them through a tough first quarter, 17-15 for the Bulldogs after one.
The Bulldogs continued to run the floor after every rebound and turnover, but couldn’t cash in missing several wide open layups. The Timberwolves eventually slowed the pace of the game to a half-court set. Midway through the quarter, Braich really caught fire leading the Timberwolves on an 11-4 run to lead 30-23. Churchill’s Blake Poritz picked up 2 quick fouls and would sit most of the 2nd quarter, Will Liu would pick up the slack with back-to-back 3 pointers for the Bulldogs as they clawed their way back to make it 40-37 at the end of the half.
The foul bug would hit the Timberwolves too with Tyler Lutton, Anderson Lai, and Aneetan Braich all with 3 fouls early in the 3rd. Both offenses stalled in the foul filled quarter as the Timberwolves led 45-41 with 4 minutes to go. As the quarter closed out, Braich showed his incredible range hitting an NBA 3 pointer and more, 53-48 for the Timberwolves.
The Bulldogs would stay close but when Poritz fouled out with 4 min to go in the 4th quarter, it was all but done. Anderson Lai hit a couple of huge 3 pointers to extend their lead. The fouling continued in the 4th as both teams shot free-throw after free-throw. With the score 73-65, Braich would get back-to-back blocks to close out the win, 76-66 for the Timberwolves. Aneetan Braich and his teammates will need the game of the life tomorrow vs Handsworth in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Aneetan Braich, 28 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals
St. George’s Saints vs Gleneagle Talons
The last time the Saints stepped off the floor this season was in a shocking last second upset loss to Kitsilano at the Lower Mainland Championships. How would they react in their first game of the Provincial Tournament? Meanwhile, the Talons survived the Mt Baker Wild yesterday and hoped that the momentum of that win would be on their side.
In the David vs Goliath matchup of Gleneagle vs St. George’s the Talons knew a good early start would be key to an upset win. And the Talons played as good as they could possibly want to in the start. The Talons worked the clock for each and every possession, meanwhile the Saints scored on easy baskets. Despite the Talons hitting some big shots, the Saints would lead after the 1st half 35-24, 14 of those points courtesy of Saint’s star forward Bol Kong.
The game would turn into the Bol Kong show early in the 3rd quarter. Kong had several throw-downs leaving the crowd in awe of his athletic prowess, the Talons with simply no answer. By the end of the 3rd quarter, the Talons would look at the scoreboard and see themselves down 52-37. The Saints bench would finish the rest of the game en route to a 75-50 win. Saints face the WRCA Warriors in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Bol Kong, 30 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 3 steals
Handsworth Royals vs Magee Lions
Going into today’s matchup, the Royals had been in cruise control having wrapped up the Howe Sound region in dominating fashion with wins by 30 or more points in each of their wins. Magee had an easy game vs Caledonia in the Qualifying round yesterday heading into today’s game.
It was clear early on that the Royals were intent on dominating this game. At no point in the game was Magee in it except for the first few minutes, it was all Royals after that. Both benches were well into the game at halftime. The final score was 91-50 for the Royals. Handsworth goes on to face Pinetree tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Robert Sacre, 21 points, 16 rebounds, 7 blocks
Kitsilano Blue Demons vs Centennial Centaurs
With both teams having played each other twice previously in the season with both teams taking 1 game, one would have expected a very closely played game. Kitsilano came of the high of winning the Lower Mainland Championships. In stark contrast, the Centuars limped into the Provincial Tournament as the Fraser Valley’s 7th seed.
Both teams started out running to start the game. From the get-go, it was the Blue Demons who were hitting their shots and making plays. Niko Cochrane was simply unstoppable. Ty Nurse and Paul Woodham also contributed for the Blue Demons early on. The Centaurs struggled from the outside early on missing several from beyond the arc. The Blue Demons jumped out to a 22-15 lead at the end of 1.
The Blue Demons continued to dominate both inside and outside in the second. The Blue Demons played a 1-2-2 zone that the Centaurs had trouble solving, resulting in a multitude of turnovers and ill-advised shots. On the other end, Cochrane continued to shoot lights out and helped the Blue Demons take control of the game, 45-25 for the Blue Demons to end the half.
The Centaurs, feeling that the Championship title was slipping away, mounted a spirited charge with an 8-0 run to start the second half. But the Blue Demons would stay composed and shoot their way back to a 20+ point lead with sharp shooting by both Cochrane and Nurse. Blue Demons on top 66-42 at the end of the 3rd.
The 4th quarter drifted by aimlessly as both teams played their benches. Kitsilano cruised to a 90-51 win. The Blue Demons face Maple Ridge in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Niko Cochrane, 30 points, 5 steals, a perfect 11 of 11 FGs
GP Vanier Towhees vs WRCA Warriors
The most evenly matched game of the day pitted the WRCA Warriors and the GP Vanier Towhees. The Warriors sporting a lineup of mostly underclassmen while the Towhees on the strength of superstar guard Calvin Westbrook.
The Warriors exploded out of the first quarter hitting almost every shot they took. An early 8-2 lead for the Warriors. Then midway through the quarter, Calvin Westbrook got on a hot streak making back-to-back 3 point plays to even the score up, 20-20 after 1.
The Warriors continued to share the ball and get contributions for a variety of players including Adam Stewart, Nick Dekoster, Matt Wirch, Spencer McLean, Jordan Mara and Drew Good in no particular order. Meanwhile it was starting to become the Westbrook show as he picked up basket after basket and rebound after rebound. Both teams traded baskets the whole way through with neither team leading by more than 2 possessions, 42-38 for WRCA at the half.
The 2nd half started exactly the way the game started with WRCA shooting lights out and jumping to a 51-42 lead on McLean’s 3 pointer. The Towhees were plagued by turnovers and bad shots. Then Westbrook got hot again leading his Towhees on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 53-49. On the final possession of the quarter, Westbrook would steal the ball and race down the floor for an easy 2 points and a 58-57 lead.
Then the game went from exciting to thrilling. As the game was nearing it’s anticipated conclusion, both teams simply would not let the game go by them. The Warriors were getting huge clutch baskets from Stewart, Wirch, Dekoster and McLean. Meanwhile, Westbrook was either scoring on drives or drawing fouls and hitting his free throws. Dekoster would hit a clutch 3 pointer with 30 seconds to go in the 4th quarter to tie the game. A few free throws later and a last second shot missed by Stewart of the Warriors would send the game to overtime, tied 70-70.
In overtime, with both teams again refusing to let either side take control of the game, would hit shot after shot, exchanging blows like 2 heavyweights in the 12th round. It would once again be Dekoster, Stewart, and McLean that would hit big shots for the Warriors, while Westbrook was having a night to remember, 42 points in all with 1 min left. As the overtime closed, Westbrook would be called for his 4th foul on a charge, score tied 78-78 once again.
Off to 2nd OT it went. This game was turning into a Tournament classic, as both teams battled, fighting extreme fatigue. Stewart for the Warriors gutted it out and would hit yet another clutch shot, this time a 3 pointer. Meanwhile Westbrook, who had played the entire game so far without sitting for a minute, hit shot after shot. The Warriors would see Stewart and McLean both foul out, meanwhile Dekoster and Wirch would keep them in the game. The 2nd OT would conclude with Westbrook hitting a jumper from the top of the key to tie it at 89-89, 42 points in all.
In what can only be described as one of the greatest games in Provincial tournament history, both teams were set for the 3rd OT. Fatigue had started to set in, especially for Westbrook who had played all 4 quarters, and 2 OT periods. The Warriors continued to get clutch layups and shots from Dekoster and Wirch and would finally close out the game 102-95 in a game for the ages.
Player of the Game: Calvin Westbrook, 52 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals
Brookswood Bobcats vs Killarney Cougars
The Brookswood Bobcats head into the Provincials having won the extremely difficult Fraser Valley Championship. The Killarney Cougars took the long way around to qualify for the Provincial Tournament with backdoor wins to finish 4th in the Lower Mainlands.
Tonight was simply not to be for the Cougars. Brookswood led from start to finish, meanwhile the Cougars couldn’t muster anything at all the first half. With the Bobcats up 37-19 at the half, the 2nd half was basically running time. The Bobcats would go on and rout the Cougars, 85-51. Brookswood will face Pitt Meadows tomorrow in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Brent Malish, 26 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocks
Oak Bay Bays vs Pitt Meadows Marauders
The streaking Oak Bay Bays won the Vancouver Island Championships claiming a top 5 seeding at this year’s Provincial Tournament. The Pitt Meadows Marauders finished the Fraser Valley Championships as the #5 seed.
From the start, the Bays would struggle shooting the ball. They had great chances early with star guard Jeff Cumming slicing to the hoop, but the ball simply wouldn’t drop. The lid would close on all the Bays players. Meanwhile the Marauders executed their offense to perfection, led by center Gary Pelton and guard Jeff Cumming. The Marauders would lead 16-9 at the end of one.
The lid continued to be shut for the Bays throughout the 2nd quarter. Meanwhile, the Marauders would go to Pelton often banking 2 footers over his shorter defenders. Gatner would balance out the scoring with timely jumpers and fast break layups. Despite their shooting woes, the Bays were drawing fouls and making free throws. The Bays would find themselves down 32-22 at halftime.
Unfortunately for the Bays, their shooting continued to plague them. If fact, it got worse. They would manage to only score 9 points in the 3rd quarter. On the other side, the Marauders executed their offense like clockwork. Both Nick Lafleur and Zack Udot of the Marauders would add baskets mixed in with a Pelton or Gatner basket. The Marauders would lead 47-31 after 3 quarters.
With the air of desperation upon them, the Bays would mount a fierce comeback. With their blazing speed, the Bays’ guards would force several turnovers and finally they were hitting shots. Eliot Rushton had come alive, and Cummings played like a man possessed. The Bays would cut the lead to 55-49 with 1 min left to go. The Marauders played the clock and would make their free throws to close out the game and survive 59-50 to upset the Bays. The Marauders will now face Brookswood in the Quarterfinals.
Player of the Game: Gary Pelton, 18 points, 12 rebounds, 7 blocks
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Round 1, Qualifiers
By: BCSportsFanatic
Date: March 7, 2006
Killarney Cougars vs. Kelly Road Roadrunners
The most capable team of pulling off an upset in the first round was Kelly Road. Killarney finished 4th overall in the Lower Mainland and had shown to be inconsistent many times this season. Kelly Road hadn’t faced much top ranked opponents let alone AAA teams this year but the scouting report on them said they can play.
Like a bride on her wedding day, the Cougars started out shaky and nervous, throwing the ball away and missing the rim badly. In contrast, the Roadrunners started out with ice in their nerves hitting 2 straight 3 pointers to lead 6-2 in the first 3 min. Both teams struggled to establish a rhythm and played to a 13-13 deadlock to end the first quarter.
The second quarter started where the first quarter ended off with both teams struggling to get into the flow of the game. The Cougars then put on the press and started to pick up the tempo, forcing turnovers, and generating fast breaks. Kelly Road had opportunities but couldn’t seem to hit the shots when they needed to. Cougars led 30-25 at the end of the half.
Killarney came out very aggressive to start the 3rd but their shooting went cold and they couldn’t stretch their lead by much. The Roadrunners then switched to a 3-2 zone to slow the tempo to a crawl and slowly scratch their way back into the game. They got some big shots from Jesse Greenwood and Stuart Toop to close out the 3rd quarter strong trailing 43-38.
The Roadrunners continued to frustrate the Cougars with their 3-2 zone cutting the lead to 45-43 with 7 min left. However, some big baskets down the stretch by Kyle Wiwchar and Tony Otim allowed the Cougars to hang on for the win 59-48.
Player of the Game: Tony Otim, 15 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals
Mt Baker Wild vs Gleneagle Talons
The Gleneagle Talons, eager to show their excitement of their first Tournament appearance in school history brought in a throng of 100 loud and rowdy fans to the game. The Talons were heavily favored in this game having beaten ranked teams to reach the Tournament. The Wild were a relative unknown group heading into the Tournament.
The Talons blasted out of the gate with their energy and pure speed to race out to a 19-7 lead after the first quarter. The start was exactly what the Eagles wanted, an up and down wide open game. The Wild were definitely shell-shocked missing their shots badly and stumbling badly on defense.
In the 2nd quarter, the Talons got into some foul trouble with their ultra-quick guards. This allowed the Wild to slow the game down and match the Talons basket for basket using their strength inside to muscle their way to a 32-21 deficit at halftime.
The Talons started the 3rd quarter the same way they started the game, using their speed to out run and out gun the Wild. It worked, for a while at least as the Talons built a 50-35 lead with 1 min to go, on the strength of a 10-4 run. Drew Slaght and Brandon Dunn led the charge with Daniel Damien on the bench in foul trouble. The Wild fought hard to keep the game in check, 50-39.
Gleneagle played their bench to start the 4th quarter. The Talons were getting out-rebounded badly (not surprising considering their lack of height and size) which allowed the Wild to hang in the game. The Wild would go on a huge 11-2 run with Scott Anderson of the Wild leading the way to cut the lead to 52-50. The Talons subbed Damien and Dunn back in. Gleneagle needed a basket badly, that’s when Slaght hit a huge 3 pointer to end the Wild’s run. A couple of big defensive plays later by Damien including taking a charge would swing the momentum back to the Talons. For the next 3 minutes the Wild seemed to get thrown off by the Talon hecklers shooting back-to-back airballs. Finally the backbreaker, Slaght hit another big 3 pointer with 3 minutes to go to make it 64-50. The Wild would hit a few more shots to make the final score 64-55 for Gleneagle.
Player of the Game: Brandon Dunn, 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals
Centennial Centaurs vs Kelowna Owls
The closest matchup of the day pitted the Centennial Centaurs and the Kelowna Owls in the 3rd of 4 qualifier games. The Centaurs limped into the playoffs securing the final 7th Fraser Valley berth. Meanwhile the Owls won the Okanagan Championships to earn the right to represent their region.
Both teams wasted no time after the tip off playing extremely fast scoring early and quickly. The Owls pushed the ball aggressively up the floor getting some early fast break points. The Centaurs answered back with their big man Paul Samra getting 6 points early on from the paint. At the end of the first quarter, the Owls led 15-12.
The Owls forwards Zach Frehlick and Kealey MacDonald continued to attack the basket in the 2nd quarter drawing fouls and making plays inside. Centaurs star shooting guard Lucian Sauciuc sat most of the 2nd after picking up 2 quick fouls. The Owls Tyler Myroon hit a big 3 pointer to extend their lead to 34-27. The Centaurs struggled offensively, but Jansper Pineda stepped up and made big plays including a big 3 pointer to cut the lead to 34-30 to end the half.
The Centaurs opened the 3rd quarter with a bang. They used a combination of a full-court press, precision passing, and great penetration to chip away at the lead. The Owls tried matching basket for basket but could not keep up. Centaurs forward Elvis Balic took over the game using his patented baseline drives, and catch and shoot 3 pointers to tie the game and eventually take the lead. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Centaurs led 46-44.
The game remained close for the first 6 minutes of the 4th quarter as both teams tightened up the defenses. The Centaurs did not allow any inside penetration by the Owls, meanwhile Frehlick and McDonald were massive down low blocking several Centuar shot attempts, score 57-54 for the Centaurs. After playing 3.5 fantastic quarters, the Owls simply ran out of gas. Their offense stalled and their defense could not contain Balic, who would go on to score back-to-back layups with 1 minute left to close out the game, 61-56 for the Centaurs.
Player of the Game: Elvis Balic, 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists
Caledonia Kermodes vs Magee Lions
The most lopsided matchup of the day featured the Caledonia Kermodes of the North West region vs the Magee Lions who finished 5th overall in the Lower Mainland Championships.
The Lions used their height and length to jump out on an 8-2 run to start the game and never looked back. Hunter Jordan led the way for the Lions. Jordan had his way in the paint as well as shooting over shorter defenders from the perimeter.
The Kermodes played as well as they could have, but simply couldn’t match the size and skill of the Lions. The Lions shot close to 50% for the game en route to a 71-54 final.
Player of the Game: Hunter Jordan, 30 points, 9 rebounds
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DRIVE 2006 AAA Tournament Preview
(06/03/06)
With the added support of Telus, Big Kahuna, and Milestones this years' AAA Tournament promises to be one of the most exciting tournaments in recent history. Having Telus as the title sponsor at this years event adds a completely new dimension to an already historic tournament. Unlike years past this years field of teams doesn't seem to have one clear cut favorite. There are 4-6 teams that have a legitimate shot at taking home the banner on Saturday night. Here we will feature Players to watch, Teams to watch and our Darkhorse team from this years crop.
PLAYER'S TO WATCH:
| Bol Kong: Senior | 6'7'' Guard/Forward: St. Georges Saints |
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Bol Kong is an athletic specimen. He's a player that comes along once in a decade and if you have the opportunity to see him play at this years event we strongly encourage that you do so. Bol is extremely long and athletic making it a nightmare for opponents that he is guarding. He has the ability to knife through defences with a variety of different slices getting to the hoops seemingly at will. He can finish with either hand highly effectively with the flick of his wrist. Bol also is a capable shooter with range far beyond the 3 point line. He's fresh off being named to the Lower Mainlands 1st all-star team and looks to bring home St. Georges 1st AAA banner in the schools history. We predict a Semi-final clash between the 2 titans, The Saints and the Royals which will premier two of BC's best. For a highlight Video of Bol click here. |
| Rob Sacre: Junior | 7'0'' Center: Handsworth Royals |
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The 7 foot prodigy from the North Shore is looking to build upon last years success at the provincials where he helped guide his team to a 3rd place finish. The Gonzaga bound Centre is demanding of a constant double and triple team. Rob's a consistent double-double threat and is capable of flirting with triple doubles with his ability to block shots. His inside presence is something that the Royals rely on to get their fastbreak started. He's an absolute anchor in the middle and his presence alone forces other teams out of their comfort zones. The North Shore Native was named the MVP of the Howe Sounds and will guide the Royals as the 3rd seed into the Agrodome. Handsworth will go as far as their big man will take them. |
| Brent Malish: Senior | 6'6'' Guard/Forward: Brookswood Bobcats |
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Brent Malish is a multi-faceted swingman capable of hurting you in numerous ways. He was most recently named the MVP of the Fraser Valley's where he helped guide the Bobcats to the Valley title while earning the 4th seed in the provincials. The UBC bound forward has the ability to breakdown defences in a variety of ways. He's at his best when he can catch the ball 15-17 ft. from the hoops because of his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop in limited dribbles. He's quicker then most forwards so when they guard him on the perimeter he can shot fake and go by. When he posts up smaller players he uses his size and athleticism to create an advantage for him on the offensive end. The Bobcats rely on Brent to do a little bit of everything for his team and if he has an off night that could be it for Brookswood. |
| Calvin Westbrook: Senior | 6'4'' Combo Guard: GP Vanier |
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Calvin enters the AAA tournament as one of the players everying is talking about but no one has really seen this year. Playing on the Island most of the year Calvin has flown under the radar up until this point. However, just because you haven't seen this all-star guard play yet this year we recommend that you do. He's arguably the top player in the Province and recently committed to NCAA Division II California State University at Stanislaus (CSUS). He's the top scoring guard in the province and look for him to have at least one 40 point outburst at the Agrodome. His team has a tough 1st round match-up against former AAA Champs WRCA. Then if they advance, the road only gets tougher going up against St. Georges in the quaters. Still, the Island squad is more than capable of making some noise at this years tournament. |
| Paul Woodham: Senior | 6'7'' Forward: Kitsilano Blue Demons |
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Paul leads the talented trio of players at Kits that include sensational guards Niko Cochran and Ty Nurse into this years AAA Provincials. The Blue Demons are freshly coming off winning the 2006 Lower Mainlands championships. Kitsilano is peaking at the right time of the year earning the #1 seed heading into the Agrodome and a main reason for that is the exceptional play of forward Paul Woodham. Paul has elevated his game to a whole nother level since Christmas break. He's the inspired leader on the court. He's has been a force on the glass all season long and now he's adding a offensive punch to go along with his defensive tenacity. Paul has range out to the 3 but gets the majority of his hoops on the inside. He has the upper body strength to draw contact on the defender and still finish the play. |
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Who's Gonna Win
Words By: BC SportsFanatic
(06/03/06)
St. George's Saints are the defacto favorites. They've beaten all the top teams before and have the best (or 2nd best depends on your criteria) player in the Tournament in Bol Kong. It won't be easy though, the road will have to go through both Handsworth and Kitsilano to get there. If they win it though, the Tournament will have some of the best games we've seen in recent memory.
Who Could Win But Won't
Obviously Handsworth and Kitsilano are the next contenders. It's not that far a stretch to pick either the winner. We're talking about the possible Cinderella's.
Although, slumping heading in, Centennial is intruiging simply because they've beaten most of the top teams at one point or another.
Oak Bay is a dark horse. They are very good. They haven't played enough of the top teams to be proven, but the near win over Handsworth is enough to show they got game.
There there are the one man teams, Pinetree, GP Vanier, and Brookswood. Can their superstars carry them through?? Maybe, they'd have to beat at least 2 of the top 4 to win it all. Hey, anything can happen.
Our Predictions:
Tue Round 1: Kelowna vs Centennial. Kelowna has a slight chance of an upset, especially the way Centennial has played lately.
Wed Round 2: Maple Ridge vs Cowichan, Vanier vs WRCA. All teams are quite evenly matched which should make for some exciting action. Centennial vs Kitsilano could be exciting should Centennial get their mojo back.
Thu Quarterfinals (projected): Oak Bay vs Brookswood. Should be a very high scoring, uptempo game. Pinetree vs Handsworth might produce an upset. In consolation, Gleneagle vs WRCA and Churchill vs Magee could be really exciting as well.
Fri Semifinals (projected): Handsworth vs St. Georges. Wow, this is gonna be an intense game. They're talking about this one already. Oak Bay vs Kitsilano, Kitsilano is favored by quite a bit right now, I would put it at a -4 point spread if I were handicapping it.
Sat Finals (projected): Kitsilano vs St. Georges. A rematch of the LM Championships. If the game has the same tempo as that one, we are in for a treat. Being as both are from Vancouver, the Agrodome will be ready to explode. Hope the Canucks game vs Dallas at GM Place won't affect attendance.
