We are now complete after Day 1 of the inaugural Rising 8 bracket here at the 2022 Tsumura Basketball Invitational.
SCHEUDLE
THURSDAY
SEMIFINALS
(games at South Court)
6:45 p.m.– Spectrum vs. Lord Byng
8:15 p.m. — Steveston London vs. North Delta
For a complete report of the Local 8 tournament, please go to the bottom of this story for a filing from the LEC’s own Gary Ahjua.
LORD BYNG 79 BROOKSWOOD 57
LANGLEY — The Lord Byng Grey Ghosts are getting a pretty good idea what their depth could mean this season as they embark on the long road to March and the B.C. senior boys Triple A basketball championships.
The Ghosts played a deep rotation throughout but leaned on Grade 11 guard/forward Dylan King, who scored 13 of his team’s first 15 points and finished with a game-high 30 points.
The Grey Ghosts advance to face the winner of Sir Charles Tupper vs. Spectrum in a 6:45 p.m. semifinal on Thursday.
“One of key factors for our team right now,” began Lord Byng head coach Kevin Sandher, “is that last year, when we got into foul trouble, we couldn’t absorb it. We weren’t as deep as we are now.”
Case in point: When the 6-foot-4 King was forced to take a seat with four fouls early in the second half, the Grey Ghosts actually built on a 13-point lead.
“We’ve got a guy, Jeffrey Brown, who came in today averaging 20 points a game and he’s our sixth man. It’s been so good to have this internal competition in practice. It doesn’t happen very often in Triple-A basketball.”
It was hard not to admire the smooth game of King, who has been playing a lot inside as well as out, but projects at the next level as a dynamic college two-guard.
“He’s so versatile, which all coaches looking for,” said Sandher of King. “He’s a long wing who is athletic, can switch, can get to the rim and then go inside. It will be interesting to see what kind of matchups we can put him in as the season goes along.”
King’s early outburst on offence was needed as the Bobcats, who had beaten the Grey Ghosts last season in the quarterfinal round of the B.C. junior championships, kept the game within a pair of possessions.
King’s versatile skill set allowed him to turn the tide, and afterwards, he admitted he was taking what the defence was giving him.
“They were leaving me open so I just took it to the rim, you got to do what you got to do,” he smiled. “I have been playing a lot of power forward, but over the next few years, I’d love to step it up as a guard or small forward.”
Point guard Eli Mullin hit three treys and finished with 14 points for the winners, while Marko Radic and Brown each added 13 in the victory.
Ryan Leishman led Brookswood with 10 points while Dawson Price scored nine and Logan Stewart eight.
NORTH DELTA 67 KING GEORGE 66
LANGLEY — With 11 seconds remaining, it was a game for the taking.
Put the ball in Harvir Hothi’s hands, and he showed that he’s a player not afraid to be the one who does that taking.
Hothi’s acrobatic, driving lay-in with 10.9 seconds remaining proved to be the difference as the the North Delta Huskies ran off the floor with a 67-66 win over Vancouver’s King George Dragons.
“I was looking at the score, we had to get a shot off,” said Hothi after the win which sends the Dawgs into an 8:15 p.m. semifinal clash Thursday with the Steveston London-College Heights winner. “At the end of the day, it worked out. But it was a really tough game and King George is really talented. Really well-coached.”
Indeed both teams rode the ups and downs throughout in a game tied 34-34 at the break.
Hothi hit a pair of big throws, and teammate Arjun Atwal a tough turnover jumper in the paint down the stretch drive to keep North Delta in position to win the contest.
“That was a very good game for us because it set a point for us of where we should be and how we should be playing,” said Hothi, who finished with 14 points.
Krishian Jeet led the winners with 16 points, while Atwal added 13 and Kristian Cabico came off the bench to add 10.
King George was led by the game-high 22 points of senior point guard Jose Zuluaga. Centre Faisal Shawwa and forward Dionycius Bakare, each 10th graders, added 18 and 11 points respectively, while Grade 11 Darko Karac went 10-of-13 from the free throw line and finished with 12 points.
STEVESTON LONDON 84 COLLEGE HEIGHTS 77
LANGLEY — The preseason chatter about Steveston London Grade 11 guard Roop Jaswal being a contender for Richmond City MVP honours this season were anything but hype.
The Sharks’ captain and only returning starter put on an absolute clinic Wednesday in his team’s win over Prince George’s promising College Heights Cougars.
Jaswal not only hit six triples in the third quarter, he finished with a game-high 41 points.
Afterwards, SLSS head coach Mike Stoneburgh was quick to point out that his underclassman is about as complete as they come, right down to the point where he’s even showing some early coaching chops.
“He has been a mainstay for this team and he’s been huge… shooting the ball and just being a leader,” said Stoneburgh. “He’s very good with the guys in practice with a ‘Hey, we can’t make that pass’ or “We have to get here on defence,’ during those times the ball is at a place on the floor where maybe I couldn’t see it.
“And I’m even more excited to have him for two more years.”
Still young in places, the Sharks built a 48-32 lead at one stage Wednesday but seemed to run out of answer as the Cougars made a run and pulled to within six points on a pair of occasions.
Now, the Sharks will advance to face the North Delta Huskies in an 8:15 p.m. Rising 8 semifinal game Thursday.
Interestingly enough, it’s a quick-turnaround rematch of the Nov. 28 game played at North Delta in which the Huskies claimed a 71-61 win.
Playing some early-season chess is fine by Stoneburgh, who says his team is going to have to learn how to cope with the Huskies if they want to accomplish their season goals.
“We talked to our guys right after that game, about how we’ll probably see North Delta three or four times this season… they are in our (South Fraser AAA) zone. We know we didn’t play our best when we faced them the last time and so the kids are clamouring to get back at it and to get another chance.”
Jaswal hit eight threes on the game and his six third-quarter triples accounted for 18 of his team’s 20 points in the quarter.
Gavin Cameron added 13 for the winners.
Bobby Kelly scored a team-high 21 points for the Cougars, who despite a lack of practice time thus far, boast a line-up ready to make noise by season’s end.
Troy Todoruk had 18 points, Gaurev Bains 16 and Grade 9 Tolu Bankole a further nine points.
SPECTRUM 72 SIR CHARLES TUPPER 53
LANGLEY — Victoria’s Spectrum Thunder opened like they are ready to win a second invitational tournament in as many entires this early season.
The school, which for decades played without a nickname, are living up to their new moniker following a 72-53 win over East Vancouver’s Sir Charles Upper Tigers.
The Thunder will now advance to face Vancouver’s Lord Byng Grey Ghosts in a 6:45 p.m. semifinal on Thursday at South Court.
The team produced four double-digit scorers, led by the 17 of Tyler Felt, the 16 of Justin Hinrichsen, the 15 of Justin Le and the 11 of Adam Mount. Le scored all of his points in the first half and Mount all of his in the second.
Connor Morgan led Tupper with 12 points, while Renz Laconsay added 11.
DRAW 3 — THE LOCAL 8
GAME REPORTS
BY GARY AHUJA
Draw 3
The Langley Christian Lightning will face the Burnaby Central Wildcats in one semi-final while the other pits a pair of Langley schools, Credo Christian Kodiaks and R.E. Mountain Eagles, square off in the other of the eight-team bracket of the TBI’s Draw 3.
Langley Christian 80 Salish 67
Langley Christian Lightning’s Elijah Olson scored 30 points to lead his team to an 80-67 win over the Salish Wolves. Salish’s Jesse Connolly and Ajay Aujla tied for the team lead with 17 points apiece.
The Lightning were ahead by a single point in the fourth quarter before closing on a game-ending 16-4 run.
Burnaby Central 86 D.W. Poppy 34
The Burnaby Central Wildcats received a balanced offensive attack with 11 players scoring at least two points as they defeated the D.W. Poppy Redhawks 86-34. Omar Alemzai led the Wildcats with 14 points while Poppy’s Armaan Saran led all scorers with 20 points.
Credo Christian 67 Langley Fundamental 47
A back-and-forth contest through three quarters, the Credo Christian Kodiaks seized control in the final 10 minutes, turning a three-point game into a 67-47 win over the Langley Fundamental Titans.
Dylan Grim led Credo Christian with 15 points as he was one of four players to reach double figures. Benjamin Hantke led the Titans with 17 points.
R.E. Mountain 87 Aldergrove 45
The R.E. Mountain Eagles used a strong defensive second quarter where they held their opponent to eight points to pull away from the Aldergrove Totems in an 87-45 win.
Soy Ryu led the Eagles with 20 points while Ethan McMillan and Ibrahim Arram each scored 11 for the Totems.
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