The Claremont Spartans claimed the South Island senior boys triple A basketball championship with an impressive 62-50 victory over the Oak Bay Bays on Saturday night before a packed and boisterous crowd at Reynolds gymnasium.
鈥淐ity champs, that鈥檚 Goal 1 for us and now Goal 2 is off to the Islands for an Island championship,鈥� said Spartans coach Davey Sundher. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always nice beating Oak Bay.鈥�
The teams had split a pair of regular-season games, the Bays鈥� only loss of the campaign.
They now head off to Islands, set to begin on Thursday at Mount Douglas.
鈥淩ight now, it鈥檚 a matter of survive and move on,鈥� said Oak Bay coach Chris Franklin. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about pretty, it鈥檚 about survive and move on. It鈥檚 nice to win a citys, but at the end of the day it鈥檚 not the greater goal.鈥�
Mason Loewen had 26 points for the Spartans, who led 31-26 at the half and never relented. Mat Hampton had 20 for the Bays.
The Belmont Bulldogs managed to come alive to finish third, bouncing back from a 15-7 deficit after the first quarter to beat Mount Doug 76-60. All four move on to Islands.
In the fifth-place game, Spectrum defeated Stelly鈥檚 79-67 and will compete in a play-in game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Ladysmith versus Alberni.
Afterwards, the Bays placed three players on the Sportvictoria/ sa国际传媒 city all-star team. Hampton, Jake Miller and Liam Horne of Oak Bay joined Owen Vaags, Kane Johnston and Erik Spaven of Belmont.
Alexandre Jordache and Loewen of Claremont, Darian Vandermerwe of Spectrum and Harrison Mar of Mount Douglas were also named to the squad.
Meanwhile, at the triple A girls Island Championship at Dover Bay, Oak Bay defeated Claremont 82-47 to claim the title. Both teams will head to provincials March 6-9 at Langley.
Over at St. Michaels University School, the home Blue Jags couldn鈥檛 quite fend off the hard-charging Wellington Wildcats as they delivered a 62-53 victory in the double A senior girls Island Championship.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really happy because it鈥檚 our first championship in more than 10 years,鈥� said Wellington鈥檚 Sara Simovic, who was named the tournament鈥檚 most valuable player. 鈥淭hey gave us a bit of a scare, but we pulled it out in the end.鈥�
The Wildcats led 23-6 after the first quarter, but the Jags made strong runs early in the second and late in the third to cut it to 39-36.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of the girls, they didn鈥檛 give up, they could have folded in the first quarter, but they didn鈥檛,鈥� said Blue Jags coach Lindsay Brooke.
The two advance to provincials in Kamloops, March 6-9, and could be joined by Mark Isfeld, which edged defending champion Lambrick Park 58-56 in the bronze-medal game. Isfeld will now compete in a play-in game for provincials on Monday at Wellington against a Lower Mainland opponent.
The Blue Jags鈥� senior boys team, meanwhile, lost 63-45 to Lambrick Park in the bronze-medal game at Islands at Wellington. Brentwood College was in the late championship final vs. Wellington. The top three head to Kamloops for provincials and SMUS will be involved in a play-in game on Monday at Wellington vs. Elphinstone of Gibsons.
In junior girl鈥檚 Islands play, host Claremont kept its perfect season alive, defeating Oak Bay 52-44 in the championship game. Both teams advance to the provincials March 6-9 at Langley. Wellington beat Belmont 33-31 for third.
In junior boys play, SMUS doubled up Oak Bay 76-38 for the Island crown.
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