While the Olympic Games occupied much of our time, there were other spectacular sporting events entertaining Victoria fans this weekend.
Basketball aficianados were in their glory on both the high school and university fronts.
Saturday night was well worth the trip, sliding from the Claremont Secondary gymnasium to the Lambrick Park hardwood as sites of the triple-A girl’s and double-A boy’s Island Championships, respectively.
The Claremont Spartans provided a huge shock on the home floor, out-lasting the favoured Oak Bay Breakers, who had defeated the same Claremont team by 30 points the week previous at South Islands.
The Spartans won this thriller 64-63.
As they say, that’s why they play the games.
Claremont coach Shawn Dheensaw received several memorable performances on the day, which didn’t begin awfully well with Oak Bay opening up with a quick turnaround jumper from Lauren Yearwood and a three-pointer from Marisa Harrington as the Breakers grabbed a 5-0 lead.
But they were matched by some good old-fashioned Spartans’ spunk as a pair of steals and layups from Calli McMillan left Claremont tied at 17-17 after the first quarter.
McMillan finished with 29 points, including seven three-pointers as she basically went off on the Breakers’ defence. Oak Bay battled back from a 54-45 deficit to even it at 54-54 on a Yearwood basket with 3:04 to go and grabbed a 58-54 lead thanks to a 13-0 run.
Claremont never buckled, however, thanks to McMillan’s final two three-pointers over the last two minutes.
Yearwood put the Breakers back up 63-62 with 13.9 seconds left, but that’s when Mia Brooker nailed her one and only bucket of the night, with nine seconds to go.
It couldn’t have come at a better time for Claremont.
“It was very gritty,” said Dheensaw. “And we did a much better job on rebounds, which killed us in the past against Oak Bay.”
Marissa Dheensaw was a demon off the boards late in the game, especially on an errant free throw that she kicked back to McMillan for her final three-pointer that made it 62-59 Spartans.
“They came out like a team that had nothing to lose and played great today. They were full measure for the victory and they deserved it, for sure,” said Oak Bay coach Rob Kinnear.
“I’m proud of our girls. It would have been easy to roll over, down nine there in the fourth. They showed resiliency. The season isn’t over, so that’s the type of stuff that will mean something if given the chance down the road.”
Both teams advance to provincials in Langley, March 5-8, but the Island title is always a nice trophy to tuck into the trophy case.
“Any loss is disappointing. Island fnals makes it hurt a little bit more, but in a situation like this you either let it affect you or you use it as motivation for B.C.’s,” added Kinnear.
Not to be outdone, the St. Michael’s University School Blue Jags at Lambrick Park Lions double-A boy’s final was just as exciting.
Down by two at the half, the Blue Jags raced back in the second half and actually led 70-64 on Graeme Hyde-Lay’s clutch drive with 3:20 to go.
A pair of three-pointers from Matt Neufeld and Calvin Somers tied it up and Jacob Barnard made it 72-70 Lambrick to set up the last minute.
That’s when SMUS’s Danny Wu made two clutch free throws to tie it, but handed the Lions the ball on what should have been the final possession.
Ismail Abdulahi – Lambrick’s extremely talented point guard – drove the lane, but his offering bounced off the rim, was gobbled up by SMUS forward Matt Rud, who sent an outlet pass screaming up floor to Wu, who rolled in the last layup just before the buzzer for an exciting win between two fantastic teams.
The Lions and Blue Jags were ranked 1-2 respectively in the province and that may change for B.C.’s, also in Langley March 5-8.
It was the sixth time these two teams have met wih SMUS winning four, with every outcome close.
“I wouldn’t have expected anything different,” said Lions coach Ed Somers as he closed down the gymnasium well after the teams and fans had vacated.
Is there a Game 7 in the works, possibly in the final at provincials?
“I don’t think it does much to the rankings, except change places, again,” said Blue Jags coach Ian Hyde-Lay. “Our games – we’ve had an overtime game, a four-pointer, three-pointer at our place, and now a two-point difference tonight. Wow.
“By no means is this a done deal. A seventh game? Who knows?” added Hyde-Lay, who was as animated as usual in this one, particularly late as the Lions roared back.
“You lose to Somers’ boys in transition, you’re going to pay the price,” said Hyde-Lay of the Lions’ late claw back. “I thought Matt Neufeld shot the ball tremendously for them and Ismail was really tough, as usual.
“We didn’t start well, but it was a gritty effort,” Hyde-Lay added of his team.
Neufeld had 25 points in the losing cause and Jason Scully led SMUS with 21.
And you can’t forget about the University of Victoria Vikes’ men’s team which rebounded from a very unflattering Friday loss to Winnipeg to claim back-to-back wins on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon to advance to the Canada West Final 4.
The Vikes won 76-63 at McKinnon Gym on a snowy Sunday.
