One thing was certain, the Heritage Christian Saints did not want to experience last yearB次元官网网址檚 pain.
In 2017, the small Kelowna school lost in the provincial semifinals, before rebounding to claim the bronze medal, a school-first.
And on Saturday, they one-upped that achievement, as the No. 4 seed knocked off the No. 6 Bulkley Valley Royals 65-53 in the gold-medal game of the BC boys 1A provincial finals at the Langley Events Centre.
The Saints led virtually from start to finish, with the Royals only leading for 16 seconds and the score tied for just eight seconds.
B次元官网网址淲e had the experience from last year and we didnB次元官网网址檛 want to feel that same pain,B次元官网网址� said Saints coach Colton Tripke.
B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 want to be in that same place so we had to work harder.B次元官网网址�
Heritage Christian had to contend with the RoyalsB次元官网网址� Saymon Loki, who picked up the most valuable player award after averaging more than 35 points per game in the championships.
And after a monster 44-point and 21-rebound effort in the semifinals, the six-foot-five forward was B次元官网网址榟eldB次元官网网址� to 31 points and 24 rebounds in the finals.
B次元官网网址淗e is a great player, we knew he was going to score,B次元官网网址� Tripke said.
B次元官网网址淲e ran out of gas. We played our five starters hard,B次元官网网址� said RoyalsB次元官网网址� coach Chris Steenhof.
With Loki such a presence in the paint, the Saints relied upon their outside shooting, scoring just 14 of their 65 points in the paint. The bulk of the damage was done from beyond the arc as 12 of their 22 field goals were three-pointers.
Sam Bell led the way with six three-pointers and 22 points while Ben Robideau had 12 points, all of which came from beyond the arc.
Bell was a first team all-star while Joshua Weekes, who had four points, five rebounds and six assists, was a second team selection.
Heritage Christian also had a balanced attack with 15 points from Raymond Barrett and another dozen from Isaac Opuama.
B次元官网网址淥ur inside game is good but we needed that outside game going for us.,B次元官网网址� Tripke said.
Steenhof said the Saints played Loki different than any other team all season with quick double teams.
B次元官网网址淭hey are a very, very athletic team and they adjusted very quickly,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭heir athleticism hurt us because they made very quick decisions and we didnB次元官网网址檛 counter.B次元官网网址�
Bulkley Valley ChristianB次元官网网址檚 Nathan Steenhof scored 16 points and was named a second team all-star.
The Royals had a tough shooting night, hitting just two of 20 three-point attempts and shot 28.4 per cent overall.
But despite the loss, the Bulkley Valley coach was thrilled with his teamB次元官网网址檚 silver lining to their season.
B次元官网网址淲e overachieved this season in many ways,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏efore this game, I told them no matter what, this was a victory for us.B次元官网网址�
The championship adds to the rich basketball tradition in Kelowna.
B次元官网网址淭hey have worked so hard all year for this,B次元官网网址� Tripke said. B次元官网网址�(And) for a small school that has four kids per grade, it just great to see.B次元官网网址�
The SaintsB次元官网网址� Isiah Akurienne was named the player of the game.
sports@langleytimes.com
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