If the Belmont senior boys’ basketball team is going to make it to provincials, they’re going to have to do it the hard way.
Following an 83-64 defeat on Saturday to the Oak Bay Bays in the finals of this year’s Island championships, the Bulldogs will need a win over Cowichan Secondary in a challenge game on Tuesday in order to advance.
Playing in front of a lively home crowd in the Island finals, the Bulldogs got off to a sluggish start, trailing by as much as 19 in the game’s early stages.
“They’re a great team. They’ve been ranked all year and they’ve beaten a lot of good squads…They have a great history too, their name’s all over that trophy. I think playing them might have got to the kids a bit and it just took a few minutes to start playing our game,” shared Bulldogs head coach Kevin Brown after the loss.
“Once you get into that hole, it’s really hard to actually get out of it.”
With the contest in danger of becoming a laugher, the Bulldogs found their stride in the second quarter, powering their way to a 14-4 run with a combination of efficient outside shooting and effective drives into the paint.
The ‘Dogs got to within six points towards the end of the frame, but Oak Bay extended their before half and went into the locker room with a 10-point gap over their West Shore foes.
The teams mostly traded baskets out of the break but a late third quarter surge would deflate any hope the ‘Dogs had of a comeback.
Oak Bay extended their lead back up to 19 by the end of the quarter and that would be the final spread between the two clubs.
“They’re such a good team, they’re going to take advantage of any little thing you give them,” said Bulldog centre Dontae Bull.
“I think we gave them a good run there and then when we went into halftime they regrouped, just came back and they were ready to go.”
The challenge game is necessary because Belmont and Cowichan didn’t square-off at this weekend’s tournament, but the ‘Dogs have found success against their Duncan rivals so far this season.
“We beat them by 29 or 30 at our school in January but it’s funny because all of that stuff gets thrown out the window this time of year,” Brown said.
Brown was also quick to point out that the Thunderbirds, who beat Dover Bay by a 77-39 score to earn a potential play-in game, have improved a lot throughout the course of the season.
“It’s nerve-wracking but I have trust in the guys,” he said.
Belmont’s Nathan Johal was named a second team all-star while Dontae Bull and Nishad Tarak earned first team all-star nods.
Oak Bay’s Jaden Touchie earned tournament MVP honours. The title was Oak Bay’s third in a row.
The provincials will take place from Mar. 8 to 11 in Langley.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
