The No. 2-ranked Yale Lions have advanced to the final four of the 2015 B.C. High School Boys 4A Basketball Provincial Championships.
On Thursday, Yale defeated the No.7-ranked Semiahmoo Totems 88-76 to advance to the semifinals against Kelowna (No. 3).
Yale’s dynamic backcourt duo of Jauquinn Bennet-Boire and Riley Braich continued their torrid point production on Thursday, with Bennet-Boire scoring 48 and Riley adding 27.
Yale coach Euan Roberts knows his backcourt presents match-up problems for opponents.
“Jauquinn’s basketball IQ is off the charts,” said Roberts. “His playmaking, ball-handing scoring. Riley is an excellent compliment. A dead-eye shooter, handles the ball well, and he loves to play the game.”
Yale forwards Tamikah Otanga and Mike VanderWerff have provided solid rebounding at both ends of the court, while Terry Kwon and Matt Kerc-Murchison have done an excellent job of defending the opposition’s top players, said Roberts.
“It’s really been a team effort.”
Yale faces Kelowna (No. 3) Friday at 7 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre to decide a berth in the final, which takes place Saturday at 8:15 p.m at the LEC.
“We’ve seen them, they’ve seen us, now its time to go play,” said Roberts.
In the other semifinal, Terry Fox (No. 8) plays Sir Winston Churchill (No. 4).
Oak Bay, the top-ranked 4A team heading into provincials, fell to Terry Fox 68-51 on Thursday.
Yale easily won its opening game of the tournament against Queen Charlotte 91-66, with Bennet-Boire scoring 20 and Braich netting 45.
This season Bennett-Boire was named Fraser Valley league MVP and Braich named first-team all-star.
In other Thursday games, the Abbotsford Panthers fell to R.A. McMath 82-70 and Charles Hays defeated Robert Bateman 72-58 in 3A games and Abbotsford Christian lost to Kelowna Christian 71-65.
