Grayden Northey was lethal from three-point land Wednesday morning, leading his Sardis Falcons past Kelowna in their provincial tournament opener.
The Sardis team captain nailed five of six three point attempts as his No. 7 ranked Falcons beat the #10 ranked Owls 92-81.
The game was played at the Langley Events Centre and Kelowna lived up their billing as a hard-working, scrappy bunch.
With both sides bothered by nerves in the opening minutes, the underdogs took a 17-12 lead.
Sardis came rolling back as the second quarter started. Collin Kellington started the run with a three point bomb. As Kelowna came back up the floor, Brayden Speaks-Chinda pounced on a turnover and fed Hayden Lejeune on a fast break. With diminutive guard Davide Ciancio in pursuit, the big man slammed down a two-handed dunk.
On the next Sardis possession, Eric Rogers got the hoop and harm, draining a layup then going to the line to sink a free-throw.
Heading into halftime, his team held a 36-33 lead.
Eric Rogers led the first half attack with 15 points. Lejeune battled through early foul trouble to tally 10. Kellington had nine.
The big two continued their dominance in the second half. Rogers had 12 points and Lejeune 16, but it was Northey who shone.
Every time Kelowna got close, the senior hit a trey to push them back. Held off the scoresheet in the first half, he ended the game with 15. His offensive explosion was timely, with teammate Cam Servatius going ice cold.
While Servatius provided his usual steady D and dished the ball well, he didn’t record a single point.
Buzz Truss carried the Kelowna offence on his back. No. 10 in yellow had a game high 32 points, refusing to let his Owls go quietly.
Kelowna is now sent to the relegation side of the tournament, while Sardis stays alive for the title. The Falcons next play Thursday night, with a 6:15 tipoff against an opponent to be determined (likely Gleneagle).
Find the full schedule online at langleyeventscentre.com/4ABoysBBall
