G.W. Graham’s senior boys basketball team fell 76-62 to Mission Friday night in the Fraser Valley championship game.
The game was played at Archbishop Carney secondary school in Port Coquitlam.
The Grizzlies were a banged up bunch. Josiah Cockrill missed the game with a wrist injury. Lucas Mannes and Austin Neetz played at less than 100 per cent on wonky ankles, and several GWG players were fighting off the flu.
Still, the blue and white came out flying and led by as many as 12 points early.
Mannes and Fran Armengual were lethal from the outside. GWG started big men Matt McConnell, Cody Hansen and Hank Derksen in an attempt to counter Mission’s size.
But the Grizzlies saw their lead dwindle to five at the half, and GWG simply ran out of gas from there.
The Grizzlies trailed heading into the fourth quarter.
GWG knocked down several three point shots as time wound down, but Mission had an answer for everything.
The Grizzlies had to start fouling in the final minutes, and the Roadrunners knocked down their free-throws to put the game away.
Mannes and Armengual took consolation in being named to the Fraser Valley tournament first all-star team.
The Grizzlies now prepare for provincials, opening March 7 in Kamloops versus Charles Hayes secondary school.
It is the third straight trip to provincials for the Grizzlies, and GWG is looking for community support to off-set the estimated $7,000 cost.
Contact GWG athletic director Jake Mouritzen by email at jake_mouritzen@sd33.bc.ca.
— The GWG senior girls basketball team saw their season end Friday with a 73-64 loss to Abbotsford Christian.
The Grizzlies trailed the Crusaders by 17 points at the half.
Jennika Bannerman, Kayla Unger, Aveen Rezends and Kaitlyn McDonald started raining three pointers in the third quarter, whittling the Holy Cross lead to six.
But the run ended there as the Crusaders held on for a seven point win.
