The Pitt Meadows Marauders will host the Fraser Valley North triple A basketball semi-finals tonight against the Heritage Woods. If they win – and they didn’t lose a game through a perfect 10-0 regular season – then they will play for the league championship Saturday, again with home court advantage.
Pitt’s playoff opener on Wednesday was a 66-33 doubling of Centennial. Jordan Rich led the scoring with 20 points, and Sebastien Marshall had 14.
While Pitt coach Rich Goulet noted that his team’s offensive play was inconsistent, he was happy with the defence that limited Centennial’s scoring for long stretches.
The game against Heritage Woods tips off at 7:45 p.m.
In the other league semi-final, the Terry Fox Ravens will take on the Gleneagle Talons.
“That’s not going to be an easy game,” predicts Goulet, noting the Talons are capable of upsetting the Ravens.
The winners of the semi-finals will meet at Pitt Meadows secondary on Saturday at 7:45 p.m.
While all eight playoff teams from the North Zone will be advancing to the 32-team Fraser Valley Tournament, Goulet said a good placing in league is important, because seeding for the tournament will be critical.
“If you don’t get a good seed, you’re in trouble,” said Goulet. “The Fraser Valley is a tough place to play.”
The Fraser Valley includes the province’s top-four ranked teams in the Yale Lions (Abbotsford), Walnut Grove Gators, Tamanawis Wildcats (Surrey) and White Rock Christian Warriors respectively. There are also 10 teams that are ranked in either the province’s Top 10 or as honourable mentions.
Pitt is presently ranked 10th.
That tournament will be held Feb. 20-23, and will see eight teams qualify and ranked for the provincials. The B.C. tournament will be held March 12-16 at the Langley Events Centre.
The other two local triple A teams have been eliminated from post-season play.
The Robert Bateman Timberwolves beat Westview Wildcates 66-62, and the Chilliwack Frontiersmen beat the Maple Ridge Ramblers 65-40 on Wednesday at Yale secondary in the playoff opener for the Fraser Valley East.
