The fast-starting Kwalikum Secondary School senior boys basketball team closed out the 2016 portion of its season with a big road win despite being forced to play the other team’s style of play.
Then again, the Alberni District Secondary School Armada were playing right into the Kondors’ hands.
Grade 12 guard Kevin Sudyko led a balanced scoring effort with 22 points and the Kondors (7-1) took advantage of a cold shooting effort by the hosts to roll to a 78-51 victory Thursday in Port Alberni.
ADSS employs the fast-paced offence established by Grinnell (Iowa) College, which is essentially predicated on putting up as many shots in as short a time as possible.
Suffice to say, the shot clock never came into play as the visiting Kondors showed off their own up-tempo chops in the contest.
“I love that tempo,” Kwalikum coach Dave Frampton said. “That’s what I want to do with our guys. Maybe in a way that’s not quite as unrestrained on the three-point attempts, but it’s fun to play.”
Kwalikum’s Arne Olefs, left, drives to the hoop during the Kondors’ senior boys AA basketball game at Port Alberni Thursday night. — Image credit: J.R. Rardon/PQB NEWS
Alberni guard Ozzie Felsman burned the Kondors for four of his team’s five three-pointers in the opening quarter as Kwalikum led just 18-17. But the Kondors extended their man-to-man defence and contested a barrage of long balls that missed the mark over the next three quarters as Kwalikum gradually pulled away.
The Armada managed just two three-point goals after the opening quarter, and while Felsman topped the hosts with 17 points, he scored just five over the final three periods.
“It’s a wonderful offence if you can shoot the ball,” Frampton said of the Grinnell offence, which had established a number of U.S. collegiate scoring records. “They just weren’t making their shots.”
Kwalikum eased to a 37-30 halftime lead, then pulled away in the second half with smothering defence and a series of transition baskets.
Ethyn Christensen hit a trio of three-pointers of his own and finished with 15 points for the Kondors. Ted Vukovic tallied 11 and Roman McKenzie had 10 as Kwalikum placed four scorers in double figures.
Thomas Bruton added 16 points for Alberni, many of them coming on offensive rebounds following missed threes by his teammates.
KSS was coming off a 70-37 romp over Cedar in a Tuesday road contest. The previous weekend, the Kondors played in the Gus Vesterbach Tournament at Vanier Secondary in Comox with just six players due to illness and injury. They still managed to beat Victoria High 61-49 before falling 54-48 to Maple Ridge for their first loss of the season.
The team was still missing two regulars — starting guard Drey Dixon and post man Sheldon Munroe — Thursday in Port Alberni.
The Kwalikum boys competed in Bob Bate Memorial Alumni Tournament at KSS last weekend, and now break before returning to league play when they host Highland Secondary of Comox Jan. 3. See coverage of the alumni tourney in Thursday’s Sports.
Kondors 74, Armada 50
Kwalikum 18 19 17 24—78
Alberni 17 13 9 12—51
KSS — Kevin Sudyko 22, Christensen 15, Vukovic 11, McKenzie 10, Volk 7, Olefs 6, Cullen 4, Crowther 3.
ADSS — Ozzie Felsman 17, Bruton 16, Barbosa 6, Sinclair 4, Contant 3, Moss 3, Cheng 1, Wiatr 1.
