Morning Star Staff
The Fulton Maroons had their head coach Dale Olson awestruck after a 77-62 opening win over Lambrick Park Lions of Victoria Wednesday night in the B.C. Senior AA Boys Basketball Championships at the Langley Events Centre.
Tye Kitzman drained 21 points and Brandon Isaac flushed 20 for the No. 7 Maroons, who battled the second-rated Southridge Storm of Surrey Thursday night in the 16-team extravaganza.
“The boys played awesome,” said Olson, a coach at Fulton for two decades. “That was one of the best efforts I’ve ever seen. They are such a good team in every sense of the word.”
Darrien Broomfield canned 14 points and Cory Ang supplied 13 for the Maroons, who led 44-37 at the half. Isaac Dellbough bagged 16 points for the No. 10 Lions.
A win over Southridge would move the Maroons into tonight’s semifinal. A loss would mean the best they could finish is fifth. None of the top eight seeds lost in opening-round action.
In senior AAA play, the VSS Panthers iced the L.V. Rogers Bombers of Nelson 65-40 Thursday morning after losing 77-53 to Nanaimo Islanders Wednesday afternoon.
Ben Hladik pocketed 18 points as the No. 9 Panthers bounced the No. 16 Bombers. John Garvie counted 11 points for the Cats, while Spencer Shaw and Zac Kronbauer each sank seven. It was 34-10 VSS at the break.
No. 8 Nanaimo got 25 points from 6-foot-5 forward T. Barfoot to beat the Panthers, who were outscored 17-6 in the first quarter. Garvie earned 16 points, while Seth Blundell bagged 13 and Kronbauer added 10. VSS takes on No. 12 McNair Marlins of Richmond this morning.
