The entire Cowichan Thunderbirds senior boys basketball team roster played a part in a lopsided 84-48 win over the visiting New Westminster Hyacks last Friday.
“Everyone was able to contribute,” head coach Lucky Walia said. “For instance, Zach Kiedaisch came in and guarded their best player, who had 18 points in the first two and a half quarters, then did not score again.”
On offence, the T-Birds offered up a well-balanced attack, with four players in double digits and a fifth just missing the cutoff. Noah Charles led the way with 19 points, Eston Unrau and Travis McDonald had 17 apiece, and Humza Khan contributed 16. Nirmal Hayer was close behind with nine points.
The T-Birds were particularly effective from outside the arc, as Unrau and Hayer each sank three three-pointers, and Khan drained two.
Charles found himself in an unusual spot, playing point guard when Khan went to the bench.
“Noah, in addition to being our leading scorer, did a nice job of running the point for us,” Walia said. “He brought the ball up for us when Humza was out, and had a nice feel for getting different people involved on offence by moving the ball quickly.”
The T-Birds played their first league game at G.P. Vanier on Tuesday, and will play host to Dover Bay on Thursday a 7 p.m. in their second league game.
Following the loss to Cowichan, the AAAA Hyacks played Duncan Christian School the next night, and the single-A DCS Chargers gave them a run, although the Hyacks eventually pulled out a 73-62 win.
Adam Kapteyn had a dominant outing for the Chargers with a team-high 19 points and 13 rebounds. Michael Brandsma added 19 points, Matt Brandsma had 10, and Jesse Van Wingerden added nine.
