A run at a provincial championship has ended for the Tamanawis Wildcats.
The Surrey school fell 75-65 to the White Rock Christian Academy Warriors (WRCA) Thursday night at the Langley Events Centre, knocking the Wildcats out of championship contention in the quarterfinal round of the B.C. Senior AAA boys high school basketball tournament.
Facing a team they had beaten three of four times since Christmas, the Wildcats were outworked by WRCA in the latter part of the third quarter. Leading 43-37 at halftime, the Warriors didn’t falter after Tamanawis started strong after the break and tied the contest 48-48 six minutes into the second half.
Jake Newman of the Warriors responded quickly with a trey, sparking the Warriors to a 21-5 run that led to a 16-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, and Tamanawis didn’t challenge after that.
The Wildcats chipped away, but the Warriors always had an answer. Manny Dulay hit a trey with 50 seconds left to cut the different to nine points, then drained another with a half-minute to go to pull Tamanawis to within seven at 72-65. It was the closest they got.
The Warriors did what they needed in the last minute, hitting their foul shots. They went four-for-six, and while allowing the Wildcats to cut into the lead, White Rock Christian was never in danger of losing it.
Dulay finished the 26 points, including six on 16 attempts from behind the three-point line. Sukhjot Bains with 13 points and Ravjot Dhaliwal with 12 also scored in double figures for the Wildcats. Dhaliwal also had a game-high 10 rebounds.
Tamanawis drops into consolation play tomorrow, as they tip-off against the Pitt Meadows Marauders. The Fraser Valley champions, Pitt Meadows was blasted 66-30 by the Terry Fox Ravens in their quarterfinal match Thursday. With two wins to close out the 20-team tournament, Tamanawis would finish in fifth place.
