The Credo Christian Kodiaks built an early lead and then did not let their opponent get within eight points the rest of the way, en route to a Fraser Valley championship title.
The Kodiaks were playing the Khalsa Lions in Saturday’s Single A Fraser Valley senior boys basketball championship final at Abbotsford’s Columbia Bible College.
And Credo’s defence set the tone early, holding the usually high-scoring Lions to 11 points in the opening frame.
“That was pretty phenomenal against a high-scoring team like them,” said coach Justin Vanderploeg.
The Kodiaks maintained a double-digit lead for much of the contest in a battle of the Valley’s top two seeds.
Credo had won 78-52 over No. 8 Meadowridge in the quarter-finals and then won 68-57 against No. 4Ecole Gabrielle Roy in the semifinals.
The Lions won 80-55 over No. 7 Southridge and 75-66 against No. 6 Unity Christian.
Willem Dykstra earned most valuable player honours for Credo while Joshua Allison was selected an all-star.
Vanderploeg said winning Valleys and qualifying for provincials were big goals for his team, which is making its fourth straight appearance at the BC Single A championships next week (March 7 to 1o) at the Langley Events Centre.
The Kodiaks were fourth in 2015, second in 2015 and fifth last year.
And the coach feels the team’s experience at provincials (some of his current Grade 12 players were on the team two years ago as Grade 10s) is showing up.
“I have noticed it all year long, in close games, they don’t get too high or too low,” he said.
“They are able to keep their emotions in check and I think that should help us a lot come provincials.”
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