The Kwalikum Kondors have punched their ticket to the senior boys basketball AA Provincials after defeating the Lambrick Park Lions 43-39 on Friday night.
Heading into the game, the Lions were ranked third in B.C. at the AA level and were the second seed coming out of the South Island.
It was a tight game that saw the Kondors trailing from half way through the first quarter.
In the last five minutes in the fourth, Grade 12 Jesse Goring hit a three-pointer to put the Kondors up by a score of 41-38.
“Wow man, I’m absolutely ecstatic,” Goring said after the game. “The whole team played a great game, so proud of everyone on our team. We played an incredible game and now we’re off to Provincials.”
Ryan Becker, also in Grade 12, was sent to the free-throw line with under two seconds left after a missed three by the Lions. He nailed his first shot from the line, giving the Kondors the 43-39 lead and sealing the deal to head to Provincials.
Becker finished with a team high of 13 points and Grade 11 Lucas Sposato finished with 10 points. Goring had seven points in the game, four of which came in the final quarter.
“Man, what a game that was,” head coach Butch Gayton said. “To be able to play a game like that and hold a team like Lambrick Park to 39 points is amazing. I couldn’t believe it when Jesse hit that three that we had taken the lead, I was so focused on what they were doing on the court I had no idea what the score was.”
“It’s all just so crazy right now,” Becker said. “It’s been a dream all season to go to Provincials and it’s finally come true. We made it! When I got to the free-throw line at the end of the game there, everything just slowed down; I took a deep breath and knocked the shot down. It was the best feeling in the world. I’m so proud of our team and what we’ve accomplished.”
Heading in to the game, coaches Gayton and Barry Bevilacqua knew that to have a chance in the game, the Kondors would have to play some tough defense, with an emphasis on playing Lambrick’s two best players, Grade 10 twins Austin and Calvin Somers. Both Goring and Becker were in for a challenge and, according to Gayton, they answered the bell
“Jesse and Ryan had an outstanding game,” Gayton said. “They were up against Lambrick’s two best players and they held them in check the entire game.”
Said Gayton: “Our entire team played good, physical defense and didn’t allow Lambrick any easy baskets. I think that was the key to our success. Lambrick hadn’t been played against physically that way all season and I think that took them by surprise.”
LATE ADD: The Kondors lost to St. Michael’s in the Island final late Saturday and will go to the provincials as the No. 6 seed (St. Michael’s earned the number one seed with the Island title.). The Kondors will play their first game of the provincials at 8:30 a.m. on March 11 in Langley against No. 11 Delview (Delta).
