A year after losing in the quarter-finals of Fraser Valley championships – a loss which cost them a spot at provincials – the Tamanawis Wildcats clawed their way back to capture the title, defeating in the finals the same W.J. Mouat Hawks squad that knocked them out in 2017.
On Sunday at the Langley Events Centre, the Newton-based Wildcats defeated W.J. Mouat 87-85 in overtime, to claim the school’s third quad-A senior boys hoops banner since 2014.
“It put a lot of stress on the heart,” Par Bains, Tamanawis assistant coach and the school’s athletic director, told Peace Arch News.
Tamanawis led by as many as 11 points earlier in the game, but the resilient Hawks chipped away at the deficit as the clock ticked down, eventually sending the game to extra time.
“They hit some big three-point shots at the end,” Bains said.
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The ‘Cats were led, as they have been all season, by guard Miguel Tomley, who finished the contest with a game-high 49 points. He’s averaged over 40 points per game all season long, Bains explained, “so we kind of expect that kind of game from him now.”
“He played great.”
While Tomley’s 49-point output stole the headlines, Bains was quick to point out that it was another Wildcat, Akash Dhaliwal, whose performance was critical to the team escaping with the victory.
Dhaliwal – who finished the game with 15 points – had two steals in overtime, both of which led to layups at the other end of the court.
“That was big for us,” Bains said.
In the bronze-medal game earlier in the day, the Semiahmoo Totems defeated Cloverdale’s Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers 105-82.
The championship game was set up Thursday night, after Tamanawis defeated Tweedsmuir 90-78 in one semifinal, and Mouat upset Semiahmoo 71-63 in the other semi.
The Hawks entered Fraser Valleys as the No. 7-ranked quad-A team in B.C., while the Totems were No. 3.
All four teams had already qualified for provincials, which are set for March 7-10 at the LEC. They’ll be joined by three more Fraser Valley squads at the B.C. tournament – Walnut Grove and Terry Fox secondaries are the fifth and sixth seeds from the Valley zone to qualify, while the seventh and final spot goes to Coquitlam’s Pinetree Secondary, after a win Sunday over Surrey’s Holy Cross Crusaders in a win-and-you’re-in showdown.
Seeding for the provincial tournament has not yet been finalized, but Bains expected his squad will likely end up as the second or third overall seed; Oak Bay is the assumed No. 1 – a perch they’ve occupied for most of the season.
Senior girls
BC Senior Girls AAA Basketball Championships begin Wednesday at the LEC, and two Surrey teams are in the mix for a banner.
The Semiahmoo Totems and Sullivan Heights Stars both begin play today, with the Totems taking on New Westminster at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, and the Stars squaring off against Carson Graham.
Should Semiahmoo win its opening game, they’ll move on to play Thursday against the winner of Oak Bay and Brookswood. If they lose, they’ll move into the relegation bracket and play the loser of that same game.
“They have a good team, but we’re excited for the game and excited about qualifying for B.C.’s,” said Semiahmoo coach Allision McNeill.
Sullivan Heights, meanwhile, will square off against the winner of the Abbotsford Senior and North Peace game if they’re able to win their Game 1 matchup Wednesday.
Semifinals are set for Friday, and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday, 5 p.m. at the LEC.
