Maple Ridge athletes have helped make B.C. High School Boys Basketball Association (BCHSBBA) history by becoming the first 1A team to beat the 2A team at the All-Star Saturday event.
Hosted at St. Thomas More Collegiate, this annual event included basketball stars from all over the province, pitting them against one another in exhibition games as well as three-point and dunk contests.
The 1A team included a couple of local players from Maple Ridge Christian School – Caleb Arrington and Carson Barber.
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The two MRCS athletes joined the rest of their 1A squad in a tense back-and-forth match against the 2A team, which saw the 1A team overcome a multiple-possession deficit after the first quarter and reach halftime with a narrow one-point lead.
They then went off in the third, with the help of a couple of points from Arrington, giving the 1A team a 13-point lead heading into the fourth and final quarter.
A fourth-quarter push by the 2A team chewed away at the point difference between the two teams, but the MRCS players and their 1A teammates were able to hold them off and get the victory with a final score of 96-95.
BCHSBBA president Aaron Mitchell said that this match was a historic one for the association.
“This is the first time 1A has defeated 2A at the all-star game and it was a fun one,” said Mitchell.
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While St. John’s Viv Francois was the top scorer for 1A, with a total of 30 points, both Arrington and Barber also put some points on the board, scoring five and three points, respectively.