The Westview Wildcats senior boys basketball team won the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows league championship banner last week, after a big win over Maple Ridge Secondary.
This week, the Fraser North Zone Championships is being hosted by Westview and Byrne Creek of Burnaby, with berths in the BC Championship tournament on the line.
The Ramblers and Wildcats met in the final league game in front of a capacity crowd on Feb. 15.
Westview had a slim 23-19 lead at the end of the first quarter, after Sergio Usero Lopez and Maurice Barthel hit two three pointers each in the quarter. The Ramblers adjusted their defence in the second quarter, switching to a zone to slow down the Wildcats offence, and the Ramblers had an 11 point advantage at half time.
The Ramblers lead grew to as much as 14 midway through the third quarter, before the feisty Westview squad began to mount a comeback. Anton Dorsch hit two free throws, and grade 10 sensation Alberto Hernando Bedoya got loose for two big baskets to end the quarter and cut the Ramblers lead to just four points at 50-46.
The teams traded baskets, with the Ramblers leaning on senior forward Owen Fernandes, who scored seven of his team-leading 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Wildcat Alberto Hernando Bedoya hit a three pointer on a sweet pass from Ryohei Miki with less than a minute in the game to give the Wildcats the lead for the first time since the first quarter. Lopez hit two free throws to secure the victory for the Wildcats, who clinched first place in the league with the win, combined with SRT’s narrow 81-79 victory over Pitt Meadows on the same night.
Westview’s team features a strong core of Grade 11s, including Zain Abo Altahin, Ryohei Miki, Jas Panag and Pie Saksawatdikul.
Now hosting the Fraser North Zone Championships, Westview opened with a 95-52 win over Thomas Haney.
Other scores from Feb. 22:
Byrne Creek 86, SRT 70
Maple Ridge 83, Alpha 66
St. Thomas More 85, Pitt Meadows 70
The semi-finals are set.
Westview is to face St. Thomas More on Feb. 23 at 7:15 p.m. at Westview
Maple Ridge is up against Byrne Creek at the Burnaby School on Feb. 23 at 7:15 p.m.
The winners will advance tot he championship game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Langley Events Centre at 3 p.m.
The top two teams from the Fraser North Zone Tournament advance to the BC Provincial Championships, which take place March 6-9 at the Langley Events Centre. For scores and a schedule see bcboysbasketball.com
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