The Grade 10 boys' basketball team lived up to their #2 ranking in the ISA's as they won their first three games of the tournament before falling to a powerhouse St. George's squad. The Cavs were full value for their silver medal as they pushed Saints hard in the first half. Coach Ditson will lament the defensive breakdowns that allowed Saints to hit three key 3-pointers in the third quarter to blow the game open, but he was nevertheless proud of his team's fine play throughout the tournament. Here is Coach Yoon's summary of the tournament:
The Junior Boys basketball team finished competing in the ISA championships this past weekend at St John's school where the team finished with a 3-1 record and placed second overall.
The tournament set up had the Cavaliers play two round robin games with the top teams advancing to the playoff round. In the opening match, the Cavs defeated Southridge 48-42. It was a good opening contest as the Cavs maintained the lead for the majority of the game which allowed Coach Ditson to distribute the playing time, and the team responded well by closing out Southridge in the final stretches of the game. The Cav's top performers were: Imraan Karmali (13 points, 5 assists, 2 steals), Aleem Karmali(10 points, 1 steal), and Tariq Alibhai (10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals).
A few hours later, the Cavs played against Brentwood and came out victorious 52-45. Brentwood held the early lead in the contest mainly because of the team's ability to get easy points in the paint. Brentwood had the tallest post player in the tournament forcing Coach Ditson to make defensive adjustments throughout the game. Nate Holm was eventually asked to protect the paint and did a solid job guarding Brentwood's giant. Holm finished the game with 9 points and 8 rebounds while Riley Arbogast helped the Cavs take the lead with a strong shooting game with 12 points. With the victory, the Cavs finished first in their pool were set to face St. Michaels University (SMU) in the opening playoff game.
The opening playoff game started at 9 am the next day, and the Cavaliers were not ready to play basketball. The Cavs committed many turnovers and struggled to play team defense. Good perimeter shooting has been key for the Cavs throughout the season, but the Cavs could not convert in the opening half. SMUS built a 20-5 lead at one point and had a 10-point lead at half-time. Coach Ditson challenged his players to play with more heart and determination while making adjustments one play at a time. With about 5 minutes left the in the third quarter, the momentum shifted towards the Cavs as the 3- point shots started to fall and the team was able to make stops on the defensive end and convert points in transition. Imraan Karmali and Riley Arbogast contributed with 11 and 9 points respectively, and the Cavs held on to the lead in the fourth quarter. A big comeback and character victory for the Cavs.
With the win over SMUS, the Cavaliers would advance to the finals against the provincially fifth-ranked St. George's Saints. It was a game all the coaches wanted as it would present a significant test as the Cavaliers are preparing to qualify for the provincial tournament in late February. Despite not having one of the team's top players, Tariq in the lineup, the Cavs came out guns and blazing and established an early 7-1 lead and were tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, St. George's used their size advantage to wear out the Cavs on the boards and kept many of our players in foul trouble. Although St. George's established a 20-point lead, the Cavs played some great basketball converting on several shots beyond the arc and playing solid team defense. Ben Wrixon had a big game for the Cavs coming off the bench and grabbing 14 rebounds. Unfortunately, the Saints continued to play well down the stretch and closed out the game 65-50. Despite the loss, it was the best team performance the Cavs had from start to finish in the tournament, and the game could have been right down to the wire if a few plays had gone in favour for the Cavs. The Karmali brothers combined for 36 points (19 for Aleem and 17 for Imraan) and Nate Holm had 7 points for the Cavs.
Lochlan Collins who has been out of action for the entire season played well in all four games and was key in the team's overall performance at the ISA championships. The team looks forward to getting a healthy Collins and Tyler Preston back into the lineup. A special congratulation goes to Tariq, Riley, Ben and Imraan for winning the "player of the game" award during the tournament.
The Cavs now have three games in the next three days, and will then compete in the Jr. Air Show tournament in Pitt Meadows from January 27-28.
