Boys 3rd/4th: Kitsilano vs. Rutland
These two teams would not meet often if they ever have. The hip inner city Vancouver neighbourhood meets Okanagan benchland town that is now really a suburb of Kelowna.
Kits is a AAAA ‘honourable mention’ while Rutland, also a AAAA school, has yet to hit the list this year although that could change after this weekend.
The two teams spent the first quarter getting to know each other with Kits big man, aka Mt. Everest (Jaggs) being rested in the latter half of Q1. The combatants engaged in some respectable basket exchanging, foul drawing and trying to give this scribe something notable to write about. Finally Demons’ Lum hit a sweet side step jumper late in the quarter. Score 26-22 Rutland at the end of Q1.
In the second Q Kits asserted its fast break skills either scoring or drawing fouls. But Voodoos Balkenhol hit a 3 followed by one from Deol as the benchlanders maintained their 4 point lead. Deol continued his effective ball distribution and eventually Demons’ Li nailed a three to tie the game—but only for 7 seconds until Rutland answered twice. Another lead change in Kits’ favour also didn’t last but Rutland’s lead was reduced to two at 43-41 halftime.
[As an aside any rugby club would be glad to have Rutland’s Brandon Porter (#13) who plays with passion, intensity and fearlessness. If he spent any more time on the floor they’d have to paint the lines over him.]
Kits tied it early in the second on a nifty lefty lay-up (ok, so he is lefthanded) by Lum and the teams started trading baskets as they climbed the scoreboard. The Blue Demons started to assert themselves taking a 4 point lead. Which was enhanced by Peter Li’s trey. Rutland showed cracks as Kits had a 6 point lead but Porter answered with a three (yes, he does that too). In fact, he did it so nicely he then did it again! But the game remained close, Kits by 6 with 2:46 to go in Q3. Then Owen Cutler hit a step-back 3 deep in the shot clock and, on Kits’ next possession, hit another. Kits by 12 at the end of Q3. Merciless!
Showtime for Rutland. Time to see what they have in the tank. A three by Stackhouse was a good start. Li for Kits hit from the arc and the lead was again 12 soon to be 14 on Fagrie’s tear drop. Seven minutes to go. A three by Demon Petersen made the lead 17. Uh oh… The beauty of a lefty three by Rutland’s Wiebe and a following deuce and the lead was 12. Then Sim hit a three and Lum a righty floater. I can’t keep up! The lead down to 8. Wow a steal by Rutland’s Wong and a lefty lay-up by Porter and the Kits lead is now six. Thank God, a timeout by Kits, who were looking over their shoulder. Ha! A Cutler 3 and a Lum tear drop and the lead is back to 11 with 2 minutes to go. Lum took over the epilogue with some time-wasting and a long two. With a lead of 13 and 58 seconds left there is no timeout strategy that is going to change the result here. Two good teams, battled well.
Final Score: Kits 89, Rutland 73
Player of the Game: Kits’ Sten Petersen