(BOYS) Both hungry for consolation wins, Sir Winston Churchill tops Queen Elizabeth

Written by Rahim Pendleton, Handsworth Grad

After a couple of first round losses, both the Queen Elizabeth Royals and Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs bounced back with victories in the first round of the consolation bracket. Looking to build on those wins, both teams came out aggressive. If early indications show anything this is going to be a battle of the bigs with both teams fielding big men 6’7 or taller. The teams trade baskets in the early going but some sloppy play and over eagerness sees the score sit at just 6-6. A big block from Landon gives the Bulldogs some life as he also pours in 2 easy layups much to the chagrin of the QE coach who is forced into using his first timeout now down 7 early going. The timeout sparks the Royals as they force the Bulldogs into multiple turnovers which turns into back-to-back baskets and a 3 pt shot from Noel Yogore at the buzzer to close the lead to 1 at the end of the quarter. QE 16 WC 15

Quicksilver guard Kerrin Bhardwaj, who showed his prowess at getting to the rim in last night’s victory over Salmon Arm, gets the Royals going early with a slick pass to big man Sukh Grewal who was streaking to the rim for a big  time finish. His driving forays into the paint continue to frustrate the Bulldog bench. With fellow big Landon out of the game, Carson has found his way into the game with a layup, a steal, and another layup to push the Bulldog lead to 5. Sensing his team needs a boost, Lamba from QE snatches the ball from the Bulldog guards and goes the length of the floor for an easy 2. A confusing double foul halts the play and shifts the momentum back in the favor of the Bulldogs who close the half on an 12-2 run capped by a hard foul on big Landon who made both free throws to give the Dogs an 8 point lead heading to the half: WC 33 QE 25

Halftime facts: Sir Winston Churchill was in fact knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1953

A smooth 3 for 6’7 big Sukh Grewal starts the second half for the Royals while fellow big  Armaan Gill continue his assault on the offensive glass for another offensive board and put back. A pull up 3 in transition from #4 wakes the Bulldogs out of their halftime nap as it ignites his teamates and forces another turnover turning into a bank 3 fadeway at the shot clock buzzer to extend the Bulldog lead to 12. With the Royals on their heels the Bulldogs continue to push the pace and get open looks as Darren hits a 3 to push the lead once again.  A full lineup hockey change from the Bulldogs turns the favor back to the Royals as Rohan and Bhardwaj get a couple of easy steals and buckets to shrink the lead to 8 before a questionable foul call on a 3 pointer sent Nick Chan to the line to push the lead back to 10: WC 49 QE 39

A high energy start to the 4th sees the two teams go back and forth for 4 consecutive baskets to keep the lead in double digits before a big And-1 from Armaan Gill to cut the lead down to 7. Gill seems determined to not let this game get away as a big block on the defensive end precedes another offensive rebound and put-back finish.His hustle is contagious as the Royals lock in defensively however a lapse in judgement on the fast break sends Oliver to the line for the Bulldogs due to an intentional foul. He only makes 1 of 2 free throws but the damage is done and even Gill’s reckless abandon on the offensive boards could not save the Royals from defeat: WC 59 QE 54