Spectrum Community School is celebrating its first senior boys basketball provincial title after defeating a Surrey team in front of a sell-out crowd in Langley. The second-seeded squad from Saanich beat the No. 4-ranked Tamanawis Wildcats 92-72 in the final of the 2024 BC School Sports 4A Boys Basketball Provincial Championships at the Langley Events Centre on March 9.
Your BC School Sports 4A Boys Basketball Provincial Champions are the Spectrum Thunder 🏆⚡️ pic.twitter.com/QnznHoQwJk
— Langley Events Centre (@LangleyEvents) March 10, 2024
Spectrum Thunder player Tyler Felt racked up 26 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots en route to earning the Most Valuable Player of the tournament title. “I felt we clicked at the right time this year and we pushed each other hard, especially on defence, which won us these last couple of games,” Felt said in an LEC news release. “Even though I got the MVP, that could have gone to so many guys. It really was a group award. This is all so surreal.”
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Teammates Justin Hinrichsen and J Elijah Helman were named to the tournament’s First All-Star Team. Hinrichsen had 20 points, 16 rebounds and five assists, while Helman posted 21 points and nine rebounds in the final. Spectrum’s Gio De Gracia was named Best Defensive Player and Quinn Keast Foundation Championship Player of the Game. He had eight points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
The game was tied 17-17 in the second quarter when the Thunder exploded for a 16-4 run. Felt and Hinrichsen poured in five points each in that stretch, which helped put Spectrum in front 36-25 at the half. The Thunder opened the third quarter with a 10-3 surge to increase their lead to 46-28.
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The gap was 67-47 when Hinrichsen picked up his fourth foul of the contest with 8:53 to go in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats turned up their defensive pressure, and the Tamanawis deficit was down to 67-53 with eight minutes left on the clock.
Hinrichsen came back into the game and seconds later the Wildcats got within 11 points at 67-56. Spectrum responded with an 18-3 surge to cap off its first senior boys provincial title.
“We fought hard all night,” said Hinrichsen. “It was a tough battle, tough game, but we pushed through and pulled out the win. Tamanawis is a really talented team that plays a fast pace and shoots the ball well. They have a bunch of good players.”
Earlier in the tournament Spectrum defeated Prince George 89-56 and Burnaby South 86-66 before defeating West Vancouver 59-52 in the semifinal.
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Earlier Saturday, the Oak Bay Bays defeated the West Vancouver Highlanders 85-53 in the third-place game.
Oak Bay narrowly missed the gold-medal game losing 80-79 in overtime in the semifinal Friday against Tamanawis who finished second in the tournament and won the School Spirit Award.
Oak Bay’s Thomas Beames was named First Team All Star while teammate Heath Taylor was named a Second Team All-Star.
In 2A provincial competition, also held at Langley Event Centre, Saanich’s Lambrick Park kicked of the competition with a 90-70 win over Southridge. Lambrick fell out of podium contention with an 83-71 quarter-final loss to Pacific Academy.
Lambrick Went on to beat fellow Islanders John Barsby of Nanaimo 93-64 before falling to King George 74-66 to claim sixth position.
Brookes Westshore finished 10th in a narrow overtime loss to Osoyoos.
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