It was a busy weekend for basketball in Surrey and South Surrey.
The Grade 8 basketball provincial championships, held at Fleetwood Park and Sullivan Heights secondary schools Thursday through Saturday, saw the Semiahmoo Grad 8 girls Thunderbirds finish their season undefeated, 27-0.
They won their final match against MEI (Mennonite Educational Institute), 51-47, to win the Grade 8 provincial championship on Saturday.
“It was an amazing game!” Thunderbirds head coach Kylie Cross said.
“It was a real back-and-forth game… it was really exciting. The girls pulled it off!”
Cross noted the gym was nice and noisy and packed with fans – many of them other high school basketball players, who came to show their support.
“It was pretty neat,” she said.
READ ALSO: Big basketball weekend for Grade 8 and Grade 9 players in Surrey and on the Peninsula
For Grade 8 boys, the St. Patrick Secondary team beat Surrey’s Holy Cross squad 54-48 for the provincial title.
Meanwhile, Earl Marriott Secondary, Elgin Park Secondary and Semiahmoo Secondary hosted approximately 400 basketball players for the Grade 9 provincial tournament, which also featured a 3-on-3 contest.
In one of the most exciting finals – “maybe the best ever,” according to the tournament website, the Theo Gonzales-coached Vancouver College Fighting Irish held off the Drew Gallacher-coached Grandview Heights Grizzlies 71-67 in double overtime.
“It was standing room only… it went to double OT – it was wild!!” said EMS athletic director Russ Heggie.
The win marks back-to-back Grade 9 provincial titles for Vancouver College.
Overall, the tournament “was a great experience for everyone,” Heggie said.
For all Grade 8 basketball provincal results and information, visit coachgouletgr8championships.com and for Grade 9 results and details, visit bcgr9boysbasketball.com
@Canucklehedd
tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
