Heading into the heat of the Valleys, the Terry Fox Ravens will embrace depth as a valuable asset.

With skill and numbers at their disposal, the No. 5-ranked Ravens don't necessarily need to charge the court with Jeremy Lin-like elan. It wouldn't hurt, however.

Fox enters the Fraser Valley AAA senior boys basketball tournament this week with a little hunger in their belly, after falling 68-62 to the No. 2-rated Pitt Meadows Marauders in the North league final last week.

That defeat couldn't be counted as a surprise considering Pitt's perfect league record and high ranking.

Add the fact that the Ravens came out cold and trailed 21-4 before putting on a charge, and the obstacles proved too much on that night for the Port Coquitlam crew.

"After that tough loss in overtime (on Feb. 10) to them I would have expected our guys to be fired up and ready to play Pitt, but we came out extremely flat," said Ravens co-coach Steve Hanson. "The game was full of turnovers on our end, and even when we started to roll offensively it continued."

They picked it up in the second quarter and outscored the Marauders 13-4 to trail by six at the half.

In the third frame, the teams traded buckets with Fox getting strong efforts from Ryan Sclater and Jesse Crookes. However, the home team appeared to have more gas in the tank, with Pitt extended its advantage to 15 points midway through the fourth.

The Ravens made one more push, thanks to the insertion of Alex Nesterenko, who turned in a solid performance, and an injury suffered to Pitt point guard Mitsu Iwai. On an 11-5 run and just five points back, the visitors appeared to have a shot at upsetting the North league champions. But a late three-pointer by Pitt's Trevor Severinski salted it.

Crookes finished with a team-high 18 points, while Sclater chipped in 14.

The defeat will be turned into fuel for tonight's Fraser Valley opener in the round of 32, when Fox hosts L.A. Matheson (8 p.m.).

"As important as the league playoffs are, this is where it all counts times two," said Fox co-coach Brad Petersen. "You've got to win here to keep alive."

The team depth, that played such a crucial role in their 81-54 semifinal decision over Heritage Woods, will be counted on to continue playing a big role.

Hanson noted that the squad is still looking for all the pieces to come together in one game. No better time than now, he added.

"We'd obviously like to be hitting on all cylinders heading into the Valleys," he said. "I don't think we've had quite that coming-out game just yet."

Other opening round matchups include Gleneagle visiting W.J. Mouat, Heritage Woods taking on Delta, Dr. Charles Best visiting Yale, and Port Moody and Centennial clashing.

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The Riverside Rapids kick started the AAA senior girls Fraser Valleys Regionals on Monday with a decisive 89-20 triumph over Princess Margaret.

The tilt, which was part of the opening 16-team Valley tournament, featured little drama and plenty of opportunity for the PoCo squad's depth to take the floor.

It also served as the Rapids' Seniors Game, where the team's nine Grade 12 veterans were feted and celebrated for their dedication over the years - Natalie Carkner, Laiken Cerenzie, Hayley Redmond, Megan Sherwood, Denise and Michelle Spacek, Carly Swan, Emma Thue and Katie Woo.

"Our kids were pretty pumped and everyone played well," Rapids coach Paul Langford said.

Stealing a little of the thunder was Grade 11 Fiona Beales, who topped all shooters with 18 points, while Sherwood contributed 10. Every Riverside player got on the scoresheet.

In other Valley regional contests, the Terry Fox Ravens defeated Delta 57-44, Gleneagle thumped Walnut Grove 68-31, and Centennial clobbered Fraser Heights 105-50.

The Rapids played the Ravens yesterday (past The NOW's deadline) in a key battle, with the winner earning one of four automatic berths to the provincials. Centennial and Gleneagle squared off for a B.C. spot in another match.

Four teams get automatic berths to the B.C.s, with three other teams qualifying for a playdown.

The provincials are slated for Mar. 7-10 at Capilano University in North Vancouver.

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