There is no denying the Byrne Creek Bulldogs have packed a lot of experience into the past three months, all in pursuit of a dream.
That dream is reality now, after the senior boys 3-A basketball team charted a championship-worthy
course through the Lower Mainland tournament, ending with a 101-92 victory over the Steveston-London Sharks for the title in Richmond on Friday.
Yet, while the accomplishment is a huge feather in the cap of a powerful program, it only sets the table
for a bigger chapter as the Bulldogs aim to put that momentum to use in next week’s B.C. High School championships in Langley.
Byrne Creek capturing the Mainland title wasn’t easy, as a 15-point halftime lead evaporated under the finely tuned Sharks’ resolve that turned into a shot-for-shot showdown for much of the fourth quarter.
Tied late in the contest, standout Grade 10 swingman Bithow Wan finished a layup, which cued a 14-5 mini-run for the Bulldogs and secured the program’s first Lower Mainland banner.
“Something like this is never
easy,” Byrne Creek coach Bal
Dhillon said. “I think we showed a remarkable level of composure throughout the game.”
That also applies to the whole tournament as well, as the Burnaby-
New West league champions displayed extreme focus facing each task as the opponent and situations changed.
In the final, all the hype and anticipation didn’t matter a whit when the Bulldogs rolled out a familiar and thorough game plan. A three-point game after one quarter, the margin grew as the Burnaby school balanced a guarded defence with a whip-quick attack, led by Abdul Bangura, Martin Djunga and Wan.
But Steveston, whose 6-foot-10 post Fardaws Aimaq would cart off the MVP award, came out hungry in the second half. After erasing the large halftime deficit, the Sharks continued to press and pulled even during a quick stretch of shot-for-shot replies, but the Bulldogs had the final answer.
The turning point was how the Bulldogs responded each time the Sharks charged back, with Dhillon giving props to the squad’s selflessness and aunited attitude.
“We just played with class, respect and dignity. That’s what Byrne does,” he said.
Turning in stellar support were Wel Deng, who scored a key trey in the third quarter, and Majok Deng, with a huge block late in the fourth. Anchoring the defence was Tyril Whitebear.
Both Bangura and Wan were named to the first all-star team, while Djunga was a second all-star selection.
