If you couldn’t get a seat for Rogue One last Friday, then the Burnaby South gymnasium was a good substitute.
The Rod Thomson Invitational final went down to the last second in a buzzer-beater when the Kitsilano Blue Demons fended off a furious Burnaby South Rebels rally, eking out a 92-90 victory on MVP Luka Lizdek’s quick toss.
It came a mere six seconds after the Rebels’ C.J. Campbell drained a dramatic three-pointer from the left corner to pull the two teams even – after Burnaby stared at a 10-point deficit with just over five minutes to play.
The mercurial swing, where the Rebels erased a two-point deficit after one quarter to lead 35-26 before a push by the Demons made it a three-point game at the half, pulled more than a few people from their seats.
Rebels coach Randy Edwards said the defeat was a reminder of what work remains ahead as the squad looks to forge a provincial AAAA championship tournament run in the coming months.
“The kids showed a lot of heart and tried to come back when we were down five or six. We showed some resilience and showed some grit, but we check out some times for a couple of plays,” noted Edwards, who works the bench with Mike Bell. “Those times against good teams always hurt because they are a quality team, there’s a reason why they are in the final with you. We just have to find a way to stay engaged the whole time, and I think that’s more of our Achilles than anything.”
The fourth quarter was the complete rollercoaster, as the hosts held a tenuous 62-59 advantage with 10 minutes to play, but quickly found themselves in a 73-64 divot after the Demons’ Lizdek cashed in seven straight points.
But Burnaby countered, beginning with Campbell’s trey with 5:07 remaining, that saw the Grade 12 guard put up 10 of the team’s next 12 points and draw it within six points. Vicente Balitaan threaded four points from the foul line to make it a two-point game, and Hadie Honardoust drained a dramatic three-point shot with 58 seconds on the clock to give the Rebels an 87-86 lead.
Lizdek restored Kits’ advantage from the stripe, and after regaining the ball on a turnover, Tyrone Asenogu cashed in a slick layup to make it 90-87 for the Demons with less than 10 seconds to play.
There was still gas in both teams’ tanks for the last gasp, ending with Lizdek’s MVP award on a 32-point night.
“I didn’t script it but I’ll take it. It was a rollercoaster,” noted Kitsilano coach Sylvester Noel. “I’ve lost games on buzzer beaters before, and won games on buzzer beaters. You have to stay focused.”
From Burnaby’s vantage point, the deflating last second play may have dampened the whole week but it should only fuel a tougher resolve, the coach remarked.
“We had a couple of moral victories, I guess, and some resiliency was shown, definitely in this game, but we have already beaten (Kitsilano),” said Edwards. “We’re not showing our true potential and that’s why I coach, I like to see guys reach their full potential. To do what they couldn’t do well before. WE’re not quite there yet.”
Burnaby South got 19 points, nine assists and six steals from Campbell in the team’s well-played 89-85 comeback to beat No. 4-ranked Lord Tweedsmuir in the semifinal. The Rebels trailed by 10 at the half, but were sparked when sixth-man NOal Pastrana hit for three to tie it 71-71 in the fourth quarter.
They opened with a resounding 96-66 win over Sentinel, getting 15 points and five rebounds from Balitaan.
The Burnaby Mountain Lions went 1-2 in the tournament, recording their lone win on the final day with a 43-37 win over Sentinel. Richard Echegaray was named the Player of the Game, posting seven points, 13 rebounds and two steals.
On the junior side of the Rod Thomson Invitational, Burnaby South advanced to the finals before falling 58-42 to North Delta.
In the semifinal, the junior Rebels blasted Dover Bay 81-47, getting 17 points and five rebounds from Jiordano Khan. They opened the tournament with a resounding 88-9 win over Point Grey, as Baltej Sohal counted 14 points.
