One player does not a team make, but losing guard Jalen Jana to injury was a tough position to replace.
That's the situation the St. Thomas More Knights found themselves in after the talented Grade 11 ball handler left the game in the second quarter of STM's 68-52 semifinal loss to Notre Dame at the Lower Mainland's AA boys' basket-ball championships at King George Secondary last week.
The Knights then dropped a must-win 58-48 matchup against the host school for the last of two available berths on the following Thursday.
"We would have loved to have had (Jana). . (Notre Dame) wore us down," said STM head coach Aaron Mitchell.
Thomas Tassone, a 5-9 senior, stepped in and earned himself a tournament all-star mention following the championships.
Against King George, STM fell behind early 11-1 and never sufficiently recovered.
"It was an unfortunate way to end," added Mitchell, "we were looking for a third run at the provincials."
Mitchell said, the Knights will compete at the AAA level next season, when the league expands to a AAAA level in 2013/14.
