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STM shuts down Sharks' rally in B.C. opener

It was comfortable before it became touch-and-go. The St. Thomas More Knights held the lead for 28 minutes of Wednesday's match-up against the Steveston-London Sharks, but more critically held the opposition at bay when they needed to.
coach Mitchell
St. Thomas More basketball coach Aaron Mitchell likes the way his team has been playing down the stretch. They opened the B.C. 3-A provincial basketball championships with a big win over Steveston-London.

It was comfortable before it became touch-and-go.

The St. Thomas More Knights held the lead for 28 minutes of Wednesday's match-up against the Steveston-London Sharks, but more critically held the opposition at bay when they needed to.

And the final result may have come down to the equivalent of a goal-line stand, as the Knights kicked off the senior boys 3-A championships with a knuckle-wringing 76-73 victory over Steveston-London.

Instead of 100 yards of turf, the players gutted it out over a Langley Event Centre basketball court, with all-star gridiron lineman Kaishaun Carter coming up with what may have been a game-saving batted ball with 18 seconds to play. Carter's block of Nao Kawano's jump shot attempt came with STM clinging to a 74-71 advantage, in a game that swerved all over the map during the final 20 minutes.

"How poetic that Kaishaun in the end gets the blocked shot," noted STM coach Aaron Mitchell. "(Carter) does so many little things that you can't teach, that are just the intangibles. He's just a competitor. It was risky to challenge, you're thinking can we foul and afford two free throws -- we went through the scenarios in our head."

Minutes earlier, the Knights had carved out an 11-point cushion that echoed a run early in the third quarter. That first big run put them ahead 47-33, and this time the first minutes of the final frame saw them work it back up to 65-54. Steveston, however, refused to buckle, and just as they did in the third quarter, got back within a bucket. A quick 10-2 wave put the Sharks within three with 4:15 on the clock, and while STM's Chayze Deza completed a three-point play to move the needle to 70-64, the Richmond rival kept gnawing at the lead.

When Steveston's Jhnoelle Vergara sank a pair of layups, and hit a free throw to nail the three-point play with 1:30 to play, the Knights were in a razor-thin 72-71 battle. Veteran guard Gabe Nacario, whose play during the Fraser North zone playdowns was a major reason STM nailed down its berth to the B.C.s, counted a key bucket, then was followed 40 seconds later with Carter's saving block.

The ensuing final seconds saw Steveston put the Knights to the free throw line, with the clock running down for a Day 1 celebration.

"Gabe struggled and turned the ball over a ton, shot just 5-for-17 and seven turnovers, but other guys stepped up. He stepped up for us in three straight games that got us to the B.C.s, and now other guys stepped in when they needed to," said Mitchell.

Turning in a standout effort was Deza, the Grade 11 forward who cashed in a team-high 20 points to earn the Player of the Game award. Nicario finished with 14 points, and while he turned the ball over seven times, was also in on seven steals and seven defensive rebounds.

Dante Digirolamo contributed 12 points -- all from three-point range -- as did Nick Osho, who also hauled down 12 rebounds.

Not getting rattled after the Sharks took a huge bite out of their 47-33 lead in the third quarter was a massive sign of maturity, Mitchell mused, and a vital part of being ready for the big stage they now find themselves upon.

"I think the thing is we've kind of done that all year long, get a big lead then give it up," said Mitchell of the club's regular season struggles. "But (before) when we've given up a 14-point lead and they've clawed back, the game was over for us. I think that's been the biggest transition for us."

Steveston held an edge in points from in the key, 46-32, as well as an edge in second-chance success at 13-10. But the Knights were in the driver's seat for most of the night and pulled out the win, and now tip-off Thursday in the quarter-final against the No. 2-ranked Vernon Panthers. That team has a number of returning players from last year's finalists that lost the title in a two-point game.

"Vernon is a special team and a hungry team. ... (At Tuesday's banquet) they played the highlights from last year and you could see the hunger in their eyes. We know who we have to face, they pounded MEI (81-37 on Wednesday), a team we lost to, but hey, at this point let's roll the dice and let's get after it. The guys are believing it right now," said Mitchell.

The game hits the centre court at the LEC at 8:15 p.m. The winner will advance to Friday's 5:15 p.m. semifinal.