The Vancouver Balloholics came up short in their American Basketball Association season opener, falling 123-121 to the Kitsap Admirals in Bremerton, Washington last Saturday.
The Balloholics were led in scoring by Demitri Harris, B.C. high school boys’ AA MVP from Brittania in 2008 with 38 points.
Mark Perrin chipped in with 29 points and Rei Jensen added 23 more.
Pinetree Secondary grad Aneetan Braich, a B.C. high school AAA first team all-star in 2007, Harris and Mark Perrin provided the American crowd the only highlight dunks of the game. It was a high scoring, wide open entertaining brand of basketball that the ABA is known for, said Balloholics general manager Wayne Best.
With the game tied at 121 with seven seconds left on the clock and time out on the floor. Kitsap inbounded the ball and scored the winning basket as time ran out. Balloholics were shorthanded in the loss with three starters not making the trip to Bremerton. The team was left with an all-guard lineup, plus the 6-8 Jensen.
Next up on the schedule is the Calgary Crush this Friday Nov. 14 at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
The Crush recently added former St. Georges and Gonzaga University standout Bol Kong.
The Balloholics own home opener is Nov 21 at 8 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre versus the visiting Crush. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or online from the team website at www.aba.balloholic.com.
The Balloholics' home games will be split between the Langley Events Centre and the BCIT Gym in Burnaby.
