The Byrne Creek Bulldogs made doubly sure no upsets would occur on their home floor.
The Bulldogs allowed the New Westminster Hyacks a favourable start in their BurWest high school boys' basketball league game, before clamping down on the district giantkillers with a swarming and effective defence en route to a 67-44 win at Byrne Creek on Wednesday.
Two days earlier, the unranked Hyacks knocked off the No. 8ranked Burnaby South Rebels 57-50 at South.
But Byrne Creek senior Kennedy George served notice that a similar result would not be tolerated in the doghouse.
Starter Regan Eberding scored New Westminster's first two baskets and Hasrit Sidhu drained a three-pointer to give the Hyacks some early life, but that soon faded against the Byrne Creek press.
George scored 11 of his gamehigh 24 points in the opening quarter, setting the tone for the remainder of the match.
The 6-4 George also led Byrne's withering press that baffled the harried Hyacks all game long, creating multiple turnovers in the mid-court.
"We weren't ready to play at all. It was a different intensity level to play Byrne Creek than it was for Burnaby South," said New Westminster forward Hasrit Sidhu. "We just weren't ready for their aggressiveness."
George, who subbed out for all of the fourth quarter, had 19 points and half of his 10 rebounds by half time.
Byrne Creek led 35-17 at the interval and extended that lead to 24 points after three quarters.
"We had some good moments of execution that helped a lot. We took a little bit of their spirit. The mental part was there for us to execute," said Byrne Creek head coach Wayne Best.
That moment came late in the opening quarter for the Bulldogs.
George stole the ball and broke to the basket, finishing with an emphatic dunk and a subsequent three-point play at the foul line.
The Bulldogs opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run and never looked back.
Byrne Creek keyed on New West's Masood Walli, holding the long-ball specialist to just one bucket in the entire game.
Manvir Gandham was high man for the Hyacks with nine secondhalf points.
Anthony Schonberger came off the bench to add six points and four rebounds in the final stanza, including two buckets on putbacks.
"That was key. The guys are understanding what we need to do," Best said. "But the work is not done."
South and Byrne Creek will face each other next week in the season finale at a date and time to be determined.
HYACK GIRLS WIN
The New Westmin-ster Hyack girls' basketball team bettered Byrne Creek in its BNW league encounter on Wednesday.
The Hyacks defeated the Bulldogs 63-40 behind an 18-point performance by senior post Sharmaine Hayley at the Massey Gym.
Guard Ariana Sider scored 16 points for New West, while Meriam Ali chipped in with eight.
tberridge@royalcityrecord.com
