The margin for error has now been reduced to none.
The New Westminster Hyacks are in a must-win position, following Wednesday’s 108-73 loss to Vancouver College in senior boys 4A Lower Mainland basketball action.
Ranked sixth in B.C., the Fighting Irish stand a perfect 3-0 in head-to-head action with New West.
The underdog Hyacks got 23 points and seven rebounds from Grade 12 forward Ethan Rivas, while Luke Burton tallied 15 points. Chipping in nine points and nine boards was Kirk Bothwell.
It means New West must now win its next game – fortunately, against Burnaby-New West league rival Burnaby Central – on Friday. The game tips off at 8 p.m. at Kitsilano.
The Hyacks kicked off the 4-A Lower Mainland tournament on Tuesday with a relatively easy 86-60 triumph over Eric Hamber, but now enter a dragon’s den to keep their provincial hopes moving forward.
“It’s crazy – they’re loud, noisy and very partisan,” New West coach Ted Cusick said in a preview of the Vancouver College game. “If you like high school basketball, that’s the kind of atmosphere you like to play in.”
A victory on Friday would put them into another must-win match on Wednesday against the victor of a Killarney-Burnaby North contest.
Seeded No. 5 after finishing third in the Burnaby-New West district, the Hyacks were the only local team to exact a win from the preliminary games.
No. 9-seed Moscrop fell 65-62 to Killarney, while No. 10 Churchill knocked off No. 7 Burnaby North 88-81.
David Thompson blasted Burnaby Central 87-44 – but in the double-knockout tourney, everyone lives to play another day.
Against Hamber, New West saw 13 of 15 players put up points for the first round win.
Luke Burton cashed in 22 points and three rebounds, while AJ Chol netted 10 points. Grade 10 guard Caleb Johnson netted nine points, while Jaxson Stocker registered nine assists.
“I think we played reasonably well, but mostly it was because we were bigger and taller,” said Cusick. “We didn’t play our system well at all, so that’s something we can do better.”
Cusick knows there are surprises occasionally.
“We’ve got a shot. We’re starting to play better and I’m happy with how the boys are working. The kids are pumped, heck, even I’m pumped for it.”
