In a thrilling showdown for the city basketball championship title, the Lasalle Lancers clashed with the Lockerby Vikings on Saturday, February 17th. With both teams battling fiercely throughout the game, Lasalle emerged victorious with a final score of 68-54, solidifying their dominance in the standings.
Captain Tyrone Johnson of Lasalle shared his thoughts on the hard-fought victory, emphasizing the team's strategic approach. "I felt it went smoothly," Johnson remarked. "Lockerby upset Loellen, so we knew we had to come in here, grab offensive boards, we're bigger than them. We got the job done."
Reflecting on how Lockerby compares to upcoming opponents in NOSSA, Johnson acknowledged their competitiveness. "They stack up pretty fair," he admitted. "We can't take them lightly, especially Loellen. They're a dangerous team if they get hot."
For Johnson, this victory marks his final city championship, and he couldn't be happier with the outcome. "Feels good to go out on a win," he expressed. "Just like how we drew it up. We're gonna keep winning, aiming for NOSSA and OFSAA."
Sylas Corbiere, named the game's MVP, highlighted his crucial role in the team's success. "I did really good in the beginning," Corbiere reflected. "Penetrating the inside perfectly, providing strong d(efence) to their offense." He also credited the team's resilience in overcoming Lockerby's halftime lead. "At halftime, they got a little lead, but we locked in," he said. "We did what Loellen couldn't, and we took the dub."
The game saw intense action across all four quarters, with both teams trading blows. Lasalle's scoring was led by Corbiere with an impressive 25 points, followed by Johnson with 14 points and Damien Quevillon with 13 points. Ashton Eadie and Derrick Idehen contributed 6 points each, while Ethan Lalonde and Dash Kamal added 4 and 3 points, respectively.
Lockerby's effort was spearheaded by Owen Turner with 16 points and Zeb Dennie with a remarkable 23 points. Adam Selalmatzidis, Graham Binks, Dilain Abeyratne, and Liam Binks also contributed to the scoreboard.
Acknowledging the coaches behind the scenes, Chris Binks led the Lockerby Vikings, while Darcey Shallow guided the Lasalle Lancers throughout the intense matchup.
The roster depth of both teams was evident, with standout performances from players such as Brenden Cotesta, Xander Kasunich, Tanner Borkovich, Ben Bisaillon, and Austin Monahan for Lockerby, and Chad Tullio, Zidain Allen, Nathan Boreio, Caleb Woods, Logan Akkanen, Ethan McCandless, and Liam Velkovski for Lasalle.
With the city championship secured, Lasalle looks ahead to future challenges in NOSSA and beyond, fueled by their determination to continue their winning streak and make their mark on the basketball scene.