Brant News: Trojans win First OFSAA Tilt

Article By Tom Kennedy
Retrieved From: http://www.brantnews.com/sports.cfm?page=sports§ion=read&articleId=7153

The North Park Collegiate Trojans senior boys’ basketball team has got off to a good start at the provincial level.

Playing in the AAA Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations tournament at Queen’s University in Kingston, the Trojans opened the tournament with a 46-39 win over the St. Theresa’s Thunder.

Trojans' coach Todd Andrew was happy to start the tournament with a win but said his team had some difficulties when Dave Eves and Mike Dulmage tallied three fouls each in the second quarter.

"We got off to a good start but we got into some foul trouble," he said. "We had to weather the storm for a while. We had to put (Eves and Dulmage) on the bench and preserve them for the fourth quarter."

The Trojans attendance at the OFSAA tournament is historic, as it is only the second time a boys’ basketball team from NPC has made it to the provincial tournament.

The Trojans led for the entire game but it was a close affair, with the Thunder bringing it within one point, 29-28, at the end of the third quarter.

By the fourth, the Trojans were able to seal the game with consistent free-throws, sinking 16 from 21.

"We got rid of the early jitters and we played really well in the fourth quarter," he said. "That totally iced the game and forced them to foul us."

The Trojans were led in scoring by Eves (13), Cale McDonald (13) and Mark Dickens (11).

The North Park boys will resume play tomorrow with an elimination game against the fourth-seeded Jarvis Bulldogs at noon. The winner of that game will advance to the tournament quarter finals.

"It'll obviously be a tougher game," Andrew said. "But I think the boys are ready."