Brantford Expositor: Senior Lions, Junior Trojans Claim Titles

Article By:  Vincent Ball

Andre Toic led the way but it was a team effort that enabled the Assumption College Lions to capture the Brant County Boys senior basketball title on Tuesday.

The Lions beat a talented St. John's College team by getting off to a good start and never relinquishing the lead. The final score was Assumption 57, St. John's 46.

“Everybody did something tonight to help us win,” Toic said. “We got some great defense from some of our guys and we got a couple of big baskets from others.

“It was a team effort all the way.”

In the junior contest the North Park Trojans used some terrific team defence and played with composure all game to capture the junior boys' basketball championship. The Trojans beat the St. John's Green Eagles 37-27 in the third and deciding game.

“We played with composure all game and I think the difference tonight was our rebounding,” coach Andrea Hawkins said. “We got a great effort from Brandon McIvor.

“He worked hard all game. It was easily his best game of the year.”

In the senior contest, Assumption led 13-2 after the first quarter and 25-15 by half-time.

But St. John's mounted a strong comeback in the third quarter when Jake Brennan scored a couple of baskets in a row and helped narrow the lead to just four points. But the Lions maintained their composure, made sure Toic had the ball in his hands most of the time on offence and fended off the St. John's run.

By the end of the third-quarter, Assumption had reasserted control and led 37-29.

“Our guys came to play tonight,” Lions assistant coach Mike Petrella said.

“We played with the kind of intensity on defence that we really need to be successful. A lot of guys stepped up tonight and we got some big plays from different people.”

Mike King, Mike Heron, Tanner Baldin and Brandon Vincent all made huge contributions to the victory. Vincent was singled out for his defensive play under the basket.

“Brandon had a great game,” Petrella said. “He had to guard their big guy all night and he scored some points on the offensive end.”

For the Lions, Toic and Vincent each had 16 points and King hit for 11. The Lions also got points from Austin Tlustos, Heron and Baldin.

Adrian Mendoza led the Green Eagles with 18 points, while Brennan scored 8.

In the junior contest, the Trojans got points from their usual scorers with Kyle Webster hitting for 15 and Jamie Grant sinking 12. McIvor, in addition to doing a lot of the grunt work underneath the basket, scored eight points for the Trojans.

North Park took the lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it. The Trojans were up 9-5 after the first quarter and led 17-12 at the end of the half.

But while the Trojans led throughout the game, St. John's never gave up and always seemed to be one turnover away from catching up.

The Green Eagles narrowed the lead to three points but a key turnover and a made basket later and they were behind by five and then by seven.

Still, while they fell short of winning the city championship, the Green Eagles can say they had a successful season.

Earlier in the year, they lost by 20 points to the Trojans.

“Our goal this year was to improve as the season went on,” said Tyler Bergey, of the Green Eagles. “I think we did that.

“We narrowed the gap and took them to a game three.”

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