Alumni Alert: Johnson Struggles, but Bison Still Victorious Against Lehigh

Former CWOSSA standout Bryson Johnson, arguably one of the better shooters in college basketball, had a rough go of it in yesterday evening against Lehigh University (and Stefan Cvrkalj) but the Bison were able to still come through with an important 68-61 road win.

The victory keeps Bucknell at the top of the Patriot League (4-0) while Lehigh dropped to 2-2.

Johnson, who played 18 minutes, missed all 8 of his field goal attempts (all three-pointers) but did go 3-for-3 from the stripe to finish with 3 points.  He added 2 rebounds and 2 assists as well.

Cvrkalj, who has apperared in 18 of 20 Lehigh games this season as a freshman, did not record a stat in his 4 minutes of court time.

For the year, Johnson (a junior) is averaging 9.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 1.2 APG (27.6 minutes per game).

Cvrkalj is averaging 3.1 PPG, 0.6 RPG and 0.1 APG (7.5 minutes per game).

D8 Midget League to Crown Champion Tonight!

The first league champion will be crowned this evening at St. Mary's high school when the District 8 league hosts the Midget Boys' (grade nines not playing junior) basketball championships.

We're going to be there to cover this, and are looking forward to an interesting evening of basketball ---- the semifinals and finals will both be contested this evening.

This year's D8 league is a four-team affair, with St. Benedict, Resurrection, St. David and St. Mary's.  Oddly enough, the standings heading into the playoffs are almost a mirror image of the junior standings (whereas you might expect a strong junior team to mean a strong midget program).

Leading the way are St. Benedict (5-1) and Resurrection (5-1), who split their season series --- St. Benedict took first place on the +/- tiebreaker.  St. Mary's took third spot in the standings (2-4), while St. David went 0-6, although a couple of the losses were only by single digits.

History - Past Winners

2010-11 - St. Mary's

2009-10 - Resurrection

2008-09 - Resurrection

2007-08 - Resurrection

Rule Changes/Differences

Teams play two 25-minute "straight time" halves, and must play man-to-man defense (pressing is allowed in the second half).  During the game, regular basketball federation rules apply.

The Re-Creation of the D8 Midget League

I spoke with Resurrection junior coach Chris Aldworth, who was a driving force in "resurrecting" (no pun intended...) the D8 midget league prior to the 2007-08 season, and asked him a few questions about a league that most of us aren't overly familiar with.

CWOSSABasketball.com:  Chris, what was the driving force behind restoring the D8 midget league?

Chris Aldworth:  Every year at Resurrection, over 50 grade 9 and 10 boys try out for the RCSS junior boys' basketball team, as is common at many high schools in the area.  

Prior to the 2007-08 season, Resurrection had an influx of many skilled grade 9 players that, based upon our numbers and returning players, would not have made our junior program.  D8 had previously run a midget league, and after some phone calls and e-mails between the junior coaches, it was determined that there was interest from other schools (St. Benedict, Monsignor Doyle, St. David at the time) to again form a midget league.

From the onset, it was a very grassroots attempt to bring back grade nine basketball that has proven to be very successful.  Roughly 60 to 70 student-athletes now compete in high school basketball each year that would not be doing so otherwise.  The league is legitimate with a full schedule and playoffs, and a championship final.  Our team at Resurrection has traveled to play midget boys' teams in Sarnia (who also have a full midget league) and they have participated in junior boys' tournaments against "A" and "AA" schools in other areas of the CWOSSA region, such as Walkerton.

(Aldworth also noted that, the same year, the D8 also established a midget girls volleyball league that continues to provide an opportunity for grade 9 girls to participate in that particular sport).

CWOSSABasketball.com:  What do you see as the benefits to having a midget program?

Chris Aldworth:  The D8 Midget Boys' basketball league is seen as a developmental league for high school basketball players.  Emphasis is placed on skill development and the introduction of offensive and defensive concepts.  As a result of the league, many players have now had an opportunity to play competitive high school basketball.  

It encourages healthy active living and sportsmanship, as well as increasing school spirit and pride in their athletic accomplishments.  Many of the teams have seen late developing players, especially post players, eventually contribute at the junior and senior level.  For example, the senior boys' team here at Resurrection currently starts two CIS-prospects in Mike Pereira and Cory Kenning who both played on the RCSS midget team in grade nine.

CWOSSABasketball.com:  What may lie ahead for the future of midget boys' basketball?  Any thoughts on that?

Chris Aldworth:  The D8 league has entertained the possibility of adding some of the public high schools into the league, but despite some initial interest from two WCSSAA schools this year, the logistics weren't able to be finalized in time.  No "non-D8 school" has yet brought back their midget program, but hopefully we will see that change in the near future for the benefit of area basketball!

 

WCSSAA & D10 Thursday Picks

WCSSAA YTD:  48-14 (.774)

D10 YTD:  28-5 (.849)

....a decent stretch has my WCSSAA record inching back to where I hope it will end up at the end of the season (above 80%).  Today is also the last set of league games before the exam break.

Let's start with WCSSAA:

WCI (7-2) at WODSS (4-5)

My Pick:  WCI by 11

The Crusaders are no slouch, especially at home, where they average a full 10 more points per game (58.8 vs. 48.8 on the road).  The Vikes must be wary of a letdown after an emotional come-from-behind win against CHCI the other night.  I'll take them here, but things could potentially get interesting out in Baden.

Bluevale (6-3) at Forest Heights (9-0)

My Pick:  FHCI by 12

I expect for the Knights to try to use their deliberate style to limit possessions in this one --- which should make for a close affair.  Still, look for Javon Masters and Juwan Miller to do their thing and pick up FHCI's 10th win in a row.

Glenview Park (2-7) at Elmira (0-9)

My Pick:  GPSS by 29

The Panthers should get back in the win column (and back in the hunt for a playoff spot) today on the road in Elmira.

Southwood (1-8) at Huron Heights (4-5)

My Pick:  HHHS by 33

Look for the Huskies to improve to .500 today at home at the expense of the Southwood Sabres.

Eastwood (2-7) at SJAM (4-5)

My Pick:  SJAM by 9

Two teams that, in my view, are better than their record would indicate.  ECI has lost to Bluevale (by 3) and GRCI (by 5) so they are more than capable of pulling the upset if their three-point shooting is hot.  The 'Landers will need to use their size advantage here --- I look for Quinn Turner to have a big game and for SJAM to pull out the win.

KCI (3-6) at Jacob Hespeler (6-3)

My Pick:  JHSS by 17

The KCI Raiders will never quit, but the JHSS Hawks are too much at home, especially with Javon Bryce back in the lineup.

Grand River (8-1) at Cameron Heights (4-5)

My Pick:  GRCI by 6

Don't be fooled by the records as Cameron beat Grand River this past weekend at the Eastside Mario's Tournament in Guelph, coming back from a double-digit deficit with only a few minutes left to play.  I look for the Rens to get their revenge today at Cameron, but it won't be easy.

Preston (6-3) at Galt (6-3)

My Pick:  GCI by 12

Two teams that have been pleasant surprises this season (and surpassing last year's win totals already in the process).  I'll go with the home Ghosts in this all-Cambridge affair.

D10

Centre Wellington (9-2) at Centennial (7-4)

My Pick:  CWDHS by 6

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Spartans pull out the win, especially at home, but I'll go with the Falcons here as they try to improve their shot at qualifying for "AAAA" CWOSSA.

JF Ross (10-1) at Bishop Mac (5-6)

My Pick:  JFR by 19

The "young guns" for Bishop Mac should put up a few points in this one, but the Royals are too deep for the Celtics --- or most teams in CWOSSA, for that matter.

Orangeville (1-10) at Lourdes (9-3)

My Pick:  OLOL by 35

The Crusaders should take out the Bears in a high-scoring affair here.

Guelph CVI (1-11) at St. James (3-8)

My Pick:  STJ by 11

I look for St. James to use home-court to their advantage in getting past their "AAA" rivals here today. 

D4: Wednesday Results

Senior

Westside 42, Norwell 36

WSS:  Troy Barwick 14, Luke Milican 9

ND:  Alex Lebbink 10, Luke Amiri 8

Junior

Westside 29, Norwell 22

WSS:  Evan Clark 13, Shelden Coates/Calen Hogben 6

NDSS:  Travis Soehner 12, Justin Schmidt 6

Centre Dufferin 56, Erin DHS 45

CD:  Noah Sterling 21

EDHS:  Jackson Smith 15

D8: Senior Celtics Stay Alive By Prevailing Over 'Stangs

In D8 senior action on Wednesday, the St. David Celtics kept their playoff hopes alive with a 42-30 road win at Monsignor Doyle.

The win now puts the Celtics (2-7) with as many wins as MDCSS (2-5); however, despite two more losses, St. David's last game is a "winnable one" against Rockway, while Monsignor Doyle plays the top three teams (St. Mary's, Rez, and St. Benedict) to close out their schedule.

Of course, Rockway (1-7) isn't quite out of the playoff picture just yet either.  They beat SDCSS the first time around, so a win by the Flames on February 13th in the league finale at St. David would set up the most interesting of scenarios with three teams tied for the final playoff spot.  I wouldn't even want to hypothesize as to how that tie would be broken --- since all three would have 2 losses vs. one opponent and 2 wins against another.

Anyways, in yesterday's contest, the Celtics led by 3 early in the fourth quarter but extended things out at the end with some timely free-throw shooting.  Jake Winter led the way with 13, while Phil Ciomplick had 11.  Manny Singh (13) and Uzair Khan (9) topped the Doyle scoring.

The other senior contest on Wednesday was never in doubt as the first-place St. Mary's Eagles routed the last-place Rockway Flames to the tune of 86-26.  Eric Duong had 12 and Delondo Hibbert 11 for SMHS; Steve Veltri had 11 and Alex Sheedy 8 for Rockway.

D8 Senior Standings

1.  St. Mary's 8-0**

2.  Resurrection 6-1*

3.  St. Benedict 4-3*

4.  Monsignor Doyle 2-5

-----

5.  St. David 2-7

6.  Rockway 1-7

** - clinched first round home playoff game

* - clinched playoff berth

Junior

There were no surprises on the junior side of the D8 league Wednesday, with the three top teams in the standings all posting big wins.

The Resurrection Phoenix handled visiting Woodland to the tune of 78-29, and had a balanced scoring attack with no player scoring more than 9 points.  Sam Amiri (9), Harjot Bains (6), Matt Gibson (6), Jack Quirke (6) and Anu Onasayna (6) led the scoring for the Phoenix.  Shane Clarke had a game-high 13 for Woodland, with Nathan Timmerman also in double-figures with 10.

St. Mary's, the current top team in the standings, dismantled Rockway 71-13.  Jordan Anao (17) and Nathan Riley (16) were the top Eagle performers, while Lukas Winter had 6 for the Flames.

Although the result was never in doubt, it was still important for the Eagles who officially clinched first place overall in the standings with the win.

The last game of the schedule on Wednesday saw St. David post a 60-40 win over their AAA rivals, the Monsignor Doyle Mustangs.  George Dumitru had his second-consecutive 20-point effort, with 20 right on the nose.  James McBride added 12 more for the Celts, while Vincent Morgado led MDCSS with 8.

D8 Junior Standings

1.  St. Mary's 10-0**

2.  St. David 8-2*

3.  Resurrection 6-3

4.  St. Benedict 4-5

-----

5.  MDCSS 3-6

6.  Woodland 2-8

7.  Rockway 0-9

** - clinched first place overall
* - clinched playoff berth

BAA: Results

Senior

Owen Sound 64, Peninsula Shores 43

OSCVI:  Drew Quinlan 14

PS:  Brandon Lancaster 13

St. Mary's 49, Georgian Bay 21

West Hill 49, Grey Highlands 42

Sacred Heart 56, Saugeen 43

SH:  Riley Knox 23

SDSS:  Andrew Fryday 15

Walkerton 57, John Diefenbaker 43 

Junior

Grey Highlands 39, West Hill 38

Owen Sound 59, Peninsula Shores 40

OS:  Jeremy Waterton 17

Georgian Bay 40, St. Mary's 38

Walkerton 37, John Diefenbaker 36

JD:  Josh Hopkins, 16

Simcoe Reformer: Senior Titans "D Up"

Article By:  Jacob Robinson

An 11-point lead at the half wasn't quite comfortable enough for the Holy Trinity Titans.

In hoping to keep pace with the other top teams in the NSSAA senior boys basketball league, Holy Trinity aimed to widen their advantage over Waterford in the second half on Tuesday by clamping down on defence. The team's 10-1 run to open the third quarter and 10-3 advantage to begin the fourth allowed the team to breathe easy in a 57-37 victory.

"Our intensity on defence, we tried to get that up and that got our offence up because we were getting stops on D, fast breaking and getting easy points," Titan point guard Josh Johnson said of his team's stellar second half. "When we got the lead it was smooth sailing from there, we just still wanted to get stops."

There was no stopping Johnson on Wednesday, as he dropped 29 points including five three pointers to lead all scorers.

The Wolves entered the contest utilizing a more up-tempo offence. It worked in the sense that all but one Waterford player had at least two points, but seemed to wear the Wolves out for the final quarters.

"In our old offence, no one was really moving, so now every-one's moving so it opens up a lot more options -- we move the ball a lot quicker. It's all about quick baskets instead of trying to dribble," said Waterford's Doug Sauve, who had six points thanks to a pair of shots from beyond the arc.

"We're not used to it so we just got more tired than we usually would. ... I think we just got tired at the end, and we had a short bench today, we were missing some players."

With the top three seeds in the league -- Simcoe, Delhi and Holy Trinity -- all victorious on Tuesday, the Titans (5-2) will try and wrestle second place from the Raiders (5-2, with the tiebreaker) in their matchup on Thursday in Delhi.

"It's pretty much for second . . . so it's a pretty big game for us. Hopefully we play well, get our defensive intensity up and push right from the start," said Johnson.

The Wolves will also have some big games to play in their final three regular season dates. Following their contest with the Sabres on Thursday, they'll come out of the two-week exam break Feb. 7 to face Port Dover in a matchup that could determine the fourth and final playoff spot.

"It would be nice to make the playoffs. We didn't make the playoffs after two OFSAA seasons, so it would be nice to get back there," noted Sauve.

How each team comes out of the exam break will be crucial as the league semifinals are set to begin the following week. While there's no exact formula for success following a layoff, Johnson said the Titans would be getting back to work before the final leg of the season tips off.

"We just hopefully get in the gym a couple times, maybe a couple practices to stay sharp and keep our cardio up so when it's a close game, late in the fourth quarter we'll maybe have that edge on the other team," he said.

Jeffery Paul scored eight points to lead Waterford while Andrew Mattan chipped in with 10 for the Titans.

In the junior contest, the Wolves won a barnburner 30-28 in overtime.

As mentioned, the senior Sabres improved their record to 7-0 with a 44-30 win against Port Dover. Kevin Allemang paced Simcoe with 17 points. Lucas Martin had 11 for the Lakers.

Justin Lichach scored 21 points and fellow Raiders Jacob Leger and Johann Jenkins had 14 each as the Delhi seniors topped Valley Heights 59-24. The Bears junior squad defeated the Raiders 36-33.

Retrieved From:  http://www.simcoereformer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3440212

Brantford Expositor: Senior Panthers Win With "Great Team Effort"

Article By:  Darryl Smart

The Paris Panthers have picked a good time to heat up.

After struggling through parts of the high school senior boys basketball schedule, the Panthers played their most complete game in a while Tuesday at home, defeating the Pauline Johnson Collegiate Thunderbirds 51-40.

"This was one of the first games where we played four full quarters," said Parker McIntyre of the Panthers. 

"This was a great team effort with everyone pitching in."

With one more game to go before the playoffs, the Panthers, now 3-6, are riding a two-game winning streak.

And Tuesday, led by centre Taylor Shipp, Paris dominated PJ. The lanky big man set the tone at both ends of the court, scoring a game high 16 points, of which10 came in the first quarter.

"Taylor deserves a lot of the credit for this win," Panthers guard Jake Kelley said. "He played an amazing game."

Shipp was also a force defensively, especially when he and his teammates used a suffocating full-court press to limit their guests to only eight first-quarter points.

"He was a huge reason why we were able to create turnovers," Kelley said. "They tried that long pass to get it by us but he was there to get the ball and we were able to score."

McIntyre had a solid game at both ends, scoring 11 points.

He and Kelley admitted that the season hasn't gone as planned for the Panthers. But with two good performances in a row, there's plenty to look forward to.

"We were in a rut for some reason," Kelley said. "But now we've won two in a row and had a good tournament on the weekend at BCI."

Kelley said Shipp also was a big reason the Panthers went 2-1 on the weekend.

"He's such a big body, so we can be more aggressive when he's on the court," McIntyre said. "He's started to play well and when he does we all do."

The Thunderbirds were led by Tyler Campbell, who scored 15 points, while Dakotta Robinson added nine.

"We were just outhustled," Campbell said. "It wasn't one of our best games."

One thing that killed the Thunderbirds was its foul shooting. The Thunderbirds went 8-for-16 at the charity stripe, which included missing four straight after a foul and technical foul that would have cut the Panthers' lead from eight to four late in the fourth quarter.

"We did some good things but we didn't finish," Robinson said. "We need to keep working hard and hustle a lot more. There's lots to work on."

- - -

SENIOR

SJC (7-2) 45, ACS (3-6) 33. SJC: Tim Dawson 13, Tyler VanLeeuwen 10. ACS: Nolan Drong 15, Andre Toic 11.

NPC 64 (9-1), BCI (3-6) 41. NPC: Marcus Hamilton 12, Marcus Jones 10, Nick Minutillo 9. BCI: MacKenzie Mark 13, Chris Gorski 10.

JUNIOR

PJC (2-7) 52, Paris (0-9). PJC: Alex Kwan 10, Scott Sobczyk 9, Swapnil Sharma 8. Paris: Corey Boehmer 14, Issaac Sollazo 11, Ryan Campbell 8.

NPC (8-1) 54, BCI (3-6) 21. NPC: AK Rai 14, Matt Minutillo 13, Andrew Silla 9. BCI : Noel Bomberry 6, Tristan Almas 5 and Austen Jones 4.

Retrieved From:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3439780

D10: Top Senior Teams Post Double Digit Wins

In a schedule that saw the league's top 4 teams battle the 4 teams currently in the lower half of the standings, there were no upsets as the "top dogs" all cruised to double-digit wins.

Here's a recap of the senior action:

Centennial 65, Orangeville 52

My Pick:  CCVI

Justin Levesque kept things interesting for ODSS with a 24-point effort, but the Spartans were too much in this one.  Tarang Sharma netted 21 for CCVI in the win.

JF Ross 69, GCVI 26

Mike Friesen had an efficient 13-point effort and Evan Karl added 10 as the Royals routed last-place GCVI at home.  Andrew Hood netted 9 and Jonah Hopkins 7 for the Gaels.

Lourdes 59, Bishop Mac 46

Liam O'Regan (13) led a trio of Crusaders in double-figures (Mike Finoro & Ben King - 12 each) as Lourdes got past their "AA" rivals.  Owen Brombal had a game-high 16 for the Celts, while Giordan Bennett added 11.

Centre Wellington 50, St. James 28

The Falcons got off to a great start and took a big lead from the get-go in this one.  Gavin McNamara finished with 20 and Reid Goindi 15 for the winners; Zach McClenaghan (10) and Nick Pelizzarri (8) led the way for the Lions.

D10 Senior Standings

1.  JF Ross 10-1

2.  CWDHS 9-2

3.  Lourdes 9-3

4.  Centennial 7-4

5.  Bishop Mac 5-6

6.  St. James 3-8

7.  Orangeville 1-10

8.  GCVI 1-11

Junior

Lourdes 64, Bishop Mac 53 
Another massive effort from BMAC's Michael Ganson (36 points), but it wasn't enough as the Crusaders prevailed here.  Adam Moros added 8 more for the Celts, while David Khayipangi had 19 and Craig Valeriote 17 for Lourdes.

Centre Wellington 44, St. James 41

In a battle between two top-ten teams, the Falcons got some revenge for their earlier loss to the Lions.  Josh McEachern had 18, James Scott and Reid Goindi 9 each for CW; Joey Hasson had 13 and Quinn Feeney 12 for St. James.

JF Ross 45, GCVI 25

The Royals stay undefeated with this win at home.  Tommy Yanchus and Andrew Folkerson netted 11 and 10 respectively for JFR; Slobodan Glibo had 10 and Chris Luangrath 7 for the Gaels.

Centennial 54, Orangeville 34

Harnoor Samra had 19 for Centennial as they picked up a win on the road at Orangeville.  Matt Speer led the Bears with 14.

D10 Junior Standings

1.  JF Ross 11-0

T2.  St. James 8-3

T2.  CWDHS 8-3

T4.  Centennial 5-6

T4.  BMAC 5-6

6.  Lourdes 5-7

7.  GCVI 3-9

8.  Orangeville 0-11

WCSSAA Junior: Tuesday Results

WCI 58, Cameron Heights 56

In the biggest junior game of the day, the Vikes knocked off the previously unbeaten CHCI Gaels by a 58-56 final.  Etai Mizrahi (12) led FOUR Vikes in double figures --- Bojan Vincic, Ivan Bilandzic and Nikola Despotovic all had 10.  Sasha Simic had 22 and Junior Bradford 18 for the Gaels.

Eastwood 48, Bluevale 26

Izzy Nemeth had 20 and Ousmane Kromah 11 as the Rebels rolled Bluevale at home.  Jamal John (14) and AJ Seegmiller (6) were the top Knight performers.

Grand River 62, WODSS 28

Jamal Murray had a triple-double (PTS-REB-STL) in this one, and finished with 17 points.  David Bajic added 10 for the Rens, while Garner Matthews was again the top W-O scorer, and finished in double-figures with 10.

SJAM 55, Forest Heights 30

The 'Landers get back on the left side of the ledger with a comfortable home win against FHCI.  Chris Ilitshishin had 14 and Greg Zapp 10 for the 'Landers; Stefan Despotovic had 7 to lead all Forest Heights' scorers.

Jacob Hespeler 50, Glenview Park 28

The Hawks pick up a key win in this all-Cambridge affair, and received 12 from Ethan Rudd and 10 from Ryan Wall in the process.  Tyrell Wolf had a game-high 16 for the Panthers.

Southwood 49, Preston 28

Steve Warner and Garrett Jewell had 12 each as the Sabres improve their playoff chances with a win at home against PHS.  Tanner Derjugin had 10 and Ryan Maksymyk 6 for Preston.

Elmira 39, KCI 33

Don't look now but the EDSS Lancers continue to move up the WCSSAA standings.  Callum Johnson led them with 13 in this big road win at KCI, while Stefan Simic poured in nearly half of the Raider points, finishing with 17.

Galt 55, Huron Heights 37

With several Huron Heights' players suspended for a violation of team rules, including leading scorer Arshid Babury, the Huskies got handled with ease by the visiting Galt Ghosts --- unfortunately for Huron, this loss may have serious implications down the road.  TJ Lall poured in 23 while Lazar Stevanovic added 14 for Galt; Alex Pantea had a game-high 24 for Huron.

WCSSAA Junior Standings

1.  Grand River 9-0*

T2.  WCI 8-1*

T2.  Cameron Heights 8-1*

4.  Galt 7-2*

------------

T5.  Preston 6-3*

T5.  Eastwood 6-3*

T5.  Huron Heights 6-3*

8.  SJAM 5-4

T9.  Elmira 4-5

T9.  Forest Heights 4-5

11.  Southwood 3-6

T12.  Jacob Hespeler 2-7

T12.  Bluevale 2-7

------------

T14.  WODSS 1-8

T14.  KCI 1-8

16.  Glenview Park 0-9

* - clinched playoff berth

WCSSAA Senior Results: Trojans, Vikings Post Comeback Wins

Things went as expected for the most part yesterday, but that's not to say that there wasn't some high drama during WCSSAA league play on Tuesday.

In fact, two of the current top three teams in the WCSSAA standings, the Forest Heights Trojans and the WCI Vikings, needed furious fourth quarter comebacks in their respective games yesterday to avoid the SJAM Highlanders (FHCI) and Cameron Heights Golden Gaels (WCI).

In the FHCI-SJAM contest, the 'Landers actually held a 14-point lead entering the final quarter.  However, when SJAM's leading scorer, guard Ben Reyhani, went out with injury, the Trojans seized the momentum and went on a massive run that saw them winding up with a 61-57 win.

Reyhani led all scorers with 24, while Javon Masters and Juwan Miller had 20 each for the Trojans.  SJAM's Theshawn Berry was also in double-figures with 10.

Meanwhile, also in Waterloo, the WCI Vikings trailed by 13 points at halftime, and by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but saved their best play for the crucial 8-minute final frame.

The Vikes were able to chip into single digits (down 8) when a big Zach Totzke three-ball from the corner brought things to a 46-41 Cameron lead and 5:20 remaining. 

The crucial sequence to determining the outcome, however, would come a little over two minutes later.

With the Gaels having gone cold, WCI got it within 2 (47-45) on a Dani Elgadi lay-in with 3:00 to play, and then forced a quick turnover.  WCI's Jacob Ranton then scored on back-to-back lay-ups, the latter being an "and one" which he converted to put WCI in the lead at 50-47 ---- for those keeping track, that was a 7-0 WCI run in just under :40 of game clock.

Cameron compounded their problem by turning over the ball off of the free-throw inbounds (a steal by WCI's Adam Anagnostopoulos); he was fouled and converted both to push things up to 5.

To give credit to the Gaels, they could have folded then and there but kept battling to the end.  Down 4 (54-50) with 1:00 to play, the Gaels had a shot to bring it to a 1-possession game but as he has done so many times recently, the length of Dani Elgadi was able block a jump shot (which WCI promptly grabbed).

Still, it wasn't over just yet.  Jason Thompson stole the ball on the ensuing possession and raced in for an "and one" lay-in that cut things to just one.  Elgadi converted 1-of-2 free-throws with :24 left (55-53), but after a CHCI miss, WCI got the ball and was fouled with around :10 on the clock.

Although both free-throws were missed, the Gaels did not box out Jacob Ranton who got great possession for a put-back lay-in (57-53), essentially icing this one in the Vikes' favour.

Elgadi finished with a game-high 23 points, Ranton with 13, and Anagnostopoulos 10 for WCI; Vedran Dmitrovic was held relatively in check in the second half but still led Cameron with 13.  Jason Thompson added 8 as did Vladimir Matovic for the Gaels.

And now, the rest of Tuesday's WCSSAA action:

Bluevale 48, Eastwood 45

My Pick:  BCI by 10

Though the Knights got off to a 14-2 start, the Rebels battled back and lost a close one at home.  Perrin Smith (17) and Lukas Seibert (11) topped the BCI scoring, while Djordje Govedarica had 13 and Jerrelle Vaughan 12 for ECI.

Grand River 77, WODSS 62

My Pick:  GRCI by 15

The Rens stay alone in second place after a big second-half propelled them to a win over the Crusaders.  Filip Cvrkalj had an emphatic slam as an exclamation point in this one, and finished with a game-high 26.  Daniel Harun added 18 for the Rens, while Patrick Connors had 18 and Chris Thomson 13 for WODSS.

Jacob Hespeler 81, Glenview Park 48

My Pick:  JHSS by 15

With Javon Bryce back in the line-up, the Hawks had their way on the offensive end on Tuesday.  Both Bryce (20) and Jason Quiring (21) cracked the 20-point mark for Jacob Hespeler; Glenview was led by 16 each from Sean Davidson and Chris Thompson.

Preston 57, Southwood 32

My Pick:  PHS by 29

The Sabres had a better showing on offense on Tuesday, but it was still not close to enough to taking out the talented Panthers.  Wes Meertens (21) and Levi Kani (10) topped the PHS scoring; Riley Clipper had 14 and Zach Sauer 10 for Southwood.

KCI 68, Elmira 30

My Pick:  KCI by 23

The Raiders romped at home, backed by a 14-point effort from Matt McKinnon.  Lucas Nosal led Elmira with 9.

Galt 68, Huron Heights 50

My Pick:  HHHS by 5

My lone blemish on Tuesday went the other way --- big-time --- as the Ghosts won big on the road at Huron.  Gabe Vidal had a huge 29-point effort to lead the way, while Jack Simmons added 15.  Sean Samuel netted 24 and big-man Alex Deadman had 8 for Huron.

WCSSAA Senior Standings

1.  Forest Heights 9-0*

2.  Grand River 8-1*

3.  WCI 7-2*

T4.  Bluevale 6-3*

T4.  Galt 6-3*

T4.  Jacob Hespeler 6-3*

T4.  Preston 6-3*

T8.  Huron Heights 4-5

T8.  SJAM 4-5

T8.  Cameron Heights 4-5

T8.  WODSS 4-5

12.  KCI 3-6

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T13.  Eastwood 2-7

T13.  Glenview Park 2-7

15.  Southwood 1-8

16.  Elmira 0-9

* - clinched playoff berth

D10: Tuesday Picks

Today's picks:

Centennial (6-4) at Orangeville (1-9)

My Pick:  CCVI

Assuming the Spartans aren't fatigued from a long weekend at their home tournament that culminated with a double-OT loss to Cameron, they will move one step closer to securing a home playoff game.

GCVI (1-10) at JF Ross (9-1)

My Pick:  JFR

The two teams at opposite ends of the standings in this one.  Royals to win comfortably.

Bishop Mac (5-5) at Lourdes (8-3)

My Pick:  OLOL

This one could be the most interesting game of the day, as the Celtics have taken some big strides lately.  I'll take Lourdes by single digits here, though.

St. James (3-7) at Centre Wellington (8-2)

My Pick:  CWDHS

The junior game should be a great match-up --- a battle between two of my current "top 10" teams.  As for the senior game, I'll take the Falcons to continue to keep pace at the top of the standings with a win here.

WCSSAA Picks: "Turn The Tide" Tuesday Features Several Key Games

I'm referring to today's WCSSAA schedule as "Turn the Tide" Tuesday.  

Why's that, you ask?  Well, we have a bunch of games that could cause a serious standings shift depending on how things go.

Without any further ado, let's get right to the picks:

Galt (5-3) at Huron Heights (4-4)

My Pick:  HHSS by 5

Think this will be a single-digit game either way, so I'll go with the homecourt Huskies in this one.

Glenview Park (2-6) at Jacob Hespeler (5-3)

My Pick:  JHSS by 15

I look for the Jacob Hespeler Hawks to put an end to their mini losing streak today at home against Glenview.  However, they mustn't take the Panthers lightly.

Bluevale (5-3) at Eastwood (2-6)

My Pick:  Bluevale by 10

The Eastwood Rebels are definitely better than their record would indicate.  I'll go with Bluevale here, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Eastwood stick around --- especially at home.

Preston (5-3) at Southwood (1-7)

My Pick:  PHS by 29

The Panthers should cruise past Southwood today on the road.

WODSS (4-4) at Grand River (7-1)

My Pick:  GRCI by 15

....but the Rens can't look ahead to Thursday's battle with Cameron as we know the Crusaders can be dangerous.  Right Forest Heights?

Elmira (0-8) at KCI (2-6)

My Pick:  KCI by 23

The Raiders will get a healthy boost to their playoff hopes with a home win today.

Forest Heights (8-0) at SJAM (4-4)

My Pick:  FHCI by 12

With a couple of "winnable" games upcoming against teams below them in the standings, an upset here would be huge for the SJAM Highlanders --- who, don't forget, have won 4 in a row in league play after starting 0-4.  Although I think they can hang around, I think the guard play of the Trojans will be too much in this one.

Cameron Heights (4-4) at WCI (6-2)

My Pick:  WCI by 8

The Gaels shot "lights out" against the Vikes in their early season tournament, cruising to a near 20-point victory.  However, the Vikes have come a long way since then, and should be the favourites in this one.  Two contrasting styles in this one, edge to WCI in what should be a good game.

D4 Monday Results: Royals Stay Perfect

Senior

Centre Dufferin 56, Woodland 26

The Royals moved to 7-0 in D4 play with another comfortable win, this time on the road at Woodland.  Matt Pflance had 13 and Carlo Zanette 12 in the victory; AJ Koetsier had 8 to lead the Cavs.

Westside 44, Wellington Hts 21

In a battle between the two teams that will likely square off in the 2 vs. 3 playoff game, the Thunder posted a comfortable win last night.  Luke Milican had 19 in the win, while Taylor Hartley added 7.  Avery Bilton was WHSS' top scorer with 9.

Junior

Centre Dufferin 42, College Hts 20

CDDHS:  Nick Fines 8, Silas Siles 6

CHSS:  Andy Vernon 7, David Devaladares 6

Westside 45, Wellington Hts 34

WSS:  Evan Clark 14, Myles Graham 10

WHSS:  Noah McCook 14, Sam Rooney 6

Norwell 22, Erin DHS 20

NDSS:  T. Langille 10

EDHS:  M. Johnston 10

D8: Monday Results - Eagles Take Care of Business at Bennies

Senior

St. Mary's 61, St. Benedict 41

My Pick:  SMHS

No "tournament hangover" for the Eagles as they handled the Saints on the road --- of course, they had plenty of practice shooting on the SBCSS rims over the weekend.  Alex Thompson (21) and Telloy Simon (11) led the way in this one, while Santo Dak had 14 and Brendan Flannigan 11 for St. Benedict.

Resurrection 70, St. David 35

My Pick:  RCSS

No surprise here as the Phoenix rolled even without injured forward Mike Pereira.  Rookie forward Jacob Gilbert paced several Phoenix in double-figures with 11, while Tyler Schneider and Stephen Cordle added 10 each.  Phil Ciomplick had a game-high 14 for the Celtics, with Jake Winter adding 6.

D8 Senior Standings

1.  St. Mary's 7-0**

2.  Resurrection 6-1*

3.  St. Benedict 4-3

4.  Mons. Doyle 2-4

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5.  Rockway 1-6

6.  St. David 1-7

* - clinched playoff spot; ** - clinched 1st round home playoff game

Junior

St. David 54, Resurrection 43

The Celtics cruised to victory in this one after a dominating first-half that saw them up by 20 at halftime.  George Dumitru (20) and Dashaun Lalor (17) led the way for SDCSS, while Mack Smith had 10 and Mark Wylie 8 for Rez.

St. Mary's 51, St. Benedict 14

Fresh off of their victory at the Forest Heights junior tournament (over Eastwood), the Eagles kept things rolling with a stifling defense on the road at St. Benedict.  Mike Blumel had 22 and Nathan Riley 9 in the win.

Woodland 58, Monsignor Doyle 52

The Cavs pick up their 2nd win of the year with Shane Clarke (17) and Nathan Timmerman (14) both having solid outings in this one.  Jamal Bell had 14 and Liam Rivard 12 for the 'Stangs.

D8 Junior Standings

1.  St. Mary's 9-0*

2.  St. David 7-2

3.  Resurrection 5-3

4.  St. Benedict 4-5

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5.  Mons. Doyle 3-5

6.  Woodland 2-7

7.  Rockway 0-8

* - clinched playoff berth