The Chemainus Cougars midget boys basketball team knew its game at Shawnigan Lake School last Tuesday was going to be tough.
But the players continue to show signs of overall improvement and gave Shawnigan all it could handle in a 57-27 defeat that was much closer than the score indicates.
“It was a very competitive game,” noted Cougars’ coach Graeme Arkell.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Chemainus only trailed by six points, 29-23, before Shawnigan took control.
The Cougars were even without scoring leader Tyler Harvath that put them at a distinct disadvantage.
Arkell indicated the team executed set plays they had practiced, specifically, a point guard handoff to the wing, then a deception jab step/fake pass followed by a pass into the post for a shot and a post going up to screen for the point guard and a roll to the hoop for a shot.
Owen Jaggers continues to shine in the post position and scored 12 points.
“He can always be relied upon to battle for rebounds and drive hard to the hoop,” Arkell elaborated. “His growing confidence with communicating with his teammates and I about strategies and what’s going on on the court is a testament to his leadership.”
Max O’Meara has been working on his shot during open gym sessions and practices and it showed during the game.
“His accuracy was good as he drained two threes and finished with 11 points,” Arkell enthused. “He also turned heads with his speed up and down the court. Defenders struggled to contain him, grabbing and pushing him frequently.”
The Cougars went into playoff action Jan. 30. Regardless of the outcome, they are playing in the season-ending tournament Feb. 9 at Quamichan.