The Chemainus Cougars didn’t just win their first junior boys basketball game of the season, they won big.
After a pair of narrow losses to Duncan Christian School (47-45) and Brentwood College (38-32), the Cougars hit the mother lode last Thursday at Chemainus Secondary School by handily defeating Gulf Islands Secondary 56-30.
Related story: Huge 15-6 Cougars’ lead in the second quarter evaporates
“We got off to a good start and saw some shots go in early,” noted Chemainus coach Casey Parsons.
It was 17-4 after the first quarter and Chemainus kept it going in the second quarter.
“We continued to get good drives into the paint and moved the ball to open shooters when there were help defenders,” Parsons observed.
The lead was extended to 35-10 at halftime and the Cougars didn’t let their foot off the gas in the second half. The margin reached 46-19 after the third quarter and another 10 points in the fourth provided the finishing touches.
“I thought our effort on defense was pretty solid,” Parsons indicated. “We rebounded well and didn’t allow for many second chance opportunities. All 13 guys got some minutes.”
Titus Kennedy was dynamite all over the court. He razzled, he dazzled and scored some amazing buckets in a 32-point effort.
The supporting cast was very strong, with secondary scoring coming from eight other players. Even those who didn’t hit the scoresheet very well could have with a little luck.
It was just a complete team effort and clearly showed how much the players have improved since the start of the season.
There was a decent sized crowd on hand to cheer on the players that helped elevate the atmosphere in the gymnasium.
Chris Dick got into the act with five points, including a three-pointer in the second quarter as Chemainus built its big lead.
Jayden Jimmy scored two baskets in rapid succession while Jordan Allinott also had four points. Koen de Wit contributed three points while Ryan Redfern, Aiden Milton, Kai Kasting and Cyler Wilson all added two.
“They were definitely excited to get the win,” enthused Parsons. “They played it pretty cool while shaking hands at the end of the game, but when they got into the change room there was lots of cheering, which was fun to see.”
The team’s last league game is Thursday, Feb. 9 at Frances Kelsey Secondary in Mill Bay at 4:30 p.m.
A wind-up tournament will follow, with the format to be determined.
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don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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