The Vanier Towhees senior boys basketball team won its season-opening league game at home, Tuesday against the Carihi Tyees of Campbell River.
“Carihi is a well coached, fundamentally sound team that has been playing together for many years, and we knew it was going to be a great first game for both teams,” Vanier coach Larry Street said.
The first quarter ended 17 - 10 for Vanier, but by half time the game was tied at 29. The third quarter belonged to Carihi, which went on a 20-11 run, led by Quinn Nelson. But Vanier’s size took over in the fourth. The Towhees went on a 26-6 run, and ended up with a 66-55 win. Levi Timmermans led Vanier with 22 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Dawson Kipp added 15 points and steady point guard play, while Kyle Piercy chipped in 11 points and eight assists.
The Towhees next game was against NDSS Thursday at the Cowichan 4A tournament in Duncan. Vanier put in a solid team effort, with almost everyone scoring a basket. Piercy led the way with 16 points and three steals. Timmermans had 15 points and 16 rebounds, and Riley Meyerhoff hustled with 11 rebounds and some tough defensive stops. Final score: Vanier 59, NDSS 48.
Game two of the tournament was against old rival Dover Bay of Nanaimo.
“A very skilled team, we knew there wouldn’t be too many turnovers, and for an early season game, we were very happy that we only had 12 ourselves,” Street said.
Piercy again led all scorers with 23 points, six assists and seven rebounds while Timmermans added 19 points, 14 rebounds and lots of energy to the squad. Street said Meyerhoff was Vanier’s best +/- player with a solid +9: eight rebounds, seven points and three assists. The final score was Vanier 74, Dover Bay 72. Dover had a chance to tie at the buzzer but the ball rimmed out.
The Towhees played Victoria’s number three ranked 4A team Claremont, which boasted a talented 6’7” provincial team player, and four solid, high-scoring guards. Early foul trouble hurt Vanier, but the bench kept the game close by the half, 28-27. The matchup was excellent for both teams, and the second half was a see-saw battle defensively. Claremont broke it open late in the third with a 22-9 run, and the Towhees just couldn’t get back within 10. The final score was 67-54 Claremont. Meyerhoff scored 15 points and 13 rebounds. Piercy added 10 points. Street expects the teams will meet twice more this season, at the Vanier tournament and the Claremont tournament in January.
Next up for the Towhees is the Mount Doug Tournament this weekend in Victoria.
Video by Scott Strasser
