Vanier’s senior boys basketball team won the Guildford Park Tournament last weekend in Surrey. The event offered the Courtenay team a look at some 4A competition. The Towhees were a 3A school last season.
Vanier kicked off the tourney with a 77-25 win over Cornerstone, a Christian school from Lynden, Wash. The game afforded some valuable playing time for the rookies. Despite playing only half the game, Peter Greaves led Vanier with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Jakob Tortorelli scored 11 and Alex Larose chipped in 10 points. All team members scored points.
In their second game, Vanier defeated Killarney Secondary 88-72. Towhees coach Larry Street said the Vancouver team was small but quick and skilled.
“A bunch of buzz bombs whipping around the court on offence, and pushing the ball in the fast break,” Street said. “Luckily for the Towhees, we had a huge height advantage starting at 6’8, 6’6, 6’3 and 6’3, along with a 6’6 and a 6’5 coming off the bench. So this was a match between a very quick, athletic team and an athletic, big team. Height won out.”
Greaves again led the charge with 38 points, 30 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Brayden Waugh scored eight points and had 10 rebounds. Tortorelli had 15 points, and Cam Bell chipped in 14 points and eight assists.
Game three was a 95-51 win over Surrey school Earl Marriott, which featured a big, bruising team of five solid players in the 6’4-6’5 range. The opposition also had a couple of quick, tall guards who drove well to the hoop. But Street said the Towhees were up to the challenge, and took control of the game from the start.
“Numerous steals and fast break baskets, and a disciplined offence was too much to handle for Earl Marriott.”
Greaves — who was named tournament MVP — scored 24 points, and had 17 rebounds and five assists. Tortorelli sprinted to 17 points while Cam Bell was a leader on the floor with 10 points and seven assists. Macyn Leopkey-Johnson had 11 points and five assists.
“The entire team played superb defence,” Street said.
The Towhees next play a league game Tuesday night against NDSS in Nanaimo. This weekend, the team plays in the Burnaby South Tournament.