Vanier’s senior boys basketball won its final two league games of the season last week at home.
The Towhees hosted Dover Bay of Nanaimo on Tuesday, Feb. 8 in a high-scoring, fun game to watch, even without fans in the gym, with many exciting plays by both teams. The half-time score was 42-31 for Vanier. The Towhees had full control of the game with a 65-51 score until Dover Bay guard Zak Zhang started draining long three pointers, dropping five late in the second half. But the entire Vanier lineup still played important minutes, and the team was up to the task.
Vanier captain Sam Barnie had 27 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while Aidan Walsh doubled with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Reed Fournier chipped in 11 points and Tristan Carriere-Bela had 12. The final score was 89-81 Vanier.
The team returned to the floor Thursday against Cowichan in the last regular season game before playoffs.
The Towhees were aggressive on defence, and the first half was entertaining for both teams with a half-time score of 34-32 for Vanier. In the second half, the Towhees didn’t allow a field goal by Cowichan, and took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter. The game ended 70-52 in Vanier’s favour. Shaydynn Smid led all Cowichan scorers with 26 points, but few others scored. For Vanier, Walsh led with 25 points, five steals and seven rebounds, while Barnie had 17 points and six steals along with nine rebounds. Fournier had a great game with 11 points, five steals and five assists. Carriere-Bela also had a banner game with 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals. Carl Schmitz-Valckenberg scored eight tough inside points and had five rebounds.
The Towhees compete at the North Island 4A playoffs Feb. 17 and 18 in Cowichan. They are seeking a good seed for the Island Championships Feb. 24-26 at Mt. Douglas Secondary in Victoria.
