An all-Surrey final at the B.C. Boys 4A High School Basketball Championship won’t happen in 2014.
While the Holy Cross Crusaders have advanced to the championship game at the highest level for the first time in school history, the Tamanawis Wildcats just missed doing the same. Tamanawis, the top seed at the 16-team tournament, fell 68-66 in overtime to the second-seed Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs in the first of two semifinal games at the Langley Events Centre.
The Crusaders won the second semifinal 73-68 over the Sardis Falcons.
Tamanawis got off to a great start against Churchill, leading 21-13 after one quarter. The score was tied 31-31 at the half, and in a see-saw second half and overtime, the Bulldogs came out on top. Sukhjot Bains had a solid game, scoring 24 points and adding 16 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Sukhman Sandhu contributed 14 points and 16 rebounds.
Like Tamanawis, Holy Cross got a quick jump on their opponent, but after the Falcons got back in the game in the second period, the Crusaders put them away in the third. Holy Cross led 22-7, 33-29 and 53-41 at the quarter breaks.
Jonathan Kongbo led the Crusaders with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jauquin Bennett-Boire with 17 points and Bright Dododza with 13 also scored in double digits, and each had nine rebounds. Taylor Browne contributed 12 points.
Holy Cross will tip off tonight against Sir Winston Churchill in the championship game, while Tamanawis plays Sardis at 3:30 p.m. for third place.