Two teams ranked among the top 10 high school basketball teams in B.C. are expected to clash in Saturday’s championship game of the 21st annual Surrey RCMP Classic.
The Tamanawis Wildcats upset a pair of highly ranked teams within a week of resuming play following the Christmas break, vaulting up to No. 3 in the provincial rankings following a 75-73 win over the then-No. 2 Vancouver College Fighting Irish, and a 68-52 victory over the then-No. 6 Kitsilano Blue Demons.
Ravjot Dhaliwal paced Tamanaw is past the fighting Irish, scoring 22 points and adding 13 rebounds, while Manny Dulay contributed with eight rebounds and six assists.
The Wildcats are four places higher than the seventh-ranked White Rock Christian Academy Warriors, a school, that has dominated the RCMP Classic by winning 10 of the past 13 tournments.
Tamanawis, which reached the RCMP Final for the first time last year before losing 55-51 to the Enver Creek Cougars, begins play today (Tuesday) at 6:45 p.m. at Southridge Secondary against the Panorama Ridge Thunder.
The Warriors, knocked out in the quarterfinal round a year ago, begin the round of 16 today also at Southridge at 5 p.m. against the Queen Elizabeth Royals.
Twenty-four teams are taking part in the Senior boys division of the RCMP Classic, with first round games played Sunday to cut the field to 16. After play today, the quarterfinal round goes tomorrow with games at Enver Creek at Fleetwood Park Secondaries.
The semifinals Friday (5:45 and 7:45 p.m.) and the championship game Saturday (7:45 p.m.) are at Enver Creek.