Nigel Boyd began 2016 having never won a tournament in over two seasons of playing senior boys basketball. Now he has tasted victory twice in as many weeks.
The Grade 12 standout poured in 42 points Saturday night to lock-up MVP honours as the host Steveston-London Sharks battled back for a 88-79 victory over the Byrne Creek Bulldogs in the championship game at the Bob Carkner Memorial Classic. The triumph came on the heels of the Sharks capturing the 50th annual Chancellor Tournament a week earlier.
If there is a player who best reflects the No. 4 ranked Sharks’ rise into a provincial power it has to be Boyd.
The 6-foot-2 guard went through his growing pains, along with his team, when he was aged up in his Grade 10 year. Last season, he emerged as a multi-dimensional offensive threat, shattering the school scoring record. Now, it’s all about team success with the arrival of a talented group of Grade 11s.
“Grade 10 was kind of tough. It was a rebuilding season for us,” recalled Boyd. “Last year was really good in terms of development for Grade 12 guys like me, Taros (Johal) and Robleh (Ismail). Now, with (these Grade 11s) like Fardaws (Aimaq), Pierce (Strutt) and Daniel (Chen) it has all really come together.”
It’s Aimaq’s 6-foot-9 presence in the paint that has opened up Boyd’s game even more. That was no more apparent than in the final against a Byrne Creek team that was lit up by Aimaq for 37 points a week earlier at the Chancellor.
When the Burnaby school stunned the hometown crowd with an early 15-2 lead, it was the Sharks’ perimeter shooting that brought them back, with Boyd doing much of his damage from three-point range. Steveston-London finally seized control of the game early in the fourth quarter to win its own tournament for the first time since 2013.
“Nigel didn’t have a great game the first time we played them,” said Sharks coach Mike Stoneburgh. He didn’t have one of those 'Nigel Nights' he is so capable of.
“We knew they would be trying to take Fardaws away after what he did to them a week ago. They left Nigel open and he took full advantage by making them pay for it. He really took the bull by the horns in his last time playing in the Carkner.”
There was plenty of pre-tournament hype of a potential championship game between the Sharks and No. 3 ranked Lord Byng. Steveston-London did its part with wins over John Oliver and Windermere, however, the Grey Ghosts were stunned by Byrne Creek in their semi-final match-up. The Bulldogs erased a nine point fourth quarter deficit with a 28-5 run to close out the game.
They looked to be on their way to another upset until the Sharks finally heated up.
“We were sluggish at the beginning and they had a lot more to play for,” said Boyd. “We kind of put it to them last time and were up by 35 at one point. This was a big game for them and it was big for us to come back the way we did.”
The Sharks have elevated their game in the new year and Boyd credits a trip down south over the winter break to compete at big Seattle area tournament, hosted by Franklin High.
“I think it was really good for us in terms of seeing a completely different level,” he added. “We realized there was so much room to play better and just seeing the aggressiveness they play with. We have come into the new year playing much hungrier now with more boarding and more running. We are playing a more American style of game.”
Boyd has never won a senior boys playoff game in his career either. That should change next month when the Sharks host the Richmond Championships.
At the buzzer…
The Carkner All-Tournament team included the Sharks' Fardaws Aimaq and Pierce Strutt. Aimaq poured in 29 points in the final.
Hugh Boyd’s Pavel Prasad was also selected.
The Sharks turn their attention back to league play this week with a key game Wednesday night against No. 8 McMath. Game time is 7 p.m. at McMath.
