Forget about all the possible upset scenarios, the Richmond Senior Boys Basketball Championships have unfolded just like the regular season with the top two teams poised to square off on Friday night.
The No. 5 3A ranked MacNeill Ravens will look to cap a perfect run in city play when they collide with the Richmond Colts at Steveston-London Secondary School. Tip-off is slated at 7:30 p.m.
The Colts’ only loss to a Richmond opponent came to the Ravens (87-73) way back on Dec. 3. MacNeill would go on to run the table while Richmond High strung together nine consecutive wins to earn the No. 2 seed.
For the second time this season, the Ravens had their hands full with the fourth place Steveston-London Sharks — pulling out 72-64 semi-final victory on Wednesday night.
The Sharks leaned on some productive 3-ball shooting to briefly take a one point lead in the early stages of the fourth quarter before the Ravens responded with an 8-0 run of their own and would never look back. They were led by the clutch play of Grade 12 guard Usman Tung who showed why he is a leading candidate to be named league MVP with a 25-point performance.
Meanwhile, the Colts produced their second straight dominant performance at the championships — rolling to a 92-64 win over the third place McMath Wildcats. One night earlier, the provincial honourable mention defeated Cambie 81-33.
The Ravens, Colts, Sharks and Wildcats all clinched berths into the Lower Mainland 3A Championships after the McNair Marlins lost their second straight game earlier in the day — falling to the Cambie Crusaders.
The Crusaders will meet Hugh Boyd to determine seeding for the Lower Mainland 2A Championships. The Trojans secured their berth in that tourney with a win over the McRoberts Strikers
