Langara Falcons head to next week's CCAA National Men's Basketball Championships as the team to beat and there is plenty of Richmond flavour leading the charge.
The Falcons have been given the top seed for the eight team event after repeating as PacWest Conference champions last weekend. Langara will face the Concordia Thunder in its opening game next Thursday at Quest University in Squamish.
The Richmond contingent on the Falcons roster includes Brody Greig (McMath), Elliot Mason (Burnett), Matt Madewan (Palmer) and his younger brother Jamie Madewan (Palmer). The team is coached by longtime local high school coach Paul Eberhardt who is currently with the RC Palmer Griffins at the B.C. 2A championships.
Langara captured the PacWest championship with a come-frombehind 90-84 victory over reigning national champion Vancouver Island University. The Mariners took a 60-54 lead into the fourth quarter when the Falcons caught fire, led by Greig and Mason.
Down by six points with eight minutes remaining, Mason hit a fade away three-pointer and Greig scored seven consecutive points. Mason drained another three and Greig followed with a try of his own to suddenly give the Falcons a seven point lead.
"It was an impressive run in a short time span but that is what we have been doing all year long," said Eberhardt. "I am so proud of the way we fought back. Obviously Mason and Greig were huge for us but I can not say enough about Glen Ruby. He was a warrior out there and he kept us in the game with his hustle and rebounding."
Greig earned his second straight player-of-the-game award with 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Mason added 19 points and five rebounds.
The hardware didn't stop there for Greig as he was later named the tournament's most valuable player. That came on the heels of winning his second straight Pac West Player of the Year award.
Mason was named a second team all-star while Eberhardt repeated as Pac West coach-of-the-year.