McMath Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the B.C. Junior Boys Basketball Championships at the Langley Events Centre.
The Richmond champions rallied in the second half for a 49-41 win over the Yale Lions on Sunday afternoon in a match-up of the tournament’s No. 6 and No. 3 seeds respectively. McMath will now face No. 2 Vancouver College on Monday at 8 p.m.
The Wildcats were outscored 16-4 in the second quarter and trailed 31-24 at the break. However, they limited their Abbotsford opponent to just three points in the third and took a 39-34 advantage into the final eight minutes.
The Fraser Valley champions opened the fourth with back-to-back three-pointers but could only manage a one free throw the rest of the way against McMath’s suffocating defence.
Back-to-back threes from Rio Hutchful and Travis Hamberger in the final two minutes sealed the win.
“With our defence, we decided to make a switch and got a lot more energy. We really held them in check in the second half,” said head coach Jon Acob.
Hamberger played much of the game in foul trouble. The standout guard picked up his third with about four minutes left in the opening half and was sat. That prompted a 13-0 Lions run.
His fourth came on an offensive charge in the opening minute of the third but he stayed in the game before briefly sitting later in the quarter.
“Yesterday, we had to run with him in foul trouble and it worked out. Today, I just didn’t feel as good about it. The guys did a good job filling in.
“It’s all about heart with this group and playing as a team.”
Michael Kitka led the Wildcats with 13, including seven in the pivotal third quarter. Miguel Vargas and Hutchful added 11.
McMath had advanced to the final eight of the 32-team tournament with a pair of wins Saturday, including 57-56 thriller against St. George’s in the quarter-finals.
The Saints went on a late 11-0 run to take a 54-50 lead before the Wildcats rallied by scoring seven of the game’s final nine points. Hamberger had 19. Hutchful added 10.
The MacNeill Ravens reached the round of 16 before dropping 58-42 decision to St. Pat’s. The Ravens were playing catch-up from the early going after falling behind 19-8 after one.
