The Richmond Colts are back on track in the city senior boys basketball league thanks to a huge fourth quarter on Monday night.
Staring at a potential 0-2 start out of the gate after a season-opening loss to MacNeill last week, the Colts outscored the visiting McMath Wildcats by 19 points in the final quarter for an 82-73 victory.
For much the night, they didn’t have an answer for McMath’s red-hot perimeter shooting that resulted in a 65-55 lead after three quarters. However, the Colts cranked up their defensive intensity and took advantage of young Wildcats team that struggled down the stretch.
“The first three quarters I felt like they didn’t miss any shots,” smiled Richmond High head coach Brandon Harbour. “The guys were a little lazy on box outs and we were getting killed on the boards too. Then they started to figure it out and they just really wanted it in the fourth quarter.
“Definitely I would like to be 2-0 right now but we’ll take 1-1. It’s all about February when it really matters but it was an important win tonight for the team morale as well.”
Senior guard Anton Poburko led the Colts with 26 points. The tireless defensive work of Evan Brusse paved the way for his 19 points while Ace Adano chipped in with 16. Jonathan Hu added 11.
The Wildcats are leaning heavily on Grade 11 and 10s this season after winning the city championship last season.
Grade 11 guard Rohan Balaggan had 23 points, while Grade 10 Travis Hamberger had 16 before fouling out which seemed to seal his team’s fate. The lone senior that does get significant minutes — Nate Gonzales — added 18.
McMath is guided by veteran coach Jon Acob who is back for his second stint with the Steveston school, this time as a staff member.
“I think at the end we had guys who didn’t want to shoot and we reverted back to some bad habits with poor passes and turnovers,” said Acob who watched his team drain 14 three-pointers. “You look at the league and there are five ‘AAA’ teams that are pretty close. One of them is not going to the Lower Mainlands and it’s going to be a battle all season.
“There is a lot of young talent in the league this season which is great to see.”
The Wildcats had opened league play with a 79-76 win over Hugh Boyd. They will take on Burnett next Wednesday in their final game before the Christmas break while the Colts travel to Richmond Christian.
