The Dover Bay Dolphins are provincial basketball champions.
Dover Bay Secondary School’s senior AAA boys won the title Saturday, March 9, in Langley, defeating Abbotsford’s MEI Eagles 75-61.
The B.C. championship completed a journey for the Dolphins that goes back at least to last year’s provincial final, when they were runners-up to the St. Patrick Celtics.
“We just have the pieces. The guys were willing to do the work. These kids would show up for anything I put in front of them,” said Darren Seaman, the team’s coach, in a press release. “We flipped over every rock trying to do it. They literally worked six days a week since April of last year trying to do this.”
The opening quarter was back and forth, but by about midway through the second quarter, the Dolphins had taken control and never relinquished it. Frank Linder had 22 points and 15 rebounds in the final and Tarman Sandhu also scored 22.
“We’ve been working since last year, since we lost,” said Sandhu. “I promised myself we are going to be back here (and) we’re going to have a gold medal instead of a silver one. And we are here and we are doing it.”
Linder was chosen player of the game in the final as well as tournament MVP. Sandhu was a first-team all-star and Joe Linder was a second-team all-star. Dover Bay’s Hudson Trood was named the tournament’s best defensive player.
The Wellington Wildcats also competed at senior AAA boys’ provincials, finishing 12th, ending with a 74-53 win against Maple Ridge. Grayson Ritzand scored 26 to lead the Wildcats in that game.
In senior AA boys’ competition, the John Barsby Bulldogs were eighth in the province, finishing their tourney with a 93-77 setback versus Westsyde. Jonny Durkan led his team with 20 points in that game and was a second-team all-star. The Bulldogs were chosen as the tournament’s most sportsmanlike team.
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