Totems basketball back on top

The Cinderella story continues for the Vic High Totems who on Friday night capped a South Island triple-A senior boy’s basketball championship with a 67-50 victory over the Reynolds Roadrunners on their home floor.

Having rebuilt the program over the last three years, the Totems will now host the Island championship next week as the South No. 1 seed.

Lyndon Hamilton led the way with 29 points for the Totems, including 15 at the half, while Chris Niketas added 26. Orhan Tebrizli replied with 22 for Reynolds.

A lively Vic High gym embraced the win, much to the delight of head coach Cory Ahlers.

“Absolutely, it’s a great feeling to win, as always, but to do it in front of our home gym, in front of our crowd is how we wanted to do it and I’m glad we got it accomplished,” said Ahlers. “It gets pretty loud and it motivates the guys.”

The Totems went on a 6-0 run late in the opening quarter, after a sluggish start and grabbed a 17-9 lead after the first quarter. The fans came alive in the second quarter with Flo Rida’s Our House blaring over the speakers.

“It feels great to bring the program back,” said Hamilton. “It’s so good to get it done and it was great to see everybody out here.”

In the third-place game to determine the third entrant to Islands next week in the Totems’ gym,, the Mount Douglas Rams downed the Royal Bay Ravens 75-57 with Matthew Geng leading the way with 19 points. Jinfan Li also had 19 for the Ravens.

Meanwhile at the quadruple-A senior girls’ Island championship in Nanaimo, the No. 1 seed in B.C, the Oak Bay Breakers easily handled Stellys 68-28 in the first semi-final while host Dover Bay downed Claremont 62-53 in the later semi.

The finalists, who tip off tonight at 6 for the championship, both advance to provincials in Langley.

Fiona Headen led the Breakers with 20 points.