B good for Eden, Fort Erie
Gryphons top Saints, Flyers ground Gators in Standard Tournament consolation semifinals
In the end Austin Ladouceur was one former Blue Devil the St. Catharines Collegiate Saints were not able to exorcise.
With 12.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Ladouceur, who last year played basketball for the Ridgeway- Crystal Beach Blue Devils, scored a layup to give his new team, the Greater Fort Erie Gryphons, a two- point lead in Standard High School Basketball Tournament consolation semifinal action at St. Catharines Collegiate.
The Grade 10 student made sure that lead would stand stealing the ball at midcourt on the Saints’ next, and as it would quickly turn out, final possession of the thirdround game won by the Gryphons by a 66- 64 score.
Ladouceur, who is playing in his first Standard Tournament — as is Greater Fort Erie, Niagara’s newest high school — was hardpressed to choose which play he appreciated more.
“Probably the steal,” he said after some thought, “but the basket is pretty nice.
“I went in nice and he was just going to foul.”
Eighth- seeded Greater Fort Erie took the court against Collegiate, the No. 13 seed at the 16team senior boys showcase, missing two of its tallest players. Joel Coopman, a 6- foot- 3 forward, was home dealing with “migraine issues,” and 6- foot- 3 centre Liam Allcroft was out of the lineup recovering from an ankle sprain.
Ladoucher said the Gryphons knew they had a big void to fill in the elimination game against the Saints.
“We just had to make sure we boxed out, and have our second line really show up.”
Despite missing several players lately, the tournament has gone “pretty well” for Greater Fort Erie in terms of gaining big- game experience.
“We have been learning a lot,” said Ladouceur, who had a teamhigh 11 points in the second half alone.
Greater Fort Erie, which was relegated to the consolation side of the bracket following a 59- 45 loss to the ninth- ranked Thorold Golden Eagles on opening day of the four- day tournament, shot 46 per cent from the floor, making 29 of 63 attempts.
Robert Smith and Clayton Thomas-Harris each scored 20 points for the Saints who drained 36.2 per cent of their layup and threepoint attempts, shooting 25- for69.
Smith liked everything but the result.
“I love being able to have the home- court advantage because the crowd is going to be really loud, no matter who you’re playing,” the Grade 12B student said.
One of Collegiate’s goals coming into the tournament was being able to play at least one game at home. The Saints achieved that by rebounding from a qualifyinground loss to the Denis Morris Reds by beating the Blessed Trinity Thunder in the quarter- final round.
“I wish we would get to play tomorrow ( in the B final), but it’s OK.”
He said poor play of defence in the first half contributed to the disappointing loss.
“Defensively, we weren’t there in the first half,” Smith said after competing in his fifth Standard Tournament. “In the second half we picked up the slack, but we just couldn’t hold on.
“So if we picked up on defence in the first half and started off early, we would have been good.”
We picked up the slack, but we couldn’t hold on.”
Flyers 43, Gators 37
Hopes for an all- Highway 3 battle at tonight’s consolation final were grounded by, appropriately enough, the Eden Flyers.
Tenth- seeded Eden defeated the Lakeshore Catholic Gators, the No. 14 seed, in the other consolation semifinal Thursday at Collegiate.
The Flyers, whose only action this season have been limited to their games at this week’s tournament, held on to win after taking a 25- 14 lead into halftime.
Eden didn’t have lofty goals heading into the week.
“Honestly, just to gain game experience,” head coach Brian MacIssac said. “I’ve got three or four guys who love basketball, but have not really played basketball in an organized fashion.
“So it’s really a growing experience for us. I talked at the beginning of the year that it’s a journey.”
When it came to rebounding and fighting for loose balls, the Gators came out in the second half with an intensity they lacked in the opening two quarters.
“You want to see that effort and determination in the last few minutes of a game,” head coach Wade Pychel said. “We showed that, but obviously it wasn’t our day.
“We did not have the effort or the focus on the offensive or defensive glass.
“I don’t even know the stats, but they out- rebounded us astronomically. We could not get a board if our life depended on it.”
Ryan Gilbert and Charlie Edgar scored in double digits for the Flyers with 18 and 10 points, respectively.
Allan Pambianco, with eight points, Aidan Plante and Nicholas Qua, six apiece, topped Lakeshore in scoring.
The 56th Standard High School Basketball Tournament wraps up today with a championship doubleheader at St. Catharines Collegiate. Action tips off with the B final at 5: 30 p. m. with the championship game getting underway at 7: 45 p. m.
Results of the championship semifinals between the defending champion St. Francis Phoenix-Governor Simcoe Redcoats and Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs-Welland Centennial Cougars were unavailable at press time.
A story is posted online at niagarafallsreview.ca and wellandtribune.ca.