Basketball: Pajayon named MVP as Churchill elbows in for third 麻豆传媒映画title

Kitsilano Blue Demons 70 - 73 Churchill Bulldogs

CHURCHILL SECONDARY 鈥� Don鈥檛 tell their fans they weren鈥檛 at home. The Blue Demons may as well have been playing for the AAAA senior boys basketball city championship at Kitislano secondary given the numbers and intensity of their fans, not to mention the fact their chants, drums and horns drowned out the host crowd.听

churchill kitsilano basketball — Lambert Pajayon looks for an outlet under the guard of Kitsilano's Luka Lizdek. Photo Chung Chow

The atmosphere cracked with electricity but despite half their student body showing up for the game, Kitsilano couldn鈥檛 hold the lead down the stretch. The Churchill Bulldogs won their third consecutive city championship, all of them coming since the league introduced a designated AAAA division.

鈥淚t was intense,鈥� said Bulldog guard and tournament MVP Lambert Pajayon. 鈥淭hey played their best in the first quarter of the game. They made a run but we just fought through. It was a really tough game and it was so close the whole entire way. We just pulled through. 听We got a few lucky breaks in the end and we got the W.鈥�

To the pulse of 鈥淜itsilano! Kitsilano!鈥� the Blue Demons charged to a double-digit lead over the Bulldogs who were missing star forward Izaiah Ugoalah to a knee injury. He may be back in time from Provincials.

Churchill whittled down the difference during the rest of the game, counting on outside shooting from Harry Liu, inside pressure from Karn Virk and defensive tenacity from Leslie Ochieng.

The defending city champs took the lead for the first time in the third quarter as Matija Gabrillo hit a turn-around jumper to bring the Bulldogs within one and then, after the Dogs鈥� defence forced a Kitsilano turnover, Pajayon scored on a fast-break to lead 48-47.

Alec Bayne scored for Kitsilano to go ahead by a single point, and the lead changed sides as fast as the action moved from end to end. The quarter ended with a 58-56 Kitsilano advantage.听

basketball — Kitsilano Blue Demon Alec Bayne on the bench before he was patched up. Photo Chung Chow

The game was deadlocked at 60, 62 and again at 67, the last tie coming as Virk crashed into a crowded key, accidentaly raising his elbow and sending Bayne sprawling to the ground with blood pouring from two cuts near his left eye. The basket counted and Bayne was called for the moving block.

鈥淗e was driving to the hoop, and I think he got an elbow up. That鈥檚 all I really remember from that. It hurt. I might have blacked out for a second or two,鈥� said Bayne. 鈥淭he game was wild. Really good spirits with all the fans cheering. It felt like a home game, for sure, all the Kits fans came out and it was good to see.鈥�

The Bulldogs looked panicked in the first quarter, but Pajayon said nerves didn鈥檛 affect them. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we were nervous. This is my third time in the finals. Us three Grade 12s 鈥� Harry, Karn and Izaiah 鈥� have been playing together since Grade 5 and 6.鈥�

The No. 2 ranked AAAA senior boys team in B.C. hopes to win a second provincial championship under coach Rick Lopez who is seeing out his last year on the Bulldogs bench.

The win, said Pajayon, is keeping on track with that goal.

鈥淚t gives us confidence going into Lower Mainlands. It鈥檚 going to be tough competition,鈥� he said. 鈥淜its is going to comeback. They are definitely going to come back.鈥�