WILBA holds annual Championship Sunday

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The Chronicle

Girls’ and boy’s teams from novice to senior levels took the floor Sunday at John Rennie High School in Pointe Claire as eight West Island Lakers Basketball Association house-league finals unfolded.

Each club earned the right to compete for titles after having won draining semifinal matches on Saturday. The final match-up of the day featured the bantam boys. When the final buzzer had sounded in that one, fans in the packed gym had been treated to what was arguably the most exciting and entertaining game on the program. The Matrix edged the 76ers 50-49 on a game winning rebound by Liam Mayheu with three seconds left to play in regulation time. Trailing 49-48 with 15 seconds left to play, the Matrix called a time out. The ball was then thrown in at half court to Stephan Sitaras who passed it to Ryan Tobin who attempted a shot from just outside the three-foot perimeter. It went off the rim, but Mayheu grabbed the rebound and sunk it to give the Matrix the lead. The 76ers then tried to counter with a last gasp shot from far out but it came up well short.

“We had practised the play throughout the year,” said Matrix head coach Mark Tobin. “We were never sure if we would have to use it, but this was the time. The guys set it up perfectly and executed it well.”

The Matrix trailed 32-21 at halftime, but came back with an impressive run to tie the game at 35-35.

“The difference in the second half was we changed our press,” said Tobin. “But out free throw shooting was also very good, at over 50 per cent.”

76ers head coach Andrew Carlisle said that because of the Matrix’s strong free throw shooting, he was hesitant to order his players to intentionally foul in the game’s late stages.

Elsewhere on Sunday, the boys’ novice and mini Warriors, midget Heat and juvenile Raptors captured championships while the girls’ mini Stars, bantam Sting and senior Storm also earned titles.