Most of their shots hit the rim or backboard and bounced out on opening day at the 45th B.C. Senior AA Boys Basketball Championships at the Langley Events Centre.
The cold-as-ice-shooting Wednesday sent the Fulton Maroons to the losers bracket after they bowed 71-57 to the HJ Cambie Crusaders of Richmond.
Fulton, ranked ninth in the 16-team tournament, recovered Thursday morning by brushing back the Prince Charles Comets of Creston 75-44.
“We did not shoot well,” said Fulton head coach Dale Olson, of the loss to the No. 8 Crusaders. “We had the game in hand and let them back in in the fourth quarter. It was our game to lose. It should have been a W. We just ran out of gas.”
Nathan Banga drained 17 points in Fulton’s loss, while Hunter Kreiger canned 11. Ike Olson chipped in with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Olson pocketed 21 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to spark Fulton past Prince Charles. Kreiger counted 19 points and five boards.
Fulton meets St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints of North Vancouver Friday morning in consolation play.
The 12-th ranked Fighting Saints grounded No. 13 George Elliot Coyotes of Lake Country 87-66 Thursday after falling 97-77 to No. 5 Lambrick Park Lions of Victoria.
The top-rated Brentwood College School Blackhawks of Mill Bay rocked No. 16 Prince Charles 97-39, while the No. 4 GWG Graham Grizzlies of Chilliwack toppled Elliot 112-71.
The No. 7 Westsyde Whundas of Kamloops iced the No. 10 Abbotsford Christian Knights 78-71 to make a Thursday night quarterfinal versus No. 2 King George Dragons of Vancouver.
In the AAAA extravaganza in Langley, the second-ranked Kelowna Owls stuffed No. 15 North Peace Oscars of Fort St. John 106-46, while the No. 1 Walnut Grove Gators of Langley bounced the 16th-ranked Mt. Baker Trojans of Cranbrook 116-34.
In AAA play, top-rated Rick Hansen Hurricanes of Clearbrook ambushed No. 16 Carihi Tyees of Campbell River 101-41, while second-ranked South Kamloops Titans upended No. 16 Brookswood Bobcats of Langley 79-49.