Morning Star Staff
The Pen-Hi Lakers canned some last-second free throws to clip the Fulton Maroons 46-45 Saturday in the consolation final of the 10-team Valleyview Vikings Invitational Senior Boys Basketball Tournament.
Tourney all-star Nate Banga drained 17 points for the Maroons, while Caden Doyle flushed 10. Ike Olson chipped in with 11 rebounds.
After the Lakers hit their charity shots, Landon Currie of the Maroons drove the basket but had the ball knocked out of bounds at the buzzer.
Fulton stopped the College Heights Cougars of Prince George 77-49 earlier to reach the final of the Kamloops event.
“That was the best game of the season for us,” said Fulton head coach Dale Olson. “They were a good team. We dominated them defensively and played very well offensively.”
Banga dialed up 21 points and four assists, while Doyle recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds and Olson supplied 10 points and nine boards.
Banga drained 21 points as the Maroons mauled the Barriere Cougars 83-44 at noon Friday.
Currie sank a dozen points, while Doyle provided 10 points and 10 rebounds and Olson earned nine points and 10 boards.
The Maroons fell 83-65 to the NorKam Saints in their Thursday opener.
Banga pocketed 22 points and four assist, while Olson canned 10 points and 14 rebounds and Hunter Krieger also sank 10 points.
The 17th annual Maroon Corporate Classic starts Thursday at 3:30 p.m. with Fulton going up aganst the Sa-Hali Sabres of Kamloops.
The VSS Panthers, led by Ben Hladik, Leon Schenker and Charis Ondrik, face the Westsyde Whundas at 5 p.m., followed by the South Okanagan Hornets of Oliver versus Similkameen Sparks of Keremeos at 6:30.
The Duchess Park Condors of Prince George tangle with the George Elliot Coyotes of Lake Country at 8 p.m. to conclude Thursday’s six-team draw.
There are eight Friday tilts with Fulton playing Duchess Park at 1:30 and George Elliot at 7 p.m. The Panthers meet Similkameen at 9 a.m. and South Okanagan at 3 p.m.
The championship final goes Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Major sponsors are Tim Hortons, Buy-Low Foods, Westwood Electric and DCT Trucking.