The Vernon Panthers are headed to their first Okanagan Valley Junior Boys Basketball Championship game since 2013 Saturday night at VSS.
The Panthers brushed back the Mt. Boucherie Bears of West Kelowna 68-57 in semifinal play Friday night after opening with a 64-59 win over the NorKam Saints. Vernon meet the Kelowna Owls in the final tonight at 5:30.
The Cats trailed by nine points twice in the game versus Mt. Boucherie. The first was midway through the second when a 6-0 run put the hosts down 31-22. The second happened on the heels of a 8-2 run to end the third quarter.
Needing a spark, the Panthers came out firing in the final stanza, outpacing the Bears 16-0 and never looking back. The dynamic duo of Zack Smith (24 points) and Isaiah Ondrik (20 points) drained 20 of the Cats 27 fourth-quarter points to lead the way.
“This was a gritty - hard fought win where every possession mattered,” said Panther head coach Malcolm Reid. “We wanted it more in the fourth and didn’t give up despite trailing late and having a key player in foul trouble. Nathan Tinker and Carson Dohnal filled in and did a great job when we needed them.”
In opening round action, the NorKam’s Jimmy Atwal kept the Saints in the game early, hitting six three-pointers, including five in the first half.
However, eight fourth-quarter points by guard Smith (19 points on the night) sealed the win. Ondrik filed 17 points and Liam Reid pocketed 16.
Kelowna secured a berth in the finals by grounding the Westsyde Whundas of Kamloops 57-34. Ethan Brahm (Kelowna) led led all scorers with a dozen points. Kelowna earlier ambushed the South Okanagan Hornets of Oliver (no score available).
Westsyde upended the Salmon Arm Gold 66-46, Mt. Boucherie iced the Pen-Hi Lakers 59-45, Salmon Arm toppled the Hornets 68-47 and Pen-Hi shaded Norkam 59-57 in other action.
The top-four teams advance to the provincial tournament, Feb. 24-27, at the Langley Events Centre.