Killarney vs Burnaby South

The first big upset of the playoffs in AAA so far happened tonight at Burnaby South where the Rebels beat the Killarney Cougars 80-64. Considering this was a home game for the Rebels and a guaranteed spot in the Provincials was on the line, the gym was relatively quiet with only about 80 or so people. The previous game saw New West cleanup Lord Byng in a sleeper of a game. To get here, Burnaby South beat Burnaby Central to get that #1 seed and host the first 2 rounds. They went on to beat Lord Byng easily in the first round before this huge game. Killarney finished 2nd in Vancouver behind Kitsilano. They thumped New West in the first round before tonights fateful matchup. Tony Otim's exploits for Kitsilano are well documented, you're about to hear about a group of unknown yet extremely skilled guards from Burnaby South.

The game started with South pushing the tempo with their ultra-quick guards penetrating and hitting outside shots. Killarney matched South with a steady dose of Otim early, and using their size advantage. As the quarter wore on, the Cougars found the basket closing in as they watched 2 footers bounce off the rim. Early advantage South.

The Rebels surged in the second hitting some big 3 pointers and once again using great penetration from their quicker guard play. They stretched the lead to 12 before the Cougars crawled back using their big posts on the lob passes inside and outstanding outside shooting by Shamus to close out the half 40-35.

The momentum clearly shifted to the Cougars as they went into the 2nd half on a big run to almost catch up. Then the wheels fell off completely. The difference was the Rebels 2-3 zone which the Cougars were unable to solve. They tried to beat the zone with outside shooting but missed on most of their shots. Credit the fantastic close out defense by the speedy South guards. Inexplicably, the Cougars did not penetrate or cut through the middle to beat the zone in the soft spots (every zone defense has it's soft spots). They shot 3 pointer after 3 pointer. On offense, the Rebels continued to penetrate and shoot their way to a 60-42 lead after 3.

Credit the Cougars in the 4th as Coach Tom Tagami emphasized in the huddle, "It's gut check time, how bad do you want it??". The Cougars charged their way back within 8 on back-to-back 3 pointers and a couple of 3 point plays. But the Rebels didn't fold. Not on this night. Underdogs their whole high-school careers, the Rebels continued their relentless attack and hustle defense. In the end, the Cougars kept shooting from the outside and the lid shut closed on the basket as time wound down. The Rebels made their free throws to close out the game and secure their berth in the Big Dance in March, the first time for South since 2002.

There were several factors that led to the South win tonight.
- the officiating did seem to favor South as there more South calls then Killarney calls, but there weren't any blatantly bad or missed calls overall.
- who said you can't win with small ball. The Rebels played their game, outstanding guard play running, penetrating and shooting. The Rebels center was the only player over 6 foot, and although big, did not possess much skill or quickness.
- Killarney resorted to shoot 3s. Why?? I don't know. The Cougars had the clear size advantage, and although they had bad luck early on missing easy put backs, had they stuck with their big men down low they would've eventually wore down the Rebels.
- Tony was a non-factor after the first quarter. He was unable to beat the quick guards one-on-one and the Cougars seemed unwilling to set him up.

So now that the Rebels are in for sure, who are they and how good are they? The Rebels are led by a group of 5-6 guards that are all quick, pass very well, excellent ball-handlers, and can shoot. Top of the depth chart are Mark Gonzalez, Preston Kutney and Frendol. Both are under 6 feet but have a solid understanding of how to play the game. Collectively, I believe their guards can matchup with any team in the province. But if they face a St. George's or a Handsworth, it will be difficult for them to match the post-play, they simply don't have the height, size, or athleticism to compete above the rim.

As for the Cougars, their Provincial hopes now rest on an extremely difficult set of backdoor games that they must all win. Only 1 berth is up for grabs now, and they'll have to beat a Churchill, Burnaby Central, Magee, Boyd, Palmer, Burnett, New West, etc.. to qualify. Although the Cougars were either ranked or HM most of the season, there were a couple of losses throughout the season that hinted that something like this was coming. The loss to Pinetree at HSBC, GP Vanier at the Vanier tournament, Enver Creek and AA Cedar at the Hugh Boyd tournament. The Cougars are still the favorite to win, but you have to wonder how they will react after a loss like this.