
Nick Sarai and Tim Unaegbu used the same word to describe the 2017-2018 South Kamloops Titans boys basketball team: immortal.
One year after suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the B.C. High School Boys AAA Basketball Championship final, the Titans avenged the loss with a 74-66 triumph over the Byrne Creek Bulldogs of Burnaby in the 2018 title tilt.
“We’re always going to have this banner,” said Sarai, the Titans’ guard who was named tournament MVP. “It’s still an unbelievable feeling. It hasn’t really hit me.”
Head coach Unaegbu was suspended for technical-foul violations incurred earlier in the season and was barred from the sidelines this week, a tough pill to swallow for him and his charges.
“He has spent more time with us than he has with his own family and his girlfriend,” Sarai said. “We did this for Tim. He was always involved. We were all bummed out at first, but in the end it gave us more fuel to bring home a championship.”
Unaegbu said he watched the game in sweat pants from the comfort of a nearby hotel room, but he raced to the Langley Events Centre and was there to celebrate on the court when the final buzzer sounded.
“No one can take this away,” Unaegbu said. “Later on, your kids will be able to come to the South Kam gym and see the banner and the pictures of you celebrating. We didn’t want to have the feeling we had last year.”
The Rick Hansen Hurricanes bested the Titans 69-63 in the 2017 final.
South Kamloops, ranked No. 2, earned three wins at the provincial tournament to get to the 2018 final — 58-51 over No. 15 Cahiri of Campbell River, 62-44 over No. 7 Duchess Park of Prince George and 65-59 over No. 6 Pitt Meadows.
Ripley Martin, a 6-foot-10 forward, was named best player of the championship game after netting 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
South Kam led 26-10 in the first quarter, but No. 1-ranked Byrne Creek chipped away at the lead and the game was tied at 57-57 early in the fourth quarter.
Reid Jansen nailed a three-pointer to give the Titans a small cushion and found a wide open Sam Jean with a nice assist with less than one minute remaining.
Jean’s three-point shot with 49.3 seconds on the clock put the game to bed.
“Last year, we kind of let it slip away,” said Sarai, who was 12-for-12 from the charity stripe and finished with 28 points and nine rebounds. “This year, we were so much more poised and prepared.”
Jansen, a Grade 12 guard, was named to the tournament’s first all-star team.
Martin Djunga scored a team-high 25 points for the Bulldogs. Bithow Wan scored 16 points to go with 16 rebounds for Byrne Creek in a losing effort.
“Today, it’s almost like it hasn’t happened yet, but it’s done,” Unaegbu said. “I said in Grade 9 we are going win provincials in Grade 12. The guys trusted and we did what we said we were going to do four years ago.”
The victory marked the first senior boys’ basketball title in South Kamloops secondary history and it capped the most successful Titans’ hardcourt campaign.
Last weekend, the South Kam girls won the AA championship with a 73-67 win over the G.W. Graham Grizzlies of Chilliwack in overtime.
“After you win at provincials, you become immortal,” Unaegbu said. “I’m really just so happy and proud of the boys. It’s a story you really can’t make up.”
The team
The 2017-2018 South Kamloops Titans: Nick Sarai (Grade 12), Reid Jansen (Grade 12), Ripley Martin (Grade 12), Evan Jumaga (Grade 12), Sam Jean (Grade 11), Josh Jean (Grade 11), Graeme Koppes (Grade 11), Foster Wynne (Grade 11) and Denzel Marican (Grade 11).
The coaches: Head coach Tim Unaegbu and assistant coaches Bryce McMillan, Mike Flaco Zayas and Ben MacDonald.
Highlights
For game highlights, follow this link.
The AA bracket
The Westsyde Whundas placed fourth and the Sa-Hali Sabres were 12th at the B.C. High School AA Boys Basketball Championship.
No. 5 Seycove of North Vancouver topped No. 2 Westsyde 69-64 to win bronze. No. 9 Pacific Academy of Surrey topped No. 14 Sa-Hali 77-63 to place 11th.
Brentwood College of Mill Bay beat the King George Dragons of Vancouver 97-59 to win its second consecutive AA championship.