Jas Sahota and Gary Chahal played key roles in the Princess Margaret Mustangs second-place finish during the Mustang Mania basketball tournament.
The senior boys team lost 65-43 to Elphinstone Cougars (Gibsons) last Saturday after trailing by five points at half-time. During the loss, Sahota led the Mustangs with 17 points, while Chahal had 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Cougars received honourable mention by the B.C. High School Boys Basketball Association in its pre-season rankings.
The Mustangs opened the tournament with a 64-56 win against the Kelowna Christian Knights. Sahota led with 16 points, while Chahal worked the board for 15 rebounds and collected six assists. In their second game against the Kalamalka Lakers, the Mustangs built up a 19-point lead with the help of strong three-point shooting. They hung on to win 70-67. The Mustangs received strong inside play by Rylan Potter, and Ravan Klar finished with 15 points.
“It was a great weekend to start the season with many players getting a chance to get their legs under them,” said assistant coach Brian Hurst. “We were also short a few players, so it was a chance for some junior players to get a taste of senior basketball.”
This weekend the Mustangs are in Oliver for a tournament. The BCHSBBA’s preseason rankings have the Lambrick Park Lions from Victoria at No. 1. They are followed by the St. Michael’s University School Blue Demons (Victoria), R.C. Palmer Griffins (Richmond), Southridge Storm (Surrey) and South Okanagan Hornets (Oliver), who round out the top-five. Vernon’s Clarence Fulton Maroons received an honorable mention.