High Speed, High Stakes: West Van Sr Boys Outlast Sutherland in Spirit Game Classic

West Van vs. Sutherland Sr Boys

Sutherland entered the No Regrets tournament at the eleventh hour, filling in for one of three Okanagan teams unable to travel due to highway closures. But you’d never know it from how they played. With a packed Spirit Game crowd and a smaller—but still perfectly visible—video screen, both teams lined up to watch the QKF tribute before tip-off.

In a rare twist, West Van took the floor without their usual plaid tartan warm-ups. However, Will Cameron wore Quinn Keast’s number #13 and honoured it with a performance full of energy and heart. The pace from the opening whistle was blistering—definitely not for the faint of heart. WV’s Damian Coric cleaned up a missed Cameron three with the first of many strong finishes around the rim.

West Van applied early full-court pressure, producing a steal that they immediately returned with an equally quick turnover—before Cameron missed an open layup…North Shore basketball at its finest! Deep in the shot clock, Quasim drilled a three to ignite the crowd. Sutherland responded with tenacious end-of-quarter defense, shutting WV out on the final possession.

WV led 21–11 after one.

Sutherland’s #35 opened the second with a rebound and put-back, and as the Sabres settled in, the West Van lead began to shrink. WV’s #21 battled under the basket to keep the edge at six with four minutes to go. A block at one end and a missed layup at the other froze the score until Quasim #4 hit another deep three—but Sutherland’s #24 answered immediately.

With a minute left, WV’s lead was down to four. Never count out Coach Ebes, though—if there’s one thing he does well, it’s designing schemes that give opponents headaches. A slick behind-the-back Sutherland pass didn’t result in points, while Damian Coric scored late to send WV into halftime up 30–27.

Halftime: West Van 30, Sutherland 27

The West Van Robot Academy rolled out its motorized T-shirt cannon at halftime. It did well… just not quite as well as the human throwers (Maybe it needs more AI?)

Halftime trivia question: Name ten schools or colleges where Coach Ebes has not coached.

Back to the action—WV’s Louis Obermueller calmly sank two free throws, proving the team could perform under pressure. Sutherland’s #21 answered with a near-impossible layup despite tight coverage. The WV lead hovered around six as both teams traded tough baskets. Sutherland’s #23 hit a beautiful turnaround jumper, but West Van responded with a three from Will Cameron and a corner dagger from Paul Quesne. The lead went back to eight.

Sutherland’s #19 knocked down two free throws—miraculously, given how far his hair hung over his eyes—and a smart sequence from #42 to #19 to #35 cut the deficit again. WV’s lead was just three heading into the fourth.

End of Q3: West Van 45, Sutherland 42

Despite never having led, Sutherland refused to fade. With seven minutes left, the game turned into end-to-end chaos: blocks, steals, fouls, missed layups, jump balls—rinse and repeat. Sutherland’s #21 hit a tear drop with four minutes remaining, trimming the WV lead to six. Then Obermueller went 0-for-2 at the line, giving Sutherland a glimmer of hope.

That hope grew when #23 drained a huge three. Suddenly, it was a one-possession game… until West Van responded with composure. A late WV surge pushed the lead back to double digits with 1:44 remaining, and though Sutherland fought to the final whistle, their remarkable last-minute entry into the tournament ended in a hard-fought loss.

Final Score: West Van 68, Sutherland 54
Player of the Game: WV’s #13 Will Cameron