Ontario Focused On A Fifth Consecutive Title, Win 87-72 Over BC, Daniel Cummings Big Second Half

This matchup between the 15U Ontario and British Columbia squads was one of the more anticipated games because of the rivalry and the statement that could have been made had BC pulled off a win. The west coasters started off strong and in attack mode, showing off their speed in the open court and getting off to a 21-11 start. They would not be able to hold off Ontario after the break, eventually sinking into shooting slump and losing 87-72.

By halftime Ontario had cut the lead making it 39- 35 for BC, coming into the third quarter. Ontario’s Coach Jeff Giovanatti called for a full court man press to start the half which caught the ball handlers of BC off guard and caused issues for them getting the ball up the court.

A scoring surge lead by Tyrell Gumbs-Frater encouraged the rest of the team to attack the hole, which brought them to the line for a total of 36 attempts.

The west side did not fade away that easy though. Their lead guard Jauquin Boire stayed feisty and exploded to the rim. using his strong frame to absorb contact and get off his shot. This is a name that you will here about for years to come, considering he continues to develop. Boire finished with 20 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds in the loss.

Coach Giovanatti comments on Boire’s performance and the defense of Keshon Montague in containing him in the second half.

“He played really well, he’s an amazing contributor and can get to the basket and create shots for himself. Keshon did a good job slowing down his production and running him down”.

Although there were five Ontario scorers who were in double digit scoring (Keshon Montague, Nolan Norain, Marcus Ottey, Tyrell Gumbs-Frater and Daniel Cummings), Cummings was the man of the night, registering 26 points and 8 rebounds.

“He’s the epitomy of a team player. He’s so unselfish out there, he does the measurable stats and immeasurable things on the floor. We have him playing the 2, 3 and 4 because of his versatility… and he can defend”, mentioned Coach Giovanatti in a post game interview.

It’s early to say but I’m going to go ahead and say it anyways; Ontario is on their way to winning their fifth consecutive Championship at the 15U level. Their speed is difficult to guard even for some of the 17U teams. The fact that they have a solid player at every starting position makes it very difficult for teams to defend.