Bulldogs Justify No.1 Ranking

Jonas Emilsson
www.KramMag.com

It’s only one game but it’s safe to say that the No. 1 ranking given to the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs senior boys basketball team was a good pick.

After demolishing No. 16-ranked Bowness Trojans 112-39  in the opening night of the HSBC Calgary Basketball Classic the Bulldogs will move on to face the No. 9-ranked Father Lacombe Lasers, who downed the No.8-ranked St. Francis Browns by a score of 81-74.

It’s not unusual for a lop-sided score to show up in the first round in a tournament of this size, but if one reads between the lines of the Bulldogs’ victory over the Trojans on Monday night, it’s obvious that they belong at the top of the contender column until somebody else proves otherwise.

Regardless of which player was on the court the Bulldogs dominated the tempo of the game.  Five players finished in double digits, led by forward Glen Yang’s 19 points.

Scott Lamb scored 18 points, Emmett Cook chipped in with 17 and Adonis Monfort-Palomino added 16 points to go along with a fistful of dimes dished out to his teammates.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and by the time the first quarter came to an end they already held a commanding 40-16 lead.  The lead was extended to 70-26 at the halftime break, which allowed Fullerton to roll his bench and give everyone plenty of valuable playing time.

“I like that we came out strong because we had a lot of butterflies in our stomachs,” admitted Monfort-Palomino after the game.  “It’s always tough being number one but I think our guys came out with fire, we came out to show that we’re number one, we’re going to be the number-one seed and we’re ready for the rest of the city.”

The Bulldogs will be counting Monfort-Palomino and Cook to lead them to a title this year, but based on the team’s early play that their greatest strength may be their overall team depth.  Opposing defences will be focusing on the stars, which will open up some space for the rest of Bulldogs’ sharp-shooters.

“I think it just showed all the weapons that we have,” said Monfort-Palomino about his team’s victory.  “I think it shows that when we’re all clicking together, working together, that everyone can put the ball in the hoop and everyone can play defence.  It’s a fun team to play on.”

More scores from the opening night of the HSBC Calgary Basketball Classic:

Division A – Boys

Bishop Grandin 52  Ernest Manning 46
Father Lacombe 81  St. Francis 74
Bishop McNally 108     Centennial 80
Notre Dame 70  Crescent Heights 62
Lester B. Pearson 69  Western Canada 63
St. Mary’s 72    Dr. E.P. Scarlett 32
Bishop O’Byrne 105     Henry Wise Wood 63

Division B – Boys

William Aberhart 87  Lord Beaverbrook 64
John G. Diefenbaker 80 Strathcona-Tweedsmuir 53
Central Memorial 58     Rundle College 53
Forest Lawn 52  Bishop Carroll 45

Division C – Boys

St. Gabriel 68     Queen Elizabeth 38
James Fowler 73  Foundations/Future 64

Division A – Girls

Centennial 76  St. Francis 47
St. Mary’s 71 Bishop Grandin 39
Sir Winston Churchill 58  Dr. E.P. Scarlett 25
Bishop O’Byrne 76 Western Canada 48

Division B – Girls

William Aberhart 82 Queen Elizabeth 19
Rundle College 49 John G. Diefenbaker 30
Henry Wise Wood 83     Calgary Christian 29
Ernest Manning 55  Father Lacombe 20
Bishop Carroll 78  Lester B. Pearson 20
Crescent Heights 46 Notre Dame 37
Bishop McNally 48  Central Memorial 35
Lord Beaverbrook 49  Bowness 41

Division C – Girls

St. Gabriel 48     W.G. Murdoch 10
James Fowler 45  Forest Lawn 27