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Bears batter Cardinals in high school b-ball double header

Junior and senior Bears teams get the better of Cards on Thursday
Basketball
The St. Benedict Bears remain in a dead heat for second place in high school senior boys' basketball after a resounding 17-point victory over the St. Charles Cardinals Thursday. File photo.

There was more than just catholic secondary school bragging rights on the line Thursday evening, as the St. Benedict Bears played host to the St. Charles College Cardinals in a boys basketball double-header.

With plenty of playoff implications riding on the outcomes of both games, the Bears completed the junior-senior sweep of the Cards, taking the opener 52-29 before posting a tidy 60-43 victory in the senior nightcap.

St. Benedict actually trailed 10-5 and 19-18 through the first two quarters of the junior affair, before dominating the second half to the tune of a 34-10 advantage over the final sixteen minutes of play.

Eric Huneault paced the Bears' attack with a 21 point performance, with Andre Gagnon (14), Ta Mbvaimbvai (8) and Carter Natale (7) also getting in on the act.

Chris Valcin was clearly the "go to" guy for the Cards, finishing with 16 points, with next best after that coming courtesy of a pair of baskets from Stelios Evangelou.

Multi-sport sensation Max MacGillivray was the story in game two, gradually establishing himself en route to racking up a total of 26 points, with teammates Alain Huneault (10), James Pinheiro (7), Kevin McLelland (6) and Anthony Zilio (5) all coming through with key secondary scoring.

The St. Charles scoring was shared between four players only, with Matt Bell (17), Justin Savard (11), Shane Poitras (9) and Jacob Kruk (6) all making their way on to the scoresheet.

"We knew that they were a taller team, a bit longer than some of the other teams we have played before," said MacGillivray. "We knew that we had to be quicker than them, cycle the ball around and get everyone involved."

The victory marked the sixth straight for the lads from St. Ben's, now trailing only the Lasalle Lancers (9-0) and sitting deadlocked with both the Sudbury Secondary North Stars (6-1) and Confederation Chargers (6-3).

"We're working together now," MacGillivray said. "We're a lot more dedciated this year, we're all committed to the league. We know that we have a lot of potential, so we're coming together to be a better team."

Only in grade 11, MacGillivray also starred as a running back for the Bears football team in the fall, though he seems in no hurry to isolate just one sport on which to focus.

"Basketball is definitely my favourite, even moreso than football," said the young man who is eyeing the possibility of pursuing a career in law. 

"I just want to enjoy high school school sports as much as I can."


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