Tuesday marked the second time that these two crosstown rivals have met this season and it was yet another close Chilliwack-Sardis game. Coach Kyle Graves of Sardis shook things up early by electing not to start Josiah Alleckna or Michael Covey, arguably his two best players. The reasoning for this decision is unknown at this time although reports suggest that Alleckna has recently been suffering from shin splints.
The lineup shakeup did not seem to faze Sardis as they controlled most of the first half and led 45-41 at halftime. The second half started with two enormous blocks (one by Max Chadsey of Sardis and the other coming courtesy of Andrew Kornelsen) and a 7-2 Chilliwack run. The referees chose to keep their whistles in their pockets which turned the game into a physical battle (nothing wrong with that) and by the end of the third quarter, Chilliwack was leading 55-51. It should also be noted that Josiah Alleckna did not play most of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was marked by continued Chilliwack control as they continued to hold a 5-6 point lead on the Falcons. Halfway through the fourth, Sardis managed to make it a one-point game but soon after that, the Storm went on a 9-0 which all but sealed the win. It was a high-scoring final frame but Sardis struggled to score when it counted and Chilliwack pounced on opportunities to ensure that they were the best team on this night. Andrew Kornelsen led the way for the Storm with 22 points. For the Falcons, Michael Covey and Josiah Alleckna had 20 and 15, respectively, to set the pace for Sardis.
Chilliwack is seeing much-improved guard play from Kyle Lorteau, Andrew Wyatt, and Cody Parray. Together, the three guards are taking (and hitting) better shots and making smarter passes. Chilliwack now seems to understand that, in order to win, the ball needs to be in the hands of their best natural scorer, Andrew Kornelsen. Kornelsen showed flashes of brilliance Tuesday night and may have an opportunity to play post-secondary basketball if he continues to improve his basketball sense which complements his extraordinary athleticism.
Sardis, on the other hand, seems to have trouble creating scoring opportunities for their best players. Much of their offensive possessions are spent dribbling the ball around the perimeter or doing handoffs (as if they played football at Boise State) instead of attacking the hoop or setting off-ball screens for their best players. They are a tough and quick team who usually defend well but they will need to work on the offensive side of their game if they want to win basketball games in the AAA Fraser Valley East division.
Chilliwack visits Yale on Thursday night while Sardis is inactive until next Tuesday, when they travel to Abbotsford to face Abbotsford Collegiate.
The Chilliwack-Sardis rematch will be on Tuesday, February 16 at 6:30pm at Sardis Secondary.
January 20, 2010
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