In the quarterfinals, the McAdam Warriors (2nd, southwest) defeated the Boiestown Upper Miramichi Regional Boas 70-63 in overtime. Brandon Moffitt scored 25 for the Warriors. Cody Boucher and Jarred Peterson each scored 25 for the Boas. Upper Miramichi led 37-26 at halftime and the teams were tied 63-63 at the end of regulation.
The Campbellton Sugarloaf Bruins (1st, northeast) clipped the St. George Fundy Mariners (4th, southwest) 78-61. The Mariners included Jarred Weston, Ryan Gallagher, Greg Healy, Eric Young.
The Harvey Lakers (3rd, southwest) stunned the Belleisle Regional Bears 68-54. The Lakers stretched a 28-26 halftime advantage to a 68-54 final over Belleisle in their semi. Gordon Robinson clicked for 25 points, Jacob Logan added 17 and Thomas Murphy 13. Daniel Hughes led Belleisle with 17 points. Matt Cookson clicked for 13 and John Kearley added 10.
In the last quarterfinal, the Fredericton Devon Park Christian Eagles (1st, southwest) whipped the Petitcodiac Regional Panthers (4th, northeast) 92-56. Brandon Meikle scored 23 to lead the Eagles. Joel Bishop added 16 and Matthew Harrington 13. The Eagles led 50-21 at the half. Wyatt McMackin paced the Panthers with 21. Zach Keith added 16 and Jeremiah Branscombe 7. The Panthers (coached by Ron Hooper) also included Phil Carson.
In the semis, the Campbellton Sugarloaf Bruins stomped the McAdam Warriors 83-57. The Bruins trailed McAdam 36-33 at the half before roaring back behind Pat MacNaughton’s 29 points and 27 by Spencer Barnaby. Brandon Moffitt had 15 points to lead McAdam. Andrew McGillicuddy added 10.
In the other semi, the Fredericton Devon Park Christian Eagles slammed the Harvey Lakers 71-51. Devon Park Christian, a private school with a student population of 190 from kindergarten to grade 12, was coached by Jonathan McAloon, who was chosen the province’s top boy’s coach on the season. Joo Ann lit up the Lakers for 32 points, including three straight three-pointers which gave the Eagles command of the contest. The Eagles led 46-28 at the half. Brandon Miekle added 15. Thomas Murphy had 15 points to lead Harvey with Gordon Robinson adding 10 more.
In the final, the Campbellton Sugarloaf Bruins rallied to defeat the Fredericton Devon Park Christian Eagles 64-60. The Bruins hit 11-31 from the arc, as compared with 5-31 for the Eagles and that proved the difference. “We live and die by the three-pointer, and today we live,” said Grade 12 guard Houston Barnaby, who converted a turnover from Eagles point guard Sung Joo Ann into an easy layup for what ultimately proved to be the winning points with 1:45 on the clock. Patrick MacNaughton had a team-high 14 points for the Bruins, including 3-for-7 from three-point land. They all came within a span of eight minutes in the second quarter and threatened to turn a close game into a decisive victory for the Bruins, stretching the early lead from four points to as many as 10 at one point in the second quarter. The Eagles battled back and actually took a 32-31 lead into the halftime break, and a 49-47 lead into the final 10-minute quarter. But nine of the Bruins’ first 11 points of the third quarter came from long range as first Fraser Barnaby, then Eric Johnson, then Spencer Barnaby – those two are brothers, Houston is a cousin – all connected from beyond the arc, and the Bruins were up 58-51 with six minutes remaining on the clock. But Brandon Meikle hit a field goal to get it back within five, Matt Harrington cashed a three to cut the deficit to two, and Meikle actually gave the Eagles the lead with a field goal with 2:14 left. Then came the turnover in the midcourt, and the Eagles never saw the lead again. “You’ve always got to pressure the ball handler to make him do something he doesn’t want to do,” said Houston Barnaby. “It’s always a good technique.” Sung Joo Ann said “I just relaxed (on the decisive turnover). I didn’t get low, be strong. I just relaxed.” Eagles coach Jonathan McAloon said “I never feel like one play dictates the whole game. We had our chances. I’m proud of how hard we worked.” Joo Ann scored 10 and nabbed 10 boards, as a point guard, while dishing 5 assists and pilfering 6 balls. Meikle had a game-high 26 points for the Eagles. He launched 37 field goal attempts, including 16 from beyond the arc. “If even two more of the threes I had taken had gone in, we would have won,” said Meikle. “The rim just wasn’t good to us. Shots that normally would go just didn’t go. That killed us.” Joo Ann said “good shooters become average shooters in the Aitken Centre.” Patrick MacNaughton said the sight lines differ. “It’s a little tougher,” he conceded, although he made it look easy in that one second-quarter stretch. “It’s a bigger open space. But once you get used to it, it’s OK. It was anybody’s game. They’re a good team.” McAloon said “I don’t feel we walked off the floor feeling we got robbed or anything like that. I thought we played tough, we represented our school well, and we played Devon Park style ball. So I can’t complain. When you hold a team to 64 points on defence, you’re obviously doing something right. That just comes down to breaks. You’ve just got to tip your hat to them and say ‘Great job.’ The guys played well and played hard. That’s all you can ask. It was a good battle. I’m proud of our boys.”
The co-bronze medalist Harvey Lakers: Thomas Murphy; Gordon Robinson; Justin Berhard; Gabriel Walton; Ryker Hatch; Jacob Wood;
The co-bronze medalist McAdam Warriors: Brandon Moffitt; Andrew McGillicuddy; Matthew Carmichael;
The silver medalist Fredericton Devon Park Christian Eagles: Brandon Meikle; Sung Joo Ann; Joel Bishop; Kevin Fearn; Nick McFadzen; Mike Harrington; Tim Matthews; Jacob Facini; Jordan Forsythe; Mitchell Upton; Phillip Drost; Matthew Harrington; Brett McCoy; coach Jonathan McAloon
The champion Campbellton Sugarloaf Bruins: Patrick MacNaughton; Houston Barnaby; J.D. Wysote; Fraser Barnaby; Eric Johnson; Spencer Barnaby; coach Doug Adair