They are fifth-year players in the College Heights Cougars basketball program, and Matt Badial and Rajen Bhullar have never been to the roundball provincials.
They are one game away from making their first appearance on the big stage.
Friday night on their home court, in a semifinal at the double-A boys zone championship tournament, the two Grade 12 College Heights stars led their team to an 80-71 win against the D.P. Todd Trojans. With the victory, the Cougars advanced to tonight's final (6 p.m.), against an opponent yet to be determined. If the Cougars win, they'll represent the north central region at provincials, March 9-12 in Kamloops. Even if they lose, they'll get another shot Sunday at advancing to the B.C. finals.
"We've played together for so long," said Bhullar, a five-foot-11 guard who hit for 20 points against the Trojans. "Our nucleus -- me, Matt, Sam [Goodrich] and Nolan [Schwab] -- we have a lot of good chemistry but it seems like it has never clicked until this season."
Is it ever clicking now. The Cougars have been piling up the victories all season, including a win in the city championship game on Feb. 16. That night at the Northern Sport Centre, they also beat the Trojans, and by a very similar score, 81-72.
In the latest clash, the Cougars were ahead 31-15 after the first quarter and 46-34 at half-time. D.P. Todd battled back in the third quarter and outscored College Heights 24-13, which pulled the Trojans into a 59-58 deficit. But the Cougars took over again in the fourth by getting some defensive stops, hitting some key shots, and taking advantage of Trojan defenders who were getting fatigued. Badial, a six-foot-two forward, finished with 21 points.
"Most of our shots were going in and everything was flowing, but we tend to let them back in," Badial said. "You feel them coming back and you don't want to let them back in but they're just so close."
D.P. Todd got 19 points from Grade 12 forward Jai Kaushal and 18 from Grade 12 guard Ethan Bhangu. This afternoon, the Trojans will try to work their way through the back door against the Columneetza Cougars, who edged the Duchess Park Condors 75-74 in Friday's late game. If the Trojans win, they'll have to defeat College Heights twice to get to provincials.
"It'll be a longer route," said Trojans coach Norm Garfield. "We're keeping their heads up, keeping them focused."
D.P. Todd senior girls in final
At Nechako Valley secondary in Vanderhoof, the D.P. Todd Trojans booked a spot in the championship game of the double-A girls zone tournament when they beat the College Heights Cougars 77-63 on Friday. Tenley Pearce scored 22 points for the Trojans and Sydney Hall finished with 23 for the Cougars.
This morning, the Trojans will tip off against the host Viqueens, with the first berth to provincials on the line. The loser will play the winner of the consolation side for the second berth.
Provincials are also March 9-12 in Kamloops.
