Eagles upset top-seeded Celtics, while Dolphins down Byng

The M.E.I. Eagles are in the title game following an upset win over top-seeded St. Patrick in the semi-final round at the BC School Sports 3A Boys Basketball Provincial Championships. Ryan Molag photo

A new champion will be crowned in the BC School Sports 3A Boys Basketball Provincial Championships after the fifth-seed M.E.I. Eagles pulled off a second consecutive upset, this time downing the No. 1 seed (and two-time defending champion) St. Patrick Celtics 79-75. Their opponent in Saturday’s championship final (Arena Bowl, 5:15pm) at Langley Events Centre will be the No. 2 seed Dover Bay Dolphins, as the Nanaimo school held off Vancouver’s Lord Byng Grey Ghosts 68-56.

Neither team has a 3A provincial championship in their schools’ history although each has won at the 4A level with Dover Bay taking the trophy in 2007 while M.E.I. won in 1970. Both those titles came at the 4A level.

#2 Dover Bay Dolphins 68 #3 Lord Byng Grey Ghosts 56

Tied entering the fourth quarter, the Dover Bay Dolphins outscored the Lord Byng Grey Ghosts 20-8, earning a spot in the championship final with the 68-56 victory. Tarman Sandhu’s 20 points – including four 3-pointers – were tops for the Dolphins with Frank Linder adding 11 points. Dylan King had 21 points for Lord Byng.

#5 M.E.I. Eagles 79 #1 St. Patrick Celtics 75

Abbotsford’s M.E.I. Eagles stunned the two-time defending champion and No. 1 seed St. Patrick Celtics 79-75. Spencer Tatlock had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Eagles and Isaiah Lee added 17 and eight rebounds in the victory. Ryan Garcia led the Celtics with 23, Jovin Sunner added 18 and Jerome Alojado chipped in 15.