Falcons basketball team defeats long-standing rivals

Reported by Sean Hitrec

The Langara Falcons men’s basketball team earned a 95-94 comeback victory against the defending champions thanks to the heroics of guard, Harry Brar.

It marked a four-game winning streak, after beating Camosun College 113-83 the night before their matchup with the Vancouver Island University Mariners.

The Falcons have had a long-standing rivalry with the VIU Mariners. Paul Eberhardt, the head coach of the Falcons, said that in the last four years, each team has won two PacWest provincial championships and one national championship. Last season, VIU beat Langara three times in a row.

Falcons came back in the end of the game for the win

The Falcons came out of the first half ahead 41-40, but during the second half of the game, they began to show signs of fatigue and were down by as much as 12 points.

In the final quarter, the Falcons made a late surge including a five-point swing to cut into the double-digit deficit after an off-the-ball foul, as guard/forward, Jamie Madewan made a three-point shot.

With the Falcons down 92-94 in the final moments, Brar was the hero of the evening, making a three-point jumper with 15 seconds left on the clock; eventually the game-winning play.

“It was a much needed shot, but the two free throws I missed after will haunt me,” Brar said, unable to capitalize on another five-point opportunity.

Coach credits the team’s strong defenders for their shocking win

Drake Downer, a forward for the Falcons, scored a team-high 26 points in their comeback win.

“During the end it was like, we’re down, adrenaline took over and the game kind of came to us,” Downer said. “It’s a very good feeling right now.”

After the game, coach Eberhardt said that he was surprised at the win. He credited excellent defence in the last part of the game in addition to an opportune five-point play.

“It was a pretty improbable win to be honest with you,” Eberhardt said. “We were in a bad position and we managed to pull it out somehow.”

The Falcons are scheduled to play against Douglas College on Friday, Nov. 18, and then the undefeated Capilano University on Saturday, Nov. 19, both to be played at home.