Ontario keep on strong

By Ian Froese, Staff Contributor

“All day, baby. All day,” yelled an Ontario athlete at teammate Dayton Sopha as he grasped the ball in a dominating stretch during the second quarter of a wheelchair basketball game on Monday. With the weak defence their team was facing, the oft-repeated phrase did not appear out of place.

Gold-medal contenders Ontario displayed why they might be the only squad which can challenge two-time gold medalists Quebec with a 71 – 54 triumph against Prince Edward Island. The result comes a day after Ontario defeated the home province 74 – 49.

“I was very happy with how we played,” said 23-year-old Sopha. “We came out strong. That was key, coming out strong and keeping it going.” The Toronto native was a force for his 30 minutes, sinking 20 points and aiding on 11.

Prince Edward Island has a 1 – 1 record for the day in pool A action. Earlier they beat Manitoba by a score of 67 – 50. That game was rescheduled from Sunday because of the serious illness of a Manitoban player.

Ontario could have won by a larger margin, but instead they divvied court time to 11 of their 12 players. Each of the athletes on the court had a shot and played for at least seven minutes.

“I think it’s beautiful to have a wide bench,” said Sopha. “From four through 12, every player can contribute. It’s a great thing.”

Besides Sopha’s command on the floor, Ontario had 10-point performances from Jesse McNalley, Shanye Smith and Kevin Wakeling.

They have may have lost, but the setback was only minimal, according to Prince Edward Island’s head coach.

“The final score, I think, was just under 20. That’s the best we’ve ever done against them,” said Stephen Farquharson. “I’m extremely happy with how my team performed. They played well and came out strong.”

After limping to a 31-point deficit through the first half, Prince Edward Island won the subsequent quarters. They answered back with 20 points in the third frame against Ontario’s weaker players, and squeaked past the gold-medal contenders 19 – 18 in the fourth quarter when Sopha returned to the floor.

PEI’s Adam Loo was 10-for-18 in the game.

Each team concludes preliminary play Tuesday. Ontario is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals. PEI and Manitoba will clash in different games hoping to earn second place in the pool and the final semifinal position.