Pacers take Stebbings-Murray Cup

Gord Nicholson of the Delta Pacers has his shot blocked by Mack Falk of the South Delta Sun Devils, Tuesday night. Jim Kinnear photo

Jim Kinnear

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The Delta Secondary Pacers downed their South Delta rivals 75-45 Tuesday night in senior boys' basketball, giving DSS the 2-1 edge in their third meeting at the annual Stebbings-Murray Cup.

Pacers’ guard Bowen Bakken shot 13 points and picked up eight rebounds on the night, while guard Andrew Jones and forward Sam Evanson chipped in 12 points each.

“I would call it a competitive game but it was pretty clear early on that they are the better team,” said Devils’ coach James Johnson.

But Johnson said their post standout Nolan Sullivan and forward Gord Nicholson played well throughout the game, giving credit to his team for their effort.

“We could have prepared better, there’s no doubt,” said Johnson. “I think if we saw them again there’s some things we would do differently, but at the end of the day they’re bigger, they’re stronger, and they’re definitely more athletic than we are.”

The two schools have an intense rivalry, said Johnson, adding it was a physical affair with quite a bit of talking back and forth, especially since most players all know one another from years of South Delta basketball games.

The Sun Devils won the first Cup, while the Pacers got even in the rubber match last year in an 80-77 overtime nailbiter.

Former coaches and Delta Sports Hall-of-Famers Bob Stebbings and Neil Murray were on hand to present the trophy afterward, which Johnson said was nice because both men are still quite active in the community and are responsible for the development of basketball in South Delta.

“They have such a strong connection with coaches that are there,” said Johnson. “I’ve known Bob for a lot of years.”

It’s still only midway through the basketball season, with the Sun Devils still looking for their first win (0-3) in the Fraser Valley South West division, while the Pacers are sitting sixth (3-2-1) in the top half of the 11-team division.

Both teams are back in action Jan. 22, as the Pacers take on Tamanawis Secondary at home, while the Sun Devils are in North Delta.