Fighting Irish Hold Off Blue Jags on Day 2 of Gary Taylor Classic

                    Photo by Sarah Scully

By: Mike Edwards

A crucial 9-2 run inside the final two minutes proved to be the difference, as the Vancouver College Fighting Irish held off the SMUS Blue Jags to advance to the finals of the 2014 Gary Taylor Classic. Despite a big second half rally from the Blue Jags that saw them come back from 22 points down to take a lead with two minutes to play, the Fighting Irish were able to score when it mattered most in the final minutes Friday evening.

The Irish came out firing on all cylinders to start the game, forcing the Blue Jags into 7 turnovers in the opening frame. At the end of the first, SMUS trailed Vancouver College 24-9.

The Blue Jags picked up their intensity to start the second quarter, cutting the Vancouver College lead to 9 points. But the Irish had an answer for the Jags push and took a 41-24 lead into half time. Graeme Hyde-Lay led SMUS offensively with 10 points, and Jason Scully posted 6 points and 6 rebounds at recess.

SMUS once again had a strong push to start the third, outscoring the Irish 17-7 in the quarter to make a big dent into their lead. Heading to the final frame, the Jags were down 48-41.

The Blue Jags brought their momentum with them into the fourth, erasing the 7 point deficit and taking the lead on a jump hook from Hyde-Lay from outside the lane with 2:15 to play. But the Irish came back with 5 unanswered points as part of the decisive 9-2 run that saw Vancouver College put away SMUS for the 64-59 victory.

Hyde-Lay was the high point man for the Blue Jags in the loss, dropping in 18 points and adding 3 assists despite leaving the game briefly in the second quarter for repairs after sustaining a cut above his right eye. Meanwhile, Scully finished with his sixth double double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds, plus he also recorded team highs in both assists and steals, with 5 and 4, respectively. Liam Catto also put forward a strong performance, posting 13 points and 6 rebounds for the Jags.

"Our goal was to be in the final." said Head Coach Ian Hyde-Lay after the game, "It was a gallant comeback, but over the 40 minutes, 64-59 was a fair result."

SMUS will conclude play at the Gary Taylor Classic Saturday afternoon with a matchup against Holy Cross, as the team looks to head into the Christmas break on a high note. The game time is set for 2:15 PM at Oak Bay High School.