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By William Bailey
There was no hiding the heartbreak for the Ashbury Colts Wednesday evening.
They’d just lost the championship game of the OFSAA ‘AA’ boys’ basketball provincials 58-46 to St. Joseph’s of Barrie.
Disappointment reigned inside the St. Mother Teresa Catholic High School gym, bursting with fans from Ashbury College and the larger local basketball community.
The Colts players certainly wore the full sting of the defeat, as three senior starters ended their high school basketball careers one step short of the big prize.
Amid the tears from the losing side, however, was coach Ian MacKinnon cheering and congratulating his players almost like they’d won. The Colts had earned a silver medal at the provincial championships, and the 35-year coaching veteran wasn’t about to let his team forget that was worth celebrating.
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“My guys had battled all the way through,” MacKinnon explained. “I’m just so proud of how we came together when things didn’t go our way, and we left it all on the floor.”
Earlier in the day, Ashbury overcame an early 11-point deficit to pull off a 65-62 victory over top-seeded St. Francis from St. Catharines. Emmett Pindar scored 22 points to lead the #5-ranked Colts to their fourth-straight win at the three-day tournament to guarantee themselves at least the silver medal.
Ashbury came out blazing in the championship game, jumping ahead 8-0 in the opening minutes. But St. Joseph quickly responded and gained a two-point lead come the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was ultimately the difference, as St. Joseph guard Ryan Harris led the way with most of his team-high 17 points in the frame to build a 36-23 advantage at halftime.
St. Joseph defended well in the second half, and Colts shots continued to bounce off the rim and out as the home side couldn’t significantly cut the deficit.
“I don’t think our effort was an issue. Their best players were just better tonight,” MacKinnon said. “We tried everything and threw everything we could at them, and they just responded. Full credit to them. They had their day, and we didn’t.”
As MacKinnon distributed silver medals and shared warm embraces with each of his players, he struggled to hold the tears back himself.
Not so much because of the difficult loss, but from reflecting on all the hard work he and his group put in. The battles they fought together, the bonds they will forever share, the brotherhood they’ve formed. They are more than just a basketball team.
“They’re family,” an emotional MacKinnon highlighted. “My extended family.”