sixth spot Defeat John Oliver Jokers 72-65 IN THEIR last game of the ‘High School boys’ AAA basketball tournament, the - Argyle Pipers defeated the John Oliver Jokers 72-65 to claim sixth place overall. _ By Kevin Gillies Contributing Writer It was the first time the Pipers ‘beat the Jokers in four meetings this year. jt was a hard-fought game where the Pipers trailed for the first three quarters. Forward Robert Kaczynski hit a couple of crucial three-pointers at the end of the third to tie, and pull ahead of the Jokers. _ “When Kaczynki starts hitting _.Shots, it tends to turn our team around,’’ Argyle coach Peter - -Therrien said. “He hit a couple of. threes to end the third quarter and another One to start the fourth, like he’s done a number of times this year, and that changes the tempo of the game,’’ he added. 3,.Piper forward Robert Horne, 6’ 2”' and 190 Ibs., scored 22 points for the. Pipers and. was named player of the game. ' “Rob Horne had one of his - best games today,’’ Therrien said. -.‘*He stepped it: up a notch today and really came up big.”’ ‘Also. scoring for Argyle ‘were Kaczynski (17), Jesse Hawkins (12), Sean Cameron (8) and David Kristensen (6)... - _| The two teams were evenly matched in every category excepi fouls and free throws. - °° The. Jokers had.:16. fouls ‘to Argyle’s 9, but were two for two on -free‘ throws while the Pipers were 12 for 20. © 0 vos. Argyle ‘seemed to be. fighting to stay close with the Jokers: for. the . . first three quarters, but turned it - on at the end of the third. BC. Lottery GOAL LINES OVER: THE past couple of years [I’ve come to know and respect Ali and Laila "GAME THE WEEK Argyle outscored the Jokers 18-12 in the third and 21-17 in the fourth to win. “In the previous two games we .tried to double-team (Joker’s 63” centre) Sasha (Chukin) and he still killed us and their other players got all their points,’’ Piper guard Jesse Hawkins said after the game. “So what we tried to do was let Sasha have his points and we guarded the other guys.”” In other. Piper tournament games, they lost. to Steveston 50- 78, beat George Vanier 83-66, and beat Delta 75-57 for a tournament. record of four wins and one loss. Also representing the North Shore at the tournament were the - Sutherland Sabres, who lost their first two games to miss placing. The Sabres lost their opener to John Oliver 53-57, and their se- cond. game 56-58 against Es-. quimalt. “Our games were unbelievably close,’ Sabre coach Al Rose said. “Their largest lead in the first game was their final lead.’” Sabre forward/guard Chris Reimer, 65", 195 lIbs., led the on in points (41) and rebounds ). “‘He’s definitely one of the top players in’ the province,’’ Rose said. ‘‘He’s very skilled and he’s very athletic.” : Reimer’s average of 14.0 re- bounds per game was the tourna- ment’s highest going into the final game. a “‘He’s only going to.get better,’* he said. ‘‘A lot of kids peak ‘in high school — this kid’s not there “yet”? Rose pointed to the successes of See N. Shore page 18 Nanji in a very big way. They are a_ hard-working Kenyan couple from Nairobi, worshippers of the Muslim faith who spend 12 hours a day serving the needs of a smail Fairview Slopes community from behind the counter of their corner store food market. On Saturday, Jan. 23, shortly before noon | saw terror in Mrs. Nanji's eyes. She was on the tele- phone‘ to the police, frantically trying to explain how a man had just fled her store with’ $1,200 worth of Sports Action B.C.. Lot- tery Corp. hockey tickets. In front of a witness, the inan ordered 12 $100 Sports Action tickets. Mrs. Nanji made the mistake of trusting him when he said he wanted ‘to -check — his selected NHL scores before paying her. 993 - North Shore News - 17 path Het eu rex oh NEWS photo Mike Wakelleld ARGYLE SECONDARY guard Sean Cameron evades a check trom behind during the Piper’s open- ing round game in the provincial ‘‘AAA’’ boys’ basketball tournament against Steveston. The Pipers lost 78-50, but defeated John Oliver 72-55 to finish sixth in 8.C. Once he had the tickets in his hand, he bolted for the door and disappeared on the. run with Mrs. Nanji in pursuit. Prior to phoning the police, the shaken storekeeper followed pro- cedure by immediately alerting the B.C. Lottery Corp. ‘Hotline’ that the tickets had been stolen. The following week, two fottery security officials visited Mrs. Nan- ji and politely — but sternly — ~ informed her she would be out the $1,200. They suggested she recoup the money through couple’s insurance company. This hardly seemed fair, given that Mrs. Nanji did everything tight with the eaception of trusting her customer. She told me the $1,200 would represent roughly eight months’ profit her store would realize from being a B.C. Lottery Corp. retailer. Through a friend who does print business with the Corp. — try to the Bob Dunn of Dunn Communica- tions — I was able to get through to Mr. Guy Simonis, president of the B.C. Lottery Corp. “Mr. Simonis is a fair and rea- sonable man,’’ Dunn said. ‘I’m sure he’d want to be made aware of the circumstances.*’ Dunn was bang on. Simonis listened carefully to my tale of woe on behalf of the “little people” and from his giant opera- tion in Richmond, he promised he would investigate the matter fur- ther, ‘ True to his word, he faxed me last week (March 8) with -the wonderful message that said, in part: ‘*The standard policy for the Lottery Corporation has been to charge the retailer. But following your inquiry, we have re-examin- ed our policy. “Based on an appeal process; a new policy will now come into ef- fect for a refund to the retailer, provided that all of the facts are clear and indisputabie.”’ official makes one retailer very happy : Simonis acknowledged .the ‘Hotline’ was alerted well before any of the games on the Sports Action tickets in question had Started. “Cancellation of a ticket is dangerous, especiaily when some- one is walking around with such 2 ticket,’’ Simonis noted. ‘‘Yet, should the retailer pay for mer- chandise that he/she did not actu- ally .sell_ and could be rendered valueless? ‘ “The Corporation guards - the integrity of its games to an ex- treme degree. This new policy of appeal will temper this . rigidity with fairness and consideration for the retailer.”’ Mr. and. Mrs. Nanji have been assured they’ will be refunded the $1,200 that had been. removed from their B.C. Lottery Corpota- tion account. - os And a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you, Mr. Simonis. You are, in- - deed, a fair and reasonable man. .