The Westpark Royals varsity boys basketball team split their first two games at provincials today. The boys are hosting the tournament and picked up a huge 77-75 win to kick things off this morning against the Killarney Raiders. Head coach Dave Britton explains.

"That was a lot of fun. We had the whole school out cheering and a lot of fans as well," says Britton. "We won by a buzzer-beater in overtime. You couldn't write it better than that."

Unfortunately for Westpark, they couldn't keep the momentum rolling into the second game as they dropped an 85-50 decision to the Margaret Barbour Spartans. Aden Fawcett had 21 points (ended with 27) in the first half of this outing to keep the game within 12 points, however, they couldn't sustain the same type of pressure for the last 20 minutes.

Britton says he was proud that his team played hard until the very end. The Royals also had just two players on their bench compared to the nine extra bodies that the Spartans had, but Britton says his team is always up for that type of challenge.

He says the guys were pumped up by the large crowds.

"I don't think they remembered what that was like. They were really feeding off the energy," Britton continues. "It feels kind of like we're returning to the normal days and we're pretty excited about that."

Britton talks about his goals for the Royals throughout the rest of the tournament.

"I want to see us continuing to play aggressively and talking on the court," Britton notes. "Defence is our thing. So, if we can get a lot of turnovers, I'd be super happy."

The Royals will now be competing for a shot at the consolation finals as they face the winner between the Major Pratt Trojans and Teulon Saints. To view the tournament bracket, click here.