For three quarters, the Walnut Grove Gators and the Pitt Meadows Marauders went blow-for-blow in the gold medal game of the Fraser Valley senior boys鈥� AAA basketball championships.

But in the fourth quarter, the Marauders seized control, building a double digits lead they would not relinquish, winning 75-57.

The game has been relatively close throughout, with Pitt Meadows leading by five after one quarter, the Gators up by two at the half, and the Marauders ahead by a basket after three quarters.

鈥淔irst of all, you have to give credit to Pitt Meadows,鈥� said Gators coach George Bergen, following the loss on Saturday night at the 91原创 Events Centre.

鈥淭hey defended us really well. We wanted to get out and run 鈥� that is the nature of our beast 鈥� and they wouldn鈥檛 allow us to run like we have been doing.鈥�

A big difference in the game was the Marauders鈥� mastery of the boards.

鈥淔irst of all, you have to get a rebound to run and we didn鈥檛 rebound the ball well enough,鈥� Bergen said.

鈥淭hat slows down the run. And they (Pitt Meadows) were good transition defending.鈥�

The Marauders and the Gators were the top two seeds in the 32-team Fraser Valley championships.

Both were already guaranteed a spot at next week鈥檚 B.C. AAA provincial championships as the would be moving on.

鈥淎t the start of the season, I thought we could be in the final four,鈥� Bergen said.

鈥淪o that was one goal, and making it to the final game would have been another.鈥�

Despite losing the final, Bergen said he is 鈥渢hrilled the guys made it this far.鈥�

鈥淚 think it is a really good team effort and it was our goal, and we achieved it,鈥� he said.

The players 鈥� while happy to be moving on to provincials 鈥� were still upset they came second 鈥� which matches the senior boys鈥� program鈥檚 best-ever finish.

鈥淲e always want to go for first,鈥� said Ethan McKean.

鈥淭his is disappointing. Nobody is happy with the loss.鈥�

This was the second time the two teams met, and last time, Pitt Meadows won by six.

McKean said the team has to get used to the big-game atmosphere.

鈥淭his was good experience for us, and we will learn from it,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 am sure we will come out stronger at provincials.鈥�

The Gators鈥� and De鈥橲ean Monsanto were named first team all-stars while was a second team all-star.

Walnut Grove opens the provincial championships next week (March 13) at 8:30 a.m. against the winner of Mount Douglas and Caledonia.

In Friday鈥檚 semifinals, Walnut Grove defeated the Terry Fox Ravens 82-64 while Pitt Meadows narrowly defeated the Tamanawis Wildcats 63-60.

W.J. Mouat won the fifth-place game, 83-74 over White Rock Christian, while Yale grabbed the final berth with a 60-53 win over the North Delta Huskies.