CIS Hoops.ca

See subsequent posts below for scores/recaps from Thursday's games...

Thanksgiving weekend sees a shortened set of CIS games on the slate, highlighted by the Eric Garland tournament in New Brunswick to be played at the Aitken University Center, a hockey arena which houses a portable basketball floor for this weekend's event (and hopefully many more). Friday afternoon, the tournament kicks off with Lee Academy from Maine and their stable of highly-touted NCAA Division 1 prospects meeting St. FX at 4 PM Atlantic time. At 8 PM, UQAM meets the host V-Reds. The tournament continues on Saturday and Sunday... New Alberta Head Coach Greg Francis returns to his hometown of Toronto and area with a set of games, beginning Friday night at U of T Varsity Blues. The Golden Bears then head down the QEW to face McMaster on Saturday night before completing their weekend with a Sunday afternoon affair against Ryerson at Kerr Hall at 1 PM and the home debut of another CIS rookie coach, Roy Rana... Ryerson also visits McMaster on Friday night... Brandon Bobcats (Canada West Prairie Division) travel to Thunder Bay to renew what once was a very hotly-contested rivalry with Lakehead Thunderwolves at the Thunder Dome. The teams will play two games: Friday and Saturday... The first round of the Concordia NIKE tournament has the hosts meeting Laurentian in the night cap after Laurier Golden Hawks face off with RMC Paladins in downtown Montreal... Finally, Findlay College, the 2009 NCAA Division II champions make a two-game trip into Ontario beginning with a Saturday afternoon matchup with Brock at 2 PM followed by another afternoon game against U of T Varsity Blues in downtown Toronto also at 2 PM. Findlay, who finished a perfect 36-0 last season blazed through the NCAA DII tournament but has lost 5 key players from last season's championship group including the NCAA DII Player-of-the-Year. Still, the Oilers return senior guard Marcus Parker, a first team all-GLIAC performer who was also a GLIAC all-tournament and Midwest Region all-tournament selection as a junior, averaging 10.7 points, 4.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game last year as the point guard for the Oilers undefeated team. The Oilers, from Findlay, Ohio, will also play at Duke and at Utah in their pre-season in early November.