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Dinos Surprise Saskatchewan As 'O-J' Returns

Dinos Upset Win Sparked By ‘O-J’

(some extra editing and box score links added)

at Calgary Dinos 83 Saskatchewan Huskies 79 - Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson 
returned to the Calgary Dinos line-up with a vengeance Friday night, scoring 21 
points including 2 free throws with 8 seconds left, which iced it for the home 
team. Missing for 8 weeks with a hand injury, ‘O-J’ was one of the essential 
ingredients missing as the Dinos fought to keep their heads above water in 
League play, and his role in this big win is proof of his value to Calgary.

Starting fast, the #4 ranked Huskies had a 15-9 lead after just 4 minutes, but 
Calgary responded with a 16-6 run to grab a 25-21 lead after a quarter. 
Calgary’s defense was shutting off the lane to Saskatchewan’s ace point guard, 
Jamelle Barrett, and the slippery 4th year star made some nice passes to Peter 
Lomuro and Michael Lieffers for hoops, but the Dinos were getting good shots 
for Tyler Fidler and Boris Bakovic in the paint at the other end. Fidler, who 
sat for a prolonged period in the 2nd half, finished the game with 19 points 7 
rebounds ands 4 assists, and converting a couple of key free throws down the 
stretch. Bakovic, also a recent returnee from the injured list, scored 17 on 
the night.

The Huskies applied more defensive pressure in the 2nd half, denying 
Ogungbemi-Jackson the ball on the inbounds, and they caught and passed Calgary 
in the early part of the 4th quarter. This was O-J’s night however, as he was 
everywhere, grabbing 11 rebounds, and slipping through the defense leading the 
Dinos to a 25 point final stanza, and their 4th win against 7 losses in Canada 
West.

The Huskies got 18 pts./15 rebounds from Michael Lieffers, their 5th year post 
man, and 19 from the speedy Lomuro, mostly off a blistering fast break. Barrett 
(13 pts./ 7 rebs./7 assists) and a hot-shooting rookie, Matt Forbes, (13 pts.) 
were also in double figures for Saskatchewan, who drop out of 1st place with a 
6-4 record. Calgary outshot Saskatchewan 17/20 to11/20 from the foul line, 
while the Huskies had 44 rebounds to Calgary’s 37.

The teams go at it again on Saturday at 8 pm with the game live on Canada West 
TV.   Box Score

at Alberta Golden Bears 91 Lethbridge 83 - Lethbridge, trailing by double digits twice, got it to as close as 5 midway through the fourth but the Bears go to 7-4 in edging the Pronghorns behind 25 points and 10 rebounds from Jordan Baker. U of A had 5 players in double figures - Daniel Ferguson, 15, Robert Dewar 13, Lyndon 
Taylor, 14, and Matthew Cardoza, 10. Dom Coward had a big night for the ‘Horns, who drop to 5-6, as he matched Baker, scoring 25 and claiming 10 boards.  Box Score

at Winnipeg Wesmen 66 Brandon Bobcats 61 - the Ws turn the tables on Brandon 
with a huge 12 point, 14 rebs./ 8 assists from guard Andrew Cunningham.  Winnipeg held Brandon to 4 for 26 shooting from 3 and only 28 second-half points before almost 900 fans at Winnipeg.  Helping the home team’s cause was Mark McNee with 17, and Travis Krahn with 11 pts/ 17 rebs. Brandon got 20 from Donovan Gayle, and 16 from Michael Smith, plus 10 boards apiece by Ali Mounir and Jordan Reaves. Winnipeg goes to 3-9, while Brandon drops to 5-7.  Box Score

at Manitoba Bisons 116 Regina Cougars 87 - Thundering Herd ! The Bisons (7-4), bouyed by a 31-7 run beginning early in the third, built leads as large as 35 and  unloaded all the guns on Regina led by 23 points, 9 rebs. by Kevin Oliver. U of M also had Stephen Walton with 17 pts and 7 helpers, Xavier Smith hitting 14 pts., and Jonar Huertas and Tanner Draward at 12 each. Regina, now 3-7, had 17 points and10 boards from Connor Burns.  Box Score

Trinity Western Spartans 83 at UBC-O Heat 77 - The Spartans led all the way, 
and held off a strong finish by UBC-O to claim their 5th win vs. 6 losses. Kyle 
Coston scored 20, while Calvin Westbrook and Sean Peter had 19 each for TWU. 
Yassine Ghomari scored 33 for the Heat, and added 9 boards, and Simon Pelland 
notched 23 points. UBC-O is now 2-9 on the year.  UBC-O came back from a 12 point deficit to take the lead briefly but Kurtis Osborne's bucket with under 4 to play gave Spartans the lead for good.  Box Score

UBC T-Birds 83, Thompson Rivers WolfPack 66 - UBC’s Doug Plumb scored 23 in 
leading the ‘Birds to a 7-2 mark, as he was helped by 15 from rookie Malcolm 
Williams, with the team shooting 52% on the night including 10/20 from 3 pt. 
range. TRU got 14 pts and 9 rebounds from Justin King, 13 from Akeem Pierre, 
but Chas Kok their 2nd leading scorer had only 9 points as the WolfPack (5-6) 
shot just 31 % vs UBC’s aggressive D.  UBC freshman Nakai Luyken was back in the lineup, scoring 5 points in 10 minutes.  UBC was 10-20 from downtown and survived a rare off night from Nathan Yu who finished with 9 points.  Box Score

at Victoria Vikes 79 Fraser Valley Cascades 70 - UFV had a critical 14-3 run early in the 4th, breaking the 12th tie of the night, and never looked back in a very important road win that catapults Cascades into the CW Final Four discussion.  The league leading Vikes are at 9-2, but have lost 2 of 3, both on their home court. Fraser Valley recovers from a home loss to Lethbridge and moves to 7-4 sparked by 18 points and 6 boards by Kyle Grewal, 17 pts. from Joel Friesen, and 15 by Sam Freeman. Victoria, who shot just 36% against a tight UFV defense, got 19 from Mike Berg and 17 from Michael Acheampong.  Box Score

Notes ...

* In the Winnipeg home game tonight vs. Brandon, viewers on Canada West-TV were treated to a ‘standard Manitoba accent‘ from a calm, informative Dave Crook, former Wesmen and U of L Pronghorn coach ... ‘Crookie’ partners with a very good play-by-play man, whose name we were unable to catch. Very good presentation from
TSN radio 1290-Winnipeg.
* A cameo appearance in a Canada West game (Dinos-Huskies) tonight for Calgary ref Michael Weiland, who is still working games in the NBA Development League, in places like Sioux Falls, SD, Boise, ID, Bakersfield, CA, and Reno, NV, with hopes of making it to the ‘big show’ in the future. Meanwhile, Weiland still refs games in Canada West, when his schedule allows.
* In their 1st game back after the Holiday break, the Nijmagen Magixx of the Netherlands Pro League had the services of both Henry and Ross Bekkering, as they defeated League leaders, Den Bosch, 84-82. Henry scored 19 points, while Ross, returning after a 6 week absence with an injured hand, hit for 7 points and had 9 rebounds.
* The UC Athletic Department is selling advance tickets for the 2012 CIS Women’s Final 8 Championship Tournament, to be held at the Jack Simpson Gym in Calgary from March 17-19. Tickets for the championship are on sale now, with early bird pricing in effect until Jan. 31. They can be purchased at any Dinos basketball home game for the remainder of the season, and online at www.goDINOS.com/ticketweb.