OUA West: Rallying from a three point deficit with just 12 seconds remaining, the hometown Western Mustangs survived when 6'3" Alex Brzozowicz hit the second of two free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining to lift Western to an improbable late comeback and an 82-81 win over McMaster. The Marauders held a 81-78 lead until Mustangs 6'1" sharpshooter Jason Milliquet (6-9 3's for 18 points) knocked down a long 3 from at least 8 feet behind the arc with 12 seconds left to knot the score. On the ensuing Marauder possession 6'2" guard Tyrell Vernon (team-high 15 points on 5-15 shooting) drove the lane and launched a runner that came off. Off the ensuing rebound, the ball caromed into the corner where it was retrieved by Brzz who was inadvertently ploughed into by Mac's 6'7" Mouchtar Diaby and forced out bounds, illiciting a foul call that set up the final free throws. Mac's difficult attempt at a game-winning three came off and Western survived. 6'6" Andrew Wedemire was instrumental in the win for the Mustangs, scoring 13 of his 16 points in the third quarter to give the Mustangs a four point lead entering the fourth. But the Marauders came back to outscore the 'Stangs 21-14 until the final moments when it fell apart. 6'6" Brad Smith had 21 points for Western but only 2 after the intermission. The Marauders were led by 6'9" Terry Licorish who had 13 points (6-20 shooting) and 11 rebounds while 6'6" Andrew Losier, playing in his final game as a Marauder, had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Report from Western Mustangs site ... In Guelph, the Gryphons were in control most of the way, surviving a late Golden Hawks charge that cut the lead to 5 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining to allow Guelph to defeat Laurier 69-59. 6'3" Nick Pankerichan was the difference, knocking down 5 of 9 3's (the only Gryph to hit a three), part of his team-high 26 points. Pankerichan also did a splendid job in the second half defending Laurier's splendid 6'6" freshman Kale Harrison, who singlehandidly kept the Hawks in the game with 17 first-half points. Harrison finished with a game-high 29 while dealing with the solid, physical work of Pankerichan defensively. 6'9" Duncan Milne (22 points, 9 rebounds) provided the Gryphs with the required spark after the Hawks mounted their late rally from 14 down to within 5 by scoring 6 consecutive points late including a couple of key putbacks to push the lead back up to 10 and seal the win. Guelph also got a solid game out of 5'11" Michael Patrella, who for the most part was decent in his decision-making but also held fellow-Brantfordite 6'3" Jesse MacDonald to a 1-9 shooting afternoon. Guelph played the majority of the game without 6'4" Jonathan Moscatelli, who played only 2 minutes due to severe cramping; Moscatelli spent all week taking antibiotics to battle a sickness. Laurier's 6'5" Matt Walker had 15 points and 6'8" Trevor Csima had 8 points and 8 boards in the final games of their university careers.
Wednesday's semi-finals in the OUA West shape up as follows:
Western at Windsor
Guelph at Brock
OUA EAST The five-time defending national champion Carleton Ravens shook off some recent lacklustre efforts with an assertive 96-44 victory over the Queen's Golden Gaels as the Ravens went a blistering 15 for 31 from 3 point land. Carleton was up 53-29 at halftime and then held the Gaels to only 15 second-half points to come away with the dominant victory. Carleton also outrebounded Queen's 39-16. 6'2" Stuart Turnbull and 6'3" Rob Saunders each led the way with 17 points for Carleton, who will meet the winner of today's Ottawa at Toronto matchup (3 PM in Toronto) in the OUA East championship game. Wayne Kondro's piece on last night's game which the Citizen's editor's (not Wayne) have apparently pre-determined Carleton's opponent Ravens thrash Golden Gaels to gain OUA East Final against Varsity Blues
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Peter Yannopoulos McGill over UQAM Report
McGILL 81 UQAM 77 from Friday night
With McGill and Uqam tied with 7-7 records respectively, the stakes were very high last night with 2 games left in the regular season. The Redmen came out strong at home and with their switching defenses and half court traps, rattled the Citadins and McGill built a 8pt lead at halftime, 40-32. However the 3rd quarter was a different story. Uqam's intense and physical full court pressure finally started to wear Mcgill down, and the Citadins came back from a 12pt deficit and took a 4pt lead heading into the 4th quarter.
The last 10 mins of the game was a batlle of runs for both teams. Uqam built a 64-57 lead with just under 6 mins to go, on a Sam Johnson(17pts 4 rebs) 3 pointer, but just when it looked that Mcgill was down and out, the Redmen stormed back with 14-2 run of their own, led by Moustafa El Zanaty's(17pts) back to back buckets and Sean Anthony's(25pts 13 rebs) tip in after an El Zanaty missed free throw that made it 71-66 with 3 mins to play. The game stayed close down to the wire, but Mcgill's Anthony was money at the charity stripe, going 12-13 from the free throw line to ice the game and Mcgill held on for a 81-77 win.
The key turning point of the game in my opinion was when there was a little over 4 mins left in the game, Mcgill took a wild a three point attempt with the 24 second shot clock winding down, the shot was an air ball that led to a jump ball call by the official(Pierre Marion). However, the ball never hit the rim, and with the shot clock expired, Mcgill should have been called for a shot clock violation and thus, Uqam would gain automatic posession without having to switch the arrow of the jump ball. The 3 officials did not see this, nor did the Uqam coaching staff. It didn't seem to matter at the time because Uqam gained posession with the jump ball anyways, but what was important to note is that the arrow now was switched over to Mcgill, and in a close game like this one, you know there will be a jump ball call at the end of the game, especially with Quebec officials.
So with 8 secs left in the game and Uqam down 79-77, Mario Joseph(16pts 10rebs 4assists) shooting the 2nd of two free throws, missed and the rebound seemed to be grabbed by Joseph Antagana(11pts 5rebs 3blks), but Mcgill's Anthony fought for it was well, and a critical yet unsurprising jump ball was called. The arrow points to McGill and the Redmen get to inbound the ball, which they did to Anthony, and he hit both FTs to seal the deal for Head Coach Craig Norman's McGill Redmen.
Mcgill showed character after blowing a double digit lead in the 2nd half to come back and beat a red hot Uqam squad. They got huge numbers from All-Stars Anthony and El Zanaty, but also got a tremendous defensive effort from Michael White(9pts 6 rebs), who held Uqam's All Star Kevin Boucher to 4pts and 3rebs on only 1-7 shooting from the field.
Both coaching staff's seemed drained outside the locker room's after the game, just finishing a truly tough and physically demanding match. Mcgill has now put themselves in a position to beat Concordia at home Sunday, and clinch 2nd place in a very tough QSSF and host a playoff game, something that hasn't happened in years at McGill. Uqam is now forced to go back home and get ready for the Laval Rouge et Or in less than 24 hrs. Coach Olga Hrycak must get them to rebound quickly, and be ready to compete from the get go Saturday night.
The QSSF was at its best last nite and the stakes continue to rise heading into the final two games.
Peter Yannopoulos
Yanno Basketball Consulting
With McGill and Uqam tied with 7-7 records respectively, the stakes were very high last night with 2 games left in the regular season. The Redmen came out strong at home and with their switching defenses and half court traps, rattled the Citadins and McGill built a 8pt lead at halftime, 40-32. However the 3rd quarter was a different story. Uqam's intense and physical full court pressure finally started to wear Mcgill down, and the Citadins came back from a 12pt deficit and took a 4pt lead heading into the 4th quarter.
The last 10 mins of the game was a batlle of runs for both teams. Uqam built a 64-57 lead with just under 6 mins to go, on a Sam Johnson(17pts 4 rebs) 3 pointer, but just when it looked that Mcgill was down and out, the Redmen stormed back with 14-2 run of their own, led by Moustafa El Zanaty's(17pts) back to back buckets and Sean Anthony's(25pts 13 rebs) tip in after an El Zanaty missed free throw that made it 71-66 with 3 mins to play. The game stayed close down to the wire, but Mcgill's Anthony was money at the charity stripe, going 12-13 from the free throw line to ice the game and Mcgill held on for a 81-77 win.
The key turning point of the game in my opinion was when there was a little over 4 mins left in the game, Mcgill took a wild a three point attempt with the 24 second shot clock winding down, the shot was an air ball that led to a jump ball call by the official(Pierre Marion). However, the ball never hit the rim, and with the shot clock expired, Mcgill should have been called for a shot clock violation and thus, Uqam would gain automatic posession without having to switch the arrow of the jump ball. The 3 officials did not see this, nor did the Uqam coaching staff. It didn't seem to matter at the time because Uqam gained posession with the jump ball anyways, but what was important to note is that the arrow now was switched over to Mcgill, and in a close game like this one, you know there will be a jump ball call at the end of the game, especially with Quebec officials.
So with 8 secs left in the game and Uqam down 79-77, Mario Joseph(16pts 10rebs 4assists) shooting the 2nd of two free throws, missed and the rebound seemed to be grabbed by Joseph Antagana(11pts 5rebs 3blks), but Mcgill's Anthony fought for it was well, and a critical yet unsurprising jump ball was called. The arrow points to McGill and the Redmen get to inbound the ball, which they did to Anthony, and he hit both FTs to seal the deal for Head Coach Craig Norman's McGill Redmen.
Mcgill showed character after blowing a double digit lead in the 2nd half to come back and beat a red hot Uqam squad. They got huge numbers from All-Stars Anthony and El Zanaty, but also got a tremendous defensive effort from Michael White(9pts 6 rebs), who held Uqam's All Star Kevin Boucher to 4pts and 3rebs on only 1-7 shooting from the field.
Both coaching staff's seemed drained outside the locker room's after the game, just finishing a truly tough and physically demanding match. Mcgill has now put themselves in a position to beat Concordia at home Sunday, and clinch 2nd place in a very tough QSSF and host a playoff game, something that hasn't happened in years at McGill. Uqam is now forced to go back home and get ready for the Laval Rouge et Or in less than 24 hrs. Coach Olga Hrycak must get them to rebound quickly, and be ready to compete from the get go Saturday night.
The QSSF was at its best last nite and the stakes continue to rise heading into the final two games.
Peter Yannopoulos
Yanno Basketball Consulting
Articles from last night's Calgary/Alberta game
Rita Mingo from the Calgary Herald on last night's Calgary 87-78 win over Alberta Dinos roar back for big win
Wes Gilbertson's article in the Calgary Sun on last night's Calgary win over the Bears
Wes Gilbertson's article in the Calgary Sun on last night's Calgary win over the Bears
Today's Action
My ability to get to a computer today is limited as I am travelling and my laptop's modem is fried. Here are the key games today in the CIS:
OUA WEST PLAYOFFS Quarter-Finals
1 PM Laurier at Guelph The teams split their season series but Guelph has been playing well recently and the Hawks limped to the finish line losing several in a row. Still, both teams are capable of putting it together.
2 PM McMaster at Western The Mustangs won both regular season games handily as Mac had trouble defending 6'6" Brad Smith. Expect Mac's young backcourt to see pressure. The game is available on Western radio via the Internet (go to westernmustangs.com)
OUA EAST Semi-Finals
8 PM Queen's at Carleton The unbeaten Ravens host Queen's which handily won their quarter-final playoff game on Wednesday at home against York. Gaels Head Coach Rob Smart has never defeated his younger brother in an OUA league or playoff game. The game will be broadcast on Rogers Television - check your local listings.
CANADA WEST PLAYOFFS continue tonight with UBC, Calgary and surprising Regina looking to end their respective series and advance to next weekend's Canada West Final Four. For sure UBC radio and Calgary webcast will be carrying the games LIVE!. Go back to my earlier post on Thursday to get the links.
AUS
Big game is the first of two between Saint Mary's and Cape Breton in Halifax. Saint Mary's needs to sweep both games to have any hope of finishing second while the Capers need only a split and they will finish second, regardless of what St. FX does at MUN as they own the tiebreaker between the two teams.
QUEBEC UQAM must defeat Laval tonight and then hope Concordia defeats McGill on Sunday to have any hope of finishing higher than fourth.
OUA WEST PLAYOFFS Quarter-Finals
1 PM Laurier at Guelph The teams split their season series but Guelph has been playing well recently and the Hawks limped to the finish line losing several in a row. Still, both teams are capable of putting it together.
2 PM McMaster at Western The Mustangs won both regular season games handily as Mac had trouble defending 6'6" Brad Smith. Expect Mac's young backcourt to see pressure. The game is available on Western radio via the Internet (go to westernmustangs.com)
OUA EAST Semi-Finals
8 PM Queen's at Carleton The unbeaten Ravens host Queen's which handily won their quarter-final playoff game on Wednesday at home against York. Gaels Head Coach Rob Smart has never defeated his younger brother in an OUA league or playoff game. The game will be broadcast on Rogers Television - check your local listings.
CANADA WEST PLAYOFFS continue tonight with UBC, Calgary and surprising Regina looking to end their respective series and advance to next weekend's Canada West Final Four. For sure UBC radio and Calgary webcast will be carrying the games LIVE!. Go back to my earlier post on Thursday to get the links.
AUS
Big game is the first of two between Saint Mary's and Cape Breton in Halifax. Saint Mary's needs to sweep both games to have any hope of finishing second while the Capers need only a split and they will finish second, regardless of what St. FX does at MUN as they own the tiebreaker between the two teams.
QUEBEC UQAM must defeat Laval tonight and then hope Concordia defeats McGill on Sunday to have any hope of finishing higher than fourth.
Ticket Sales "Fantastic" for AUS Tournament
Chad Lucas provides an update on the hard work being done on the coming AUS tournament in Halifax in two weeks (thanks to the emailers who pointed out the proper dates of the tourney). Ticket sales fantastic
Chris Cochrane of the Halifax Chronicle-Journal provides his thoughts on what should be the best AUBC tournament yet
Last night in the AUS
Dalhousie 80, UNB 71 UNB still has only defeated MUN in regular season play this season.
St. FX 105, MUN 72 The X-Men await the results of CBU/SMU today and tomorrow to see where they will finish which could be second, third or fourth.
Chris Cochrane of the Halifax Chronicle-Journal provides his thoughts on what should be the best AUBC tournament yet
Last night in the AUS
Dalhousie 80, UNB 71 UNB still has only defeated MUN in regular season play this season.
St. FX 105, MUN 72 The X-Men await the results of CBU/SMU today and tomorrow to see where they will finish which could be second, third or fourth.
Canada West: T-Birds come back again; Cougars shock Bobcats
UBC 70, UVic 67 T-Birds lead Best-of-3 Pacific Division championship 1-0 In a game of runs, UBC took control in the fourth quarter and survived a pair of looks at a game-tying three to take game one in Vancouver. 6'3" Chris Dyck had 9 of his 11 points after the intermission after battling foul trouble while 6'7" Matt Rachar had 13 as the T-Birds came back from a 7 point early fourth-quarter deficit. But many point to another solid game from 6'0" sophomore guard Alex Murphy, who had 11 points, but defended well and did all the little things as the difference in the game. UVic trailed by 12 at halftime but then dominated the third quarter, shooting over 70% while holding UBC to only 7 third-quarter points. The normally prolific T-Birds went only 1-9 from downtown for the entire game but Vic hurt themselves at the foul line where they went only 9 for 17 (53%). 6'6" Tyler Hass had a game-high 19 points and 6 rebounds for Vic, which rode the coattails of Hass, 6'7" Mitch Gudgeon, 6'4" freshman Ryan MacKinnon and 6'1" Brandon Dunlop (all played 32 or more minutes) in the game while the T-Birds minutes were much more spread out. Game Two goes tonight. Ron Rauch's article in the Victoria Times-Colonist on last night's Vic loss at UBC Vikes off to rocky start Dan Stinson's piece in this morning's Vancouver Sun Murphy's law the difference in UBC's win
The Scrum has their predictions for Canada West this weekend; (my bad for taking so long to post)
Cougars hold off Bobcats from Jeremy Sawatsky Cougars Upend Bobcats In Game One
Written by: Jeremy Sawatzky, BU Sports Information
Fri, Feb 22, 2008
BRANDON, MB – The Brandon Bobcats dug themselves a hole so deep Friday
night, not even one of the most exhilarating comebacks in school
history could get them out of it.
The 'Cats battled back from a 29-point second half deficit before Paul
Gareau hit a shot with 10.4 seconds remaining to give the Regina
Cougars a stunning 87-85 win in game one of the Great Plains
divisional final at the BU Gym.
"We showed a lot of heart to come back," said Brandon coach Mike
Raimbault, whose team lost at home for the first time since last
year's Canada West championship game. "I don't think it was a matter
of us not playing well. I liked our intensity in the first quarter… we
just hit a dry spell in the second, and they were hitting easy
buckets, and it was just too much to overcome."
The Bobcats led 18-13 in the first quarter before the Cougars exploded
on an 18-0 run to take a sizable lead. Regina outscored the Bobcats
30-7 in the second quarter and led by 22 at the half. They stretched
the lead to as many as 29 in the third quarter, before BU finally came
to life in the fourth period.
"We couldn't hit a shot when we got good looks," noted Raimbault. "I
thought their zone was effective at times, but we had good
opportunities to score and they just didn't fall."
Nathan Grant's three-point play with 33 seconds left tied the game at
85, however Gareau's second-chance basket on the ensuing trip down the
floor proved to be the difference. The Bobcats had a bevy of chances
to tie it on their final possession, missing three shots from inside
15 feet.
"We just let them back into the game and that's why they're number two
in the country," said Regina coach James Hillis, whose team snapped a
10-game losing streak against the 'Cats. "That wouldn't have been the
first time they'd won a game like that. They're good, they have guys
that can hit big shots… I'm just happy that Paul was able to stick one
at the end."
Gareau finished with a game-high 31 points on 15-19 shooting from the
field, while Jamal Williams added 15 points for the Cougars. Bryden
Wright notched 14 points and Paul Schubach finished with 11.
Yul Michel led all Brandon scorers with 21 points and Yuri Whyms and
Dany Charlery added 16 apiece. However, Charlery's points came on his
worst shooting performance of the season, as the Bobcat guard went
6-25 from the field and 1-11 from three-point range.
The two clubs will meet again Saturday night, with the Bobcats needing
a win – barring a wild-card berth into next weekend's Final Four – to
keep their season alive.
"That's the beauty of it," added Raimbault. "We get an opportunity to
come out tomorrow night and try and redeem ourselves."
The Scrum has their predictions for Canada West this weekend; (my bad for taking so long to post)
Cougars hold off Bobcats from Jeremy Sawatsky Cougars Upend Bobcats In Game One
Written by: Jeremy Sawatzky, BU Sports Information
Fri, Feb 22, 2008
BRANDON, MB – The Brandon Bobcats dug themselves a hole so deep Friday
night, not even one of the most exhilarating comebacks in school
history could get them out of it.
The 'Cats battled back from a 29-point second half deficit before Paul
Gareau hit a shot with 10.4 seconds remaining to give the Regina
Cougars a stunning 87-85 win in game one of the Great Plains
divisional final at the BU Gym.
"We showed a lot of heart to come back," said Brandon coach Mike
Raimbault, whose team lost at home for the first time since last
year's Canada West championship game. "I don't think it was a matter
of us not playing well. I liked our intensity in the first quarter… we
just hit a dry spell in the second, and they were hitting easy
buckets, and it was just too much to overcome."
The Bobcats led 18-13 in the first quarter before the Cougars exploded
on an 18-0 run to take a sizable lead. Regina outscored the Bobcats
30-7 in the second quarter and led by 22 at the half. They stretched
the lead to as many as 29 in the third quarter, before BU finally came
to life in the fourth period.
"We couldn't hit a shot when we got good looks," noted Raimbault. "I
thought their zone was effective at times, but we had good
opportunities to score and they just didn't fall."
Nathan Grant's three-point play with 33 seconds left tied the game at
85, however Gareau's second-chance basket on the ensuing trip down the
floor proved to be the difference. The Bobcats had a bevy of chances
to tie it on their final possession, missing three shots from inside
15 feet.
"We just let them back into the game and that's why they're number two
in the country," said Regina coach James Hillis, whose team snapped a
10-game losing streak against the 'Cats. "That wouldn't have been the
first time they'd won a game like that. They're good, they have guys
that can hit big shots… I'm just happy that Paul was able to stick one
at the end."
Gareau finished with a game-high 31 points on 15-19 shooting from the
field, while Jamal Williams added 15 points for the Cougars. Bryden
Wright notched 14 points and Paul Schubach finished with 11.
Yul Michel led all Brandon scorers with 21 points and Yuri Whyms and
Dany Charlery added 16 apiece. However, Charlery's points came on his
worst shooting performance of the season, as the Bobcat guard went
6-25 from the field and 1-11 from three-point range.
The two clubs will meet again Saturday night, with the Bobcats needing
a win – barring a wild-card berth into next weekend's Final Four – to
keep their season alive.
"That's the beauty of it," added Raimbault. "We get an opportunity to
come out tomorrow night and try and redeem ourselves."
Dunking Dutchman Dominates in Dinos Win
Dunking Dutchman Dominates in Dinos Win... from Wayne Thomas... Henry Bekkering looked a little off his game in the first half, and the Dinos frittered away a 5 point lead in the final minutes to trail 44 - 39 at the break. Much muttering in the stands as the teams started the second half ... would the Dinos shake their lethargy? ... would Neb Aleksic keep hitting threes for Alberta? ... could the Dinos maintain their perfect record on their home court and capture game one of the Central Division Final? The answers would come quickly, and with a big exclamation mark from Bekkering as he was on fire in leading Calgary to a 30-14 run in the 3rd quarter, including a couple of scintillating dunks enroute to a game-high 27 points. Bekkering attacked the Bears defense with power, and went to the line for 8/10 free throws as Alberta defenders had a tough time keeping any rein on the muscular 4th year forward. Henry's brother Ross came back for this first playoff game after having missed the last five games in league play because of injury, and he may have scored the key hoop of the game on a turnaround at the buzzer to end the 3rd quarter. His conversion of the old fashioned 3 pt. play gave Calgary a 9 point margin heading into the last quarter, and Ross finished his impressive work for the night with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 big blocks. Robbie Sihota again had a double-double with 17 points to go with 10 boards, and Henry Bekkering also grabbed 10 rebounds even though Alberta won the battle on the glass
42-38. The Bears turned the ball over an uncharacteristic 24 times, as Jeff Price with 5 steals, and Tyler Fidler and Sihota with 3, frustrated the Alberta offense in the second half. Aleksic and Alex Steele were the leading point getters for the visitors with 20 each, with Steele adding 6 assists, and Aleksic 8 rebounds.
Two of Alberta's key players, 5th year forwards Andrew Parker and Richard Bates were held to only 4 points each, as Calgary took the initiative away from the Bears with a more attacking style. The best of three series resumes tomorrow in Calgary with the Dinos now one win away from hosting the Canada West Final Four. Game time is 7:00 pm at the Jack Simpson Gym. Notes ... In Brandon, the Regina Cougars shocked the CIS #2 ranked Bobcats 87-85 thrwarting a furious Brandon comeback attempt as Paul Gareau hit for 31 points for the Cougars. Braandon must win Saturday to extend the best of three to a deciding game Sunday.
Suggestion to the event staff for U of C ... get more ticket sellers ... how about roving sellers with aprons like 50/50 sales ? How about anything but the long lineups suffered by many fans, who wound up missing much of the first quarter?
Price for Calgary and Steele for Alberta were the iron-men on the night, as they logged 39 and 38 minutes respectively. Cody Darrah, the 5th year Dinos guard, who transferred to Calgary from the Bears for his last 3 seasons, played a steady game with 8 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and was 2/4 from 3 pt. range. The attendance was approximately 1800.
Game Review by Mark Wacyk The Dinos used a 30-16 third quarter run to erase a five point halftime deficit and defeat the Bears in Calgary. 6'8" Henry Bekkering led the Dinos, who clearly won the battles inside, with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while 6'6" Robbi Sihota added 17 points and Ross Bekkering 15. "Calgary completely dominated us inside tonight and we need a much better effort from our bigs if we are to turn things around tonight", commented Alberta Head Coach Don Horwood. "They pounded the ball inside tonight and we turned it over too much at key points in the third quarter to have a chance to win." After 6'2" Alex Steele (20 points, 8 rebounds) stole a long inbounds pass and fed 6'1" C.G. Morrison for a buzzer-beating three pointer to end the first half, Alberta led by 5 and had the momentum. But Calgary reestablished their inside presence early in the third quarter and then the Bears turned the ball over on 4 consecutive possessions midway through the quarter, allowing the Dinos to take the lead for good. While 6'5" Neb Aleskic had a terrific shooting game with 20 points, Alberta's front line of 6'3" Justin Vanloo, 6'10" Richard Bates and 6'8" Harvey Bradford combined for only 10 points and 12 rebounds on the night. Calgary can wrap up the Central division title and a date next week to host the Canada West Final Four with a win either tonight or tomorrow over the Bears.
42-38. The Bears turned the ball over an uncharacteristic 24 times, as Jeff Price with 5 steals, and Tyler Fidler and Sihota with 3, frustrated the Alberta offense in the second half. Aleksic and Alex Steele were the leading point getters for the visitors with 20 each, with Steele adding 6 assists, and Aleksic 8 rebounds.
Two of Alberta's key players, 5th year forwards Andrew Parker and Richard Bates were held to only 4 points each, as Calgary took the initiative away from the Bears with a more attacking style. The best of three series resumes tomorrow in Calgary with the Dinos now one win away from hosting the Canada West Final Four. Game time is 7:00 pm at the Jack Simpson Gym. Notes ... In Brandon, the Regina Cougars shocked the CIS #2 ranked Bobcats 87-85 thrwarting a furious Brandon comeback attempt as Paul Gareau hit for 31 points for the Cougars. Braandon must win Saturday to extend the best of three to a deciding game Sunday.
Suggestion to the event staff for U of C ... get more ticket sellers ... how about roving sellers with aprons like 50/50 sales ? How about anything but the long lineups suffered by many fans, who wound up missing much of the first quarter?
Price for Calgary and Steele for Alberta were the iron-men on the night, as they logged 39 and 38 minutes respectively. Cody Darrah, the 5th year Dinos guard, who transferred to Calgary from the Bears for his last 3 seasons, played a steady game with 8 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and was 2/4 from 3 pt. range. The attendance was approximately 1800.
Game Review by Mark Wacyk The Dinos used a 30-16 third quarter run to erase a five point halftime deficit and defeat the Bears in Calgary. 6'8" Henry Bekkering led the Dinos, who clearly won the battles inside, with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while 6'6" Robbi Sihota added 17 points and Ross Bekkering 15. "Calgary completely dominated us inside tonight and we need a much better effort from our bigs if we are to turn things around tonight", commented Alberta Head Coach Don Horwood. "They pounded the ball inside tonight and we turned it over too much at key points in the third quarter to have a chance to win." After 6'2" Alex Steele (20 points, 8 rebounds) stole a long inbounds pass and fed 6'1" C.G. Morrison for a buzzer-beating three pointer to end the first half, Alberta led by 5 and had the momentum. But Calgary reestablished their inside presence early in the third quarter and then the Bears turned the ball over on 4 consecutive possessions midway through the quarter, allowing the Dinos to take the lead for good. While 6'5" Neb Aleskic had a terrific shooting game with 20 points, Alberta's front line of 6'3" Justin Vanloo, 6'10" Richard Bates and 6'8" Harvey Bradford combined for only 10 points and 12 rebounds on the night. Calgary can wrap up the Central division title and a date next week to host the Canada West Final Four with a win either tonight or tomorrow over the Bears.
Redmen remain in hunt for second with key win over Citadins
McGill 81, UQAM 77 The Redmen kept their hopes of finishing as high as second alive with a tight win over the Citadins at home at Love Gymnasium. UQAM now faces the prospects of completing their season against first-place Laval in a must-win situation just to hope to avoid le Rouge et Or in the first round of the playoffs. McGill came from behind in the fourth-quarter led by their 6'4" 1st Team QSSF all-star Sean Anthony's 25 point/13 rebound performance. 6'3" Moustafa El-Zanaty added 17 points for the Redmen, who shot a blistering 23-27 from the foul line (85.2%) against only 68.8% for the Citadins (22/32). 6'4" Mario Joseph had a 16 point/10 rebound double double for UQAM while 6'3" Sam Johnson added 17. Game report from McGill's Earl Zuckerman
QSSF STANDINGS
Laval 13-2
Concordia 8-7
McGill 8-7
UQAM 7-8
Bishop's 2-14
Tonight's Game: Laval at UQAM
Sunday's Game: Concordia at McGill
A UQAM win over Laval tonight gives them some hope in finishing third and avoiding Laval in the first round but it will come down to the tiebreaker between whichever team loses Sunday's showdown for second place between Concordia and McGill.
CORRECTION: A UQAM win tonight over Laval clinches third spot for the Citadins as they own the tiebreaker with both McGill and Concordia, so if the Citadins win tonight, the loser of tomorrow's game goes to Laval with the winner hosting UQAM. Otherwise, if Laval wins tonight, it's UQAM at Laval and McGill/Concordia with the winner of Sunday's game getting home court advantage next weekend.
QSSF STANDINGS
Laval 13-2
Concordia 8-7
McGill 8-7
UQAM 7-8
Bishop's 2-14
Tonight's Game: Laval at UQAM
Sunday's Game: Concordia at McGill
A UQAM win over Laval tonight gives them some hope in finishing third and avoiding Laval in the first round but it will come down to the tiebreaker between whichever team loses Sunday's showdown for second place between Concordia and McGill.
CORRECTION: A UQAM win tonight over Laval clinches third spot for the Citadins as they own the tiebreaker with both McGill and Concordia, so if the Citadins win tonight, the loser of tomorrow's game goes to Laval with the winner hosting UQAM. Otherwise, if Laval wins tonight, it's UQAM at Laval and McGill/Concordia with the winner of Sunday's game getting home court advantage next weekend.
Stingers hold off Gaiters in Pomykala's last game
Concordia 86, Bishop's 80 6'1" Damian Buckley hit a clutch three with just over a minute to play that clinch the Stingers win at home in the final game in the great coaching career of Bishop's mentor Eddie Pomykala. Buckley's big shot came off a high ball screen immediately after Bishop's 6'7" Herman Tesfaghebriel had brought the Gaiters back to within 2 with a clutch 3 of his own. Unfortunately, it was Tesfaghebriel who appeared to miss hedging out on the ball screen that resulted in Buckley's game-clinching shot. Buckley (game-high 29 points including 4-8 3's) hit several momentum killing shots for the Stingers, who remained in a tie for second spot with McGill, 4 point winners over UQAM. The Stingers and Redmen meet on Sunday with second place and a home court game at stake. In a somewhat-physical game, the referees allowed the teams to play their contrasting styles with Bishop's perimeter-oriented game keeping them close and the Stingers looking to get to the rim whenever possible. 6'1" sophomore point guard Andrew Wright showed that he has a bright future, with a season-best stat line of 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists against the tough Concordia backcourt while 6'3" freshman Kevin Selman added 15 for the Gaiters, who got only 10 points on 2-10 shooting from 1st QSSF all-star Junior Nicolas. 6'3" Andre Johnny added 18 for the Stingers in advance of their big game on Sunday at McGill.
NOTES... About 20 of Eddie's former players and many families from Eddie's many years at Bishop's were on hand to help celebrate Pomykala's final game. Eddie has built a tremendous legacy at Bishop's, bringing prominence to the small university in Lennoxville. As well, in a classy gesture, Concordia Head Coach John Dore presented Pomykala with some gifts acknowledging his final game in a pre-game ceremony.
NOTES... About 20 of Eddie's former players and many families from Eddie's many years at Bishop's were on hand to help celebrate Pomykala's final game. Eddie has built a tremendous legacy at Bishop's, bringing prominence to the small university in Lennoxville. As well, in a classy gesture, Concordia Head Coach John Dore presented Pomykala with some gifts acknowledging his final game in a pre-game ceremony.
Friday, 22 February 2008
AUS Unveils Plans for Final 6 in Halifax
Plans Unveiled for the 2008 Final 6 Men's Basketball Championship... Announcements include naming Peter Benoite as 2008 Honourary Chair and increasing involvement with local minor basketballFebruary 22, 2008 (HALIFAX, NS) - At a news conference held today in Halifax, Atlantic University Sport and the organizing committee of the 2008 Men's Final 6 Basketball Championship announced plans for the upcoming tournament being held in Halifax.
"We are looking forward to another successful championship weekend this year," commented Phil Currie, Executive Director of Atlantic University Sport. "Our conference has proven to be extremely competitive this season and any one of the top six teams in our conference could possibly walk away with the banner this year. There is no doubt this year's championship will provide the basketball fans of Atlantic Canada with some exciting basketball."
"We are also pleased to announce that Peter Benoite, a former star with the Memorial Sea-Hawks and the 1996-97 Atlantic University Sport Most Valuable Player, has accepted the Honourary Chair position for 2008," said Currie. "Peter has been a great ambassador for basketball both in his home province of Newfoundland and here in the Halifax community since joining the Halifax Rainmen and we could not think of a more appropriate way of recognizing his contributions."
Peter, a native of Little Barasway, NL, graduated with a degree in mathematics and statistics and was an academic all-Canadian in each of his five seasons at Memorial. He was also selected as a first team all-Canadian in 1996-97 and in 98 career regular season games with the Sea-Hawks, he averaged 14.6 points per game and his 1429 career points rank second in school history. He is a former Newfoundland Athlete of the Year (1993), was awarded the prestigious James Bayer Memorial Scholarship award in 1997 and was nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship in 1998.
Benoite, a former assistant coach with the Memorial program and currently the team captain of the Halifax Rainmen, was humble and honoured in accepting the chairmanship. "This is a special celebration and an honour for me to be associated with this year's event," stated Mr. Benoite, "having been involved in this tournament as a player and coach, I know that coaches, athletes and fans from all over Atlantic Canada will be treated to some outstanding basketball and I look forward to presenting the championship trophy to this year's winner."
Mr. Currie also announced that the organizing committee will be increasing their relationship with Basketball Nova Scotia. Minor basketball and the Steve Nash Youth Basketball program will be showcased throughout the weekend, the midget girls and boys basketball championships will be taking place on the Saturday afternoon of the tournament at the Halifax Metro Centre and local minor basketball teams will be able to take advantage of discounted ticket prices available through Basketball Nova Scotia.
The 2008 championship tournament is scheduled for March 7th-9th and the participating teams are the Acadia Axemen, the Cape Breton Capers, the Dalhousie Tigers, the Saint Mary's Huskies, the StFX X-Men and the UPEI Panthers.
Tickets packages are currently on sale and can be purchased through Ticket Atlantic at 902-451-1221 or online at www.ticketatlantic.com.
-30-
(Photo's are courtesy of the Halifax Rainmen.)
For more information, please visit www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/final6/ or contact:
Mr. John Keefe
Communications Manager
Atlantic University Sport
P: 902-425-4235
C: 902-471-7796
E: jkeefe@atlanticuniversitysport.com
Report: Long-time high school mentor tabbed as new TWU coach
Howard Tsumura of the Vancouver Province is reporting in this morning's edition that long-time White Rock Christian Academy (WRCA) Head Coach Scott Allen will be named the new Head Coach at Trinity Western University. Earlier this season, the Spartans administration abruptly ended the coaching stint of long-time coach Stan Peters and had brought in Pat Lee, former coach at UCFV, as an interim replacement. Although no official announcement has been made, Tsumura, in the attached article, speculates that an announcement could be made as early as this coming Monday. WRCA coach tipped to take over at Trinity Western
Friday's Action
Game Ones: Canada West Division Championships (All series Best-of-3)
PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
7 PM PT/10 PM ET UVic at UBC For the fourth consecutive season, the Vikes and T-Birds meet to decide the Pacific division champion and the automatic bid to the Canada West Final Four next weekend at the home of the Central division champions (either Calgary or Alberta). T-Birds won the season series 2-1 with each team winning a game on the opponent's home floor. In past seasons, this division has spawned the Canada West Final Four wild card entry however with the strength of the Central division this season, that may not be the case this season, depending upon who wins this series. Ron Ruach has a nice preview of the series in the Victoria Times-Colonist Birds must be contained Also, UBC Site Preview including live radio information plus Mike Tucker's preview from UVic sports info Old foes meet in Pacific Division finals Howard Tsumura's piece on UBC's 6'6" sophomore forward Brent Malish, UBC's Malish takes his cues from Larry Legend Also, Howard's picks for the top performers in Canada West this season 2008 Howie's
CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
7 PM MT/9 PM ET Alberta at Calgary The Dinos, undefeated at home this season and having already delivered a pair of decisive victories on the Bears in Calgary, look to make their first trip back to the Canada West Final Four in several seasons with the added bonus of hosting the event next weekend. In all, the Dinos took 3 of 4 from Alberta this season including a road win in Edmonton. Game is available for viewing via LIVE! STREAMING Calgary/Alberta preview Battle of the Border... Again Rita Mingo's article in this morning's Calgary Herald previewing tonight's game Shooting for the Stars Calgary Herald's piece Dunking Dutchman graces SI again plus Eric Francis article in the Calgary Sun on Bekkering
GREAT PLAINS DIVISION FINAL
7 PM CT/8 PM ET Regina at Brandon Preview from Brandon web site
QSSF
6 PM Bishop's at Concordia The Gaiters say good-bye to long time skipper Eddie Pomykala who coaches his final game tonight in Montreal against the Stingers. It is a big one for Concordia which needs a victory to maintain their chance to finish second and get a home court playoff game in the semi-finals next week.
8 PM UQAM at McGill This game will go a long way in deciding spots two through four in the "Q". All three teams, Citadins, Redmen and Concordia are tied with 7-7 records, each with 2 games remaining. Fourth-place team meets Laval in Ste. Foy in the semi-finals next week.
AUS
8 PM AT/7 PM ET UNB at Dalhousie A pair of teams play out the string as UNB has been eliminated and the Tigers are firmly in fifth place in the AUS, awaiting their first round opponent at the AUS tournament which begins next Friday at the Halifax Metro Center.
8 PM NFLD TIME/6:30 PM ET StFX at Memorial The X-Men need to sweep this weekend to have any hope of a first-round bye at the AUS tournament while the Seahawks are hoping to avoid a winless AUS regular season. The teams play again tomorrow in St. John's.
PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
7 PM PT/10 PM ET UVic at UBC For the fourth consecutive season, the Vikes and T-Birds meet to decide the Pacific division champion and the automatic bid to the Canada West Final Four next weekend at the home of the Central division champions (either Calgary or Alberta). T-Birds won the season series 2-1 with each team winning a game on the opponent's home floor. In past seasons, this division has spawned the Canada West Final Four wild card entry however with the strength of the Central division this season, that may not be the case this season, depending upon who wins this series. Ron Ruach has a nice preview of the series in the Victoria Times-Colonist Birds must be contained Also, UBC Site Preview including live radio information plus Mike Tucker's preview from UVic sports info Old foes meet in Pacific Division finals Howard Tsumura's piece on UBC's 6'6" sophomore forward Brent Malish, UBC's Malish takes his cues from Larry Legend Also, Howard's picks for the top performers in Canada West this season 2008 Howie's
CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
7 PM MT/9 PM ET Alberta at Calgary The Dinos, undefeated at home this season and having already delivered a pair of decisive victories on the Bears in Calgary, look to make their first trip back to the Canada West Final Four in several seasons with the added bonus of hosting the event next weekend. In all, the Dinos took 3 of 4 from Alberta this season including a road win in Edmonton. Game is available for viewing via LIVE! STREAMING Calgary/Alberta preview Battle of the Border... Again Rita Mingo's article in this morning's Calgary Herald previewing tonight's game Shooting for the Stars Calgary Herald's piece Dunking Dutchman graces SI again plus Eric Francis article in the Calgary Sun on Bekkering
GREAT PLAINS DIVISION FINAL
7 PM CT/8 PM ET Regina at Brandon Preview from Brandon web site
QSSF
6 PM Bishop's at Concordia The Gaiters say good-bye to long time skipper Eddie Pomykala who coaches his final game tonight in Montreal against the Stingers. It is a big one for Concordia which needs a victory to maintain their chance to finish second and get a home court playoff game in the semi-finals next week.
8 PM UQAM at McGill This game will go a long way in deciding spots two through four in the "Q". All three teams, Citadins, Redmen and Concordia are tied with 7-7 records, each with 2 games remaining. Fourth-place team meets Laval in Ste. Foy in the semi-finals next week.
AUS
8 PM AT/7 PM ET UNB at Dalhousie A pair of teams play out the string as UNB has been eliminated and the Tigers are firmly in fifth place in the AUS, awaiting their first round opponent at the AUS tournament which begins next Friday at the Halifax Metro Center.
8 PM NFLD TIME/6:30 PM ET StFX at Memorial The X-Men need to sweep this weekend to have any hope of a first-round bye at the AUS tournament while the Seahawks are hoping to avoid a winless AUS regular season. The teams play again tomorrow in St. John's.
OUA East Honours
OUA East was definitely two divisions within one this season with the Top 4 teams (Carleton, Toronto, Ottawa and Queen's) losing only one game total against the bottom 4 teams (York defeated Toronto). With neither of Wednesday night's first round playoff games very close, it is clear that this season the top 4 teams in the conference are meeting in the semi-finals. The standings were a strong consideration in the selection of the CISHOOPS.CA OUA East all-stars and other honours for this season, outlined below.
OUA EAST FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS
6'7" Aaron Doornekamp, Carleton; Player-of-the-Year His numbers (15.6 ppg/8.3 rpg) hardly tell the entire story as he proved to the best player in the conference, leading Carleton to another undefeated season. Had his biggest games in the biggest spots including 33 points vs. Windsor in a meeting of then #1 vs. #2 in November, 20 points/10 rebounds at Scotiabank Place against Ottawa at the Capital Hoops Classic and 30 points and 11 rebounds against Toronto at home. Arguably the toughest matchup in the country with his ability to draw double teams and either finish or find teammates, Doornekamp is well deserving of the Player of the Year in his conference.
Stuart Turnbull, Carleton No one plays with more grit, determination and confidence than the scrappy Turnbull, who became an elite scorer (15.9 ppg) this season including dropping 27 points on Toronto and another 27 to will his listless Ravens to their most recent win against Ottawa. Turnbull has become a back-court force in his fourth year with the Ravens.
Josh Gibson-Bascombe, Ottawa The most skilled guard in the conference who without question gives the Gee-Gees a chance to win each night. He has had several big games scoring, rebounding and playmaking, averaging 18.6 ppg (third in the OUA East). The Gee-Gees are simply a different team without the 6'4" Toronto native on the floor.
Mike Degiorgio, Toronto The fifth-year point guard is the main reason why the Blues were able to grab a first-round bye in the OUA East playoffs. Degiorgio is a tough floor leader who takes care of the ball, rebounds and finds people. He ordinarily flirts with a triple double and, while not a natural scorer, made several big shots including long 3's in important Toronto victories this season.
Simon Mitchell, Queen's Numbers again don't tell the entire story for the Gaels floor leader who, as the only experienced member of the Queen's rotation led the freshmen-laden Gaels to a surprising fourth-place finish and Queen's first Top 10 ranking in the history of their men's basketball program earlier this season. Mitchell was arguably the league's top defender, handled the ball at key times in games and made big shots. The former OUA East Rookie-of-the-Year is the key to Queen's having a chance to advance in the playoffs.
Second Team
Sean Peter, Ottawa On the verge of a first team selection with a breakout season (16.0 ppg/ 6.6 rpg). Also has developed into one of the league's strongest defenders.
Ryan Bell, Carleton Tremendous defender and unselfish point guard who tends to defer to others offensively. Still, without question one of the keys to the undefeated Ravens.
Mitch Leger, Queen's This sophomore had an injury-plagued early part of the season but recovered to average 17.5 ppg (4th in OUA East) and 8.2 rpg (4th in OUA East).
Rob Paris, Toronto The Blues offense is a perfect fit for Paris, who loves to come off screens to rise to shoot or get to the rim. Paris (15.3 ppg, 45.4% 3's) had several games where he scored 19 points in a half and emerged as a legitimate scorer in the league this season.
Boris Bakovic, Ryerson The league's leading scorer at 23.8 ppg, Bakovic hopes to continue to help the Rams program grow into a league contender.
Honourable Mention: Dax Dessureault, Ottawa; Tut Ruach, York; Nick Magalas, Toronto; Nick Snow, Toronto.
Coach of the Year: Mike Katz; Honourable mention: Rob Smart, Queen's; Both Katz and Smart Sr. came into this season having to deal with severe loses to their rosters yet both teams were able to finish in the top half of the division with virtually brand new rotations.
All-Freshman Team:
Jon Ogden, Queen's, Freshman of the Year Unheralded as a recruit out of Belleville, Ogden fit perfectly into the Gaels read-and-react offense, emerging into a tough matchup with his ability to knock down 3's and rebound inside.
Elliott Thompson, Carleton The most advanced of the 3 Ravens prized freshmen at this point; the scrappy Thompson looks to be emerging into the same type of player Carleton veteran Stuart Turnbull has become.
Travis Mitchell, Queen's Another big man who can shoot it and handle the ball; a perfect fit for the Gaels offense was a tough matchup as a freshman.
Andrew Wasik, Toronto The burly redshirt freshman from B.C. made his presence felt at both ends in the paint with his strength and confidence around the rim. Wasik finishes inside without fear and eats up space defensively for the Blues.
Jacob Gibson-Bascombe, Ottawa The sixth man on the third place team in the conference was coming on as a combination guard before injuries curtailed his season in January.
OUA EAST FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS
6'7" Aaron Doornekamp, Carleton; Player-of-the-Year His numbers (15.6 ppg/8.3 rpg) hardly tell the entire story as he proved to the best player in the conference, leading Carleton to another undefeated season. Had his biggest games in the biggest spots including 33 points vs. Windsor in a meeting of then #1 vs. #2 in November, 20 points/10 rebounds at Scotiabank Place against Ottawa at the Capital Hoops Classic and 30 points and 11 rebounds against Toronto at home. Arguably the toughest matchup in the country with his ability to draw double teams and either finish or find teammates, Doornekamp is well deserving of the Player of the Year in his conference.
Stuart Turnbull, Carleton No one plays with more grit, determination and confidence than the scrappy Turnbull, who became an elite scorer (15.9 ppg) this season including dropping 27 points on Toronto and another 27 to will his listless Ravens to their most recent win against Ottawa. Turnbull has become a back-court force in his fourth year with the Ravens.
Josh Gibson-Bascombe, Ottawa The most skilled guard in the conference who without question gives the Gee-Gees a chance to win each night. He has had several big games scoring, rebounding and playmaking, averaging 18.6 ppg (third in the OUA East). The Gee-Gees are simply a different team without the 6'4" Toronto native on the floor.
Mike Degiorgio, Toronto The fifth-year point guard is the main reason why the Blues were able to grab a first-round bye in the OUA East playoffs. Degiorgio is a tough floor leader who takes care of the ball, rebounds and finds people. He ordinarily flirts with a triple double and, while not a natural scorer, made several big shots including long 3's in important Toronto victories this season.
Simon Mitchell, Queen's Numbers again don't tell the entire story for the Gaels floor leader who, as the only experienced member of the Queen's rotation led the freshmen-laden Gaels to a surprising fourth-place finish and Queen's first Top 10 ranking in the history of their men's basketball program earlier this season. Mitchell was arguably the league's top defender, handled the ball at key times in games and made big shots. The former OUA East Rookie-of-the-Year is the key to Queen's having a chance to advance in the playoffs.
Second Team
Sean Peter, Ottawa On the verge of a first team selection with a breakout season (16.0 ppg/ 6.6 rpg). Also has developed into one of the league's strongest defenders.
Ryan Bell, Carleton Tremendous defender and unselfish point guard who tends to defer to others offensively. Still, without question one of the keys to the undefeated Ravens.
Mitch Leger, Queen's This sophomore had an injury-plagued early part of the season but recovered to average 17.5 ppg (4th in OUA East) and 8.2 rpg (4th in OUA East).
Rob Paris, Toronto The Blues offense is a perfect fit for Paris, who loves to come off screens to rise to shoot or get to the rim. Paris (15.3 ppg, 45.4% 3's) had several games where he scored 19 points in a half and emerged as a legitimate scorer in the league this season.
Boris Bakovic, Ryerson The league's leading scorer at 23.8 ppg, Bakovic hopes to continue to help the Rams program grow into a league contender.
Honourable Mention: Dax Dessureault, Ottawa; Tut Ruach, York; Nick Magalas, Toronto; Nick Snow, Toronto.
Coach of the Year: Mike Katz; Honourable mention: Rob Smart, Queen's; Both Katz and Smart Sr. came into this season having to deal with severe loses to their rosters yet both teams were able to finish in the top half of the division with virtually brand new rotations.
All-Freshman Team:
Jon Ogden, Queen's, Freshman of the Year Unheralded as a recruit out of Belleville, Ogden fit perfectly into the Gaels read-and-react offense, emerging into a tough matchup with his ability to knock down 3's and rebound inside.
Elliott Thompson, Carleton The most advanced of the 3 Ravens prized freshmen at this point; the scrappy Thompson looks to be emerging into the same type of player Carleton veteran Stuart Turnbull has become.
Travis Mitchell, Queen's Another big man who can shoot it and handle the ball; a perfect fit for the Gaels offense was a tough matchup as a freshman.
Andrew Wasik, Toronto The burly redshirt freshman from B.C. made his presence felt at both ends in the paint with his strength and confidence around the rim. Wasik finishes inside without fear and eats up space defensively for the Blues.
Jacob Gibson-Bascombe, Ottawa The sixth man on the third place team in the conference was coming on as a combination guard before injuries curtailed his season in January.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Bears, Dinos Preview by Wayne Thomas
Provincial Rivals On a Collision Course... Any Dinos - Bears series is usually played with great emotion, energy, and determination, but when the Division Championship and home court for the Canada West Final Four are on the line, the intensity is magnified. Calgary (18-4) and Alberta (16-6) have both had terrific regular seasons with the difference being Calgary's 3-1 advantage in head to head battles.... These are two teams which racked up a big point total in winning games against the other, and the two prominent scorers are the 5th year guard, Alex Steele of the Bears and the 4th year power forward, Henry Bekkering for Calgary. The two tied for 3rd in Canada West scoring at 21 ppg, but they did it in very different ways; Bekkering features an all-out assault on the rim, while Steele often bombs from long range. Give credit to each player, though, because they can both change up when the opportunity presents itself ... Bekkering has hit from beyond the arc, and Steele is adept at taking it inside. For Alberta, 6'11" Richard Bates, and 6'5" Andrew Parker have been key players in a strong finish to their season, and they are both capable of chalking up double digit numbers. Bates' size inside has to be negated, and Parker's frenetic energy and improved outside shooting can be a motivator for the Bears. Their point guard CG Morrison, a 6'3" outside threat, is back after having missed the middle part of the Alberta schedule with an injury, and his presence takes some of the load off of Steele.... For the Dinos, Robbie Sihota, 6'6", 3rd year post has averaged 18 points over the 4 league encounters with U of A, and his scoring and rebounding have been key to Calgary success. Sihota will be glad to see the return of 6'8" post partner Ross Bekkering, who has recovered from an ankle injury and will bring his league-leading rebounding and 12 pts. a game scoring to the table. The point guard spot has been a bright spot for Coach Vanhooren as he lauds the play of the 6' Jeff Price, a 3rd year transfer from Mount Royal College, Calgary. Price has more than held his own against all the top guards in Canada West, and led the league in FT % at 88%, in assists at 5.2 per game, and was 6th in 3pt. FG% at 43%. Scott Leigh, Justin VanLoo, and Harvey Bradford started all three Semi- Final games last weekend for Alberta, with Bradford and VanLoo, both 6'5", playing good defense inside and doing their share of rebounding. Leigh, their 2nd year point man is a good outside shooter and defends well. Calgary counters with the 5th year ex-Bear, Cody Darrah, who will be especially motivated to perform well against his hometown team, and with the Dinos freshman phenom, Tyler Fidler, who can spell Darrah or another perimeter player. Coach Vanhooren has also called upon 3rd year SAIT transfer, 6'5" Josh Lovestone, the undersized, but strong and combative post to shake things up in the paint. Notes ... Coach Horwood, in a radio interview earlier this week, made some interesting comments about coaching pressure, describing how "I suffered for each game of the series ...." , and revealing just what a mental toll coaching playoff basketball can take. The veteran coach offered "how much it hurts (to lose)", in response to a question about his empathy for the Saskatchewan coaches and players. Horwood put it well when he said " I have empathy for all coaches and players; we all work so hard all year." Horwood also suggested his Bears were a different team than they were 6 weeks ago, and they are playing better defensively, more consistently, and have out-rebounded everyone over the past several weeks. Horwood said "Our guys have a different attitude ... we get contributions from different people." Coach Dan Vanhooren of Calgary, who played for Horwood at U of A is happy with his team's preparation for the series and feels " ... we may have another gear." He is looking for his team to turn up their game, take advantage of home court, and "win the battle on the glass". Game time is 7:00 pm both Friday and Saturday at the Jack Simpson Gym.
Articles, recaps from last night
Guelph 85, Western 74 The Gryphs finish third in the OUA West by virtue of their road win at Western. Guelph will host Laurier at 2 PM on Saturday in one OUA West quarter-final while the Mustangs will host Mac also on Saturday. Greg Layson's Big Man on Campus has the story on last night's game. A piece from earlier in the week by Greg that appeared in the Guelph Mercury Gryphs healthy again
Wayne Kondro's article in this morning's Ottawa Citizen Gee-Gees take first step plus Neate Sager has a piece on last night's Ottawa win over Ryerson in the Ottawa Sun Ottawa's star guard Ram tough
Mary Caton of the Windsor Star on Senior's Night at Windsor Lancers seniors get their party
Jim Wallace's article on last night's Brock win at home against Mac Badgers finish with win
Chad Lucas's thoughts on the latest CIS Top 10
The Scrum's Podcast #10 with Regina Cougars Head Coach James Hillis
Jim Thomas of All Ontario Scouting Service serves up his Thomas Report for Feb. 20th, 2008
Wayne Kondro's article in this morning's Ottawa Citizen Gee-Gees take first step plus Neate Sager has a piece on last night's Ottawa win over Ryerson in the Ottawa Sun Ottawa's star guard Ram tough
Mary Caton of the Windsor Star on Senior's Night at Windsor Lancers seniors get their party
Jim Wallace's article on last night's Brock win at home against Mac Badgers finish with win
Chad Lucas's thoughts on the latest CIS Top 10
The Scrum's Podcast #10 with Regina Cougars Head Coach James Hillis
Jim Thomas of All Ontario Scouting Service serves up his Thomas Report for Feb. 20th, 2008
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
OUA East Quarter-Finals: Ottawa pounds Rams
Ottawa 76, Ryerson 49 The Gee-Gees put the game away with a 36-11 run bridging the second and third quarters to lead by as many as 31 in running away to an easy win over Ryerson to win tonight's OUA East sudden-death quarter final. With the win, Ottawa travels to Toronto to face the U of T Varsity Blues Sunday at 3 PM at U of T's Harbord Street gym. 6'4" Josh Gibson-Bascombe scored the last 6 points of the half and had 16 of his game-high 20 points in the opening half to give the Gee-Gees a 12 point halftime lead. The Gee-Gees then scored the first 8 points of the quarter as 6'3" Donnie Gibson had a pair of tough buckets and later 6'3" Sean Peter (17 points) got it going in transition and from the perimeter as Ottawa outscored Rye 22-5 in the third quarter. Ottawa emptied their bench early in the fourth quarter to ride to the easy win. 6'5" Nemanja Baletic had the best game of his young career with 15 points and 6 rebounds including several on the defensive glass when it was still a game in the second quarter. while 6'5" Marvin Bazile also played with tremendous confidence. 6'7" Boris Bakovic had 15 points to lead Ryerson, which turned the ball over 25 times including 16 in the first half and was outrebounded 50-42 by the Gee-Gees.
Queen's 75, York 57 6'6" Mitch Leger led 4 Gaels in double figures with 20 points as Queen's held the normally high-scoring Lions to only 9 third quarter points to ride to an easy win. York's Tut Ruach led all scorers with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists but got virtually nothing from his supporting cast outside of 6'3" Amde Evans who had 13. 6'7" Matt Terejko fouled out with 4 points. 6'3" veteran Simon Mitchell added 18 for Queen's, which now moves on to face the Carleton Ravens in Ottawa this coming Saturday night. Doug Graham previewed tonight's game in the Kingston Whig-Standard.
OUA EAST SEMI-FINALS
Saturday, February 23rd; Queen's at Carleton 8 PM
Sunday, February 24th; Ottawa at Toronto 3 PM.
Winners meet at home of higher seed the following Saturday, March 1st. Winner of that game hosts OUA Championship (Wilson Cup) on Saturday, March 8th.
Queen's 75, York 57 6'6" Mitch Leger led 4 Gaels in double figures with 20 points as Queen's held the normally high-scoring Lions to only 9 third quarter points to ride to an easy win. York's Tut Ruach led all scorers with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists but got virtually nothing from his supporting cast outside of 6'3" Amde Evans who had 13. 6'7" Matt Terejko fouled out with 4 points. 6'3" veteran Simon Mitchell added 18 for Queen's, which now moves on to face the Carleton Ravens in Ottawa this coming Saturday night. Doug Graham previewed tonight's game in the Kingston Whig-Standard.
OUA EAST SEMI-FINALS
Saturday, February 23rd; Queen's at Carleton 8 PM
Sunday, February 24th; Ottawa at Toronto 3 PM.
Winners meet at home of higher seed the following Saturday, March 1st. Winner of that game hosts OUA Championship (Wilson Cup) on Saturday, March 8th.
OUA West: Steer's Triple Double leads Lancers
Windsor 78, Laurier 71 6'1" fifth-year senior guard Ryan Steer celebrated Senior's Night with his first career triple-double scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and doling out 12 assists to lead the Lancers to victory at the St. Denis Center. 6'8" Greg Surmacz again had a steady 18 point/8 rebound effort including 8-13 from the floor. 6'5" freshman Kale Harrison had 23 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Hawks, who will finish sixth and play the winner of tonight's Guelph at Western game on the road on Saturday.
Brock 72, McMaster 66 FINAL Mac made a late charge with what was a late 14 point Brock lead.
The winner of tonight's Guelph at Western game hosts Laurier on Saturday while the loser will host McMaster, also on Saturday.
Brock 72, McMaster 66 FINAL Mac made a late charge with what was a late 14 point Brock lead.
The winner of tonight's Guelph at Western game hosts Laurier on Saturday while the loser will host McMaster, also on Saturday.
QSSF Announces 2007-08 All-Stars and other honours
2007-08 QUBL Men’s Basketball All-Stars / Most Valuable Player: Jean-Philippe Morin*, Laval
Rookie of the Year: Xavier Baribeau, Laval
Defensive Player of the Year: Damon Thomas Anderson, Bishop's
Coach of the Year: Jacques Paiement*, Laval
First All-Star Team
Jean-Philippe Morin, Laval
Damian Buckley, Concordia
Junior Nicolas, Bishop's
Sean Anthony, McGill
Jean-François Beaulieu-Maheux, Laval
Second All-Star Team
Mario Joseph, UQAM
Moustafa El-Zanaty, McGill
Kevin Boucher, UQAM
Jamal Gallier, Concordia
Samuel Johnson, UQAM
All-Rookie Team
Xavier Baribeau, Laval
Jérôme Turcotte-Routhier, Laval
Olivier Boyard, UQAM
James Clark, Concordia
Kevin Selman, Bishop's
Ken Shields Trophy Nominee
Doug McCooeye*, Bishop's
Official of the Year
Mario Lessard
* - denotes unanimous selection
OUA East Quarter-Final Playoffs Tonight
7 PM Ryerson at Ottawa The injury-plagued Gee-Gees have a difficult opponent in the long, wide Rams and their starting front line of 6'11" Igor Bakovic, 6'9" Joey Imbrogno and 6'7" Boris Bakovic. Ottawa nearly pulled off a tremendous upset at Carleton this past Saturday but face a dangerous Rams team, especially if 6'0" Sanil Sehic can stretch the perimeter and the Bakovic brothers can get going. No word on the health of Gee-Gees 6'4" Josh Gibson-Bascombe although he was in street clothes this past Saturday at Carleton. Ottawa won both regular season games between the two teams. Game can be seen LIVE! on Streaming Sports Network The game will also be shown on the Rogers Television network in Ontario. Check local listings.
8 PM York at Queen's The Gaels have put together a tremendous season and have a chance to move closer to what was at the beginning of the season an improbable run at the possible trip to the Nationals. The Lions appear to be putting it together at the right time, having won 5 of their last 8 games and playing very well in the two games prior to that against Ottawa and Carleton. Queen's swept York in two league games this season including an early February 74-67 win at Bartlett Gym in Kingston as Tut Ruach had a game-high 29 points for York but the Gaels outrebounded the Lions 40-27 and held them to only 31.7% shooting while making 11 3's of their own.
8 PM York at Queen's The Gaels have put together a tremendous season and have a chance to move closer to what was at the beginning of the season an improbable run at the possible trip to the Nationals. The Lions appear to be putting it together at the right time, having won 5 of their last 8 games and playing very well in the two games prior to that against Ottawa and Carleton. Queen's swept York in two league games this season including an early February 74-67 win at Bartlett Gym in Kingston as Tut Ruach had a game-high 29 points for York but the Gaels outrebounded the Lions 40-27 and held them to only 31.7% shooting while making 11 3's of their own.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
OUA West Review
Once again this season, the OUA West proved to be arguably Canada's most balanced conference top-to-bottom, with the playoff races coming down to the wire and final positions in the standings not to be determined until after the final night of play. The Windsor Lancers (11-2 since the new year) rode a late-season 10 game winning streak to their second consecutive OUA West regular season championship while the veteran Brock Badgers, winners of 7 of their last 8 and a solid 10-3 since Christmas, have the experience to secure a place in Ottawa. However, the most improved team from last season relative to competing for a conference championship could be Western, winners of 7 of their last 9 and 9-4 in the new year. Wednesday night's games will determine the final pairings for sudden-death quarter-final playoff games to be played on Saturday with Guleph and Western hosting either Laurier or McMaster.
Here is the CISHOOPS.CA take on the All-Stars in the OUA West for this season:
FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS:
6'8" Greg Surmacz, Windsor, Player-of-the-Year The toughest matchup in the OUA West with his combination of back-to-the-basket and face up skills, Surmacz was the consistent element in the Lancers second consecutive OUA West regular season championship. For the entire season, Surmacz has averaged 19.5 ppg (2nd in OUA West) and 8.2 rpg (1st in OUA West) and has significantly upped those numbers in the new year in the head-to-head games against OUA West opponents (21.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 53% fg), scoring over 20 points in 9 of 13 games (including 14 in only 19 minutes in a blowout against Waterloo and 18 in a blowout against Lakehead). Surmacz saved his best for the toughest teams, going for 27 and 23 points in two wins against Western, 19/15 and then 27 against Guelph and consecutive 22 point games in two wins against Brock.
6'0" Ryan Steer, Windsor After a solid fourth-year when he developed into an all-conference type guard, Steer established himself as an elite CIS point guard in this his fifth and final season with tremendous offensive production, routinely pushing a triple double. His ability to extend his perimeter shooting, leadership in big spots and playmaking ability in the open court were among the key elements that matured in his game this season. A sure-fire way to be named first team all-star is to play well head-to-head against the incomparable Brad Rootes, which Steer did this season, averaging 18 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 9.5 apg in the two Lancer wins against the Badgers.
Brad Rootes, Brock Without a doubt, the best guard in the OUA West and arguably Canada during his career, Rootes ordinarily played through numerous ailments including a pair of ankle injuries this season and when available usually played the full 40 minutes without fail. Rootes consistently made big, game-changing plays for the Badgers at key spots this season and his value to the Badgers cannot be measured simply by statistics. With Rootes out of the lineup earlier in the year, the Badgers struggled. In constrast, Rootes willed his team to victories when the supporting cast of Rohan Steen, Mike Kemp and others were out with injuries. Brad goes down as one of the great players of his generation in the CIS.
Brad Smith, Western Emerged as an offensive machine this season with his blend of skill and underrated athleticism. Smith's second and third jumps make him a put-back machine and his smooth lefty stroke opens up the paint for drives. One of the most difficult defensive matchups in the OUA West is deserving of a first-team all star nod.
Mike Kemp, Brock The Badgers leading scorer at 18.9 ppg was also arguably the West's top defender with his combination of size, strength and quickness, ordinarily guarding the opposition's top player. Kemp has matured into an offensive threat alongside Brad Rootes, is an able rebounder and had several big scoring games in leading the Badgers to second place.
Second Team All-Stars
Matt Curtis, Western
Kiraan Posey, Lakehead
Nick Pankerichan, Guelph
Kale Harrison, Laurier
Duncan Milne, Guelph
All-Freshman Team
Kale Harrison, Laurier Harrison showed great confidence from the very beginning of the season and his 17.0 ppg including 48.8 % of his 3's were among the best numbers for a freshman in recent memory.
Jonathan Moscatelli, Guelph Likely could have pushed Harrison if not for injuries but still fashioned a solid freshman season.
Tyrell Vernon, McMaster Mac's future in the backcourt showed flashes of an above-average shooting range and progressed well as a lead guard also.
Cam McIntyre, Waterloo An explosive scorer with tremendous range, McIntyre had some eye-opening point totals but needs to become more consistent.
Mike Patrella, Guelph An unheralded recruit at the beginning of the season, this coach's son displayed a gritty, intelligent game running the point without fear of failure, allowing Nick Pankerichan to assume more of a scorer's role.
Honourable Mention: Ryan Baribeau, Western.
Wednesday's Action in the OUA West
7 PM Laurier at Windsor Senior's night for Ryan Steer, Kevin Kloostra and the Allin brothers. Watch the action on the Streaming Sports Network
7:30 pm McMaster at Brock These long-time QEW rivals meet in St. Catharines with Brock already clinching a bye and Mac a lock to play a road playoff game either at Guelph or at Western. Watch the action on the Streaming Sports Network OR listen live on Mac Radio 93.3 CFMU
8:00 pm Guelph at Western The winner gets third place and either Laurier or Mac at home and the loser gets fourth and either Laurier or Mac at home.
Here is the CISHOOPS.CA take on the All-Stars in the OUA West for this season:
FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS:
6'8" Greg Surmacz, Windsor, Player-of-the-Year The toughest matchup in the OUA West with his combination of back-to-the-basket and face up skills, Surmacz was the consistent element in the Lancers second consecutive OUA West regular season championship. For the entire season, Surmacz has averaged 19.5 ppg (2nd in OUA West) and 8.2 rpg (1st in OUA West) and has significantly upped those numbers in the new year in the head-to-head games against OUA West opponents (21.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 53% fg), scoring over 20 points in 9 of 13 games (including 14 in only 19 minutes in a blowout against Waterloo and 18 in a blowout against Lakehead). Surmacz saved his best for the toughest teams, going for 27 and 23 points in two wins against Western, 19/15 and then 27 against Guelph and consecutive 22 point games in two wins against Brock.
6'0" Ryan Steer, Windsor After a solid fourth-year when he developed into an all-conference type guard, Steer established himself as an elite CIS point guard in this his fifth and final season with tremendous offensive production, routinely pushing a triple double. His ability to extend his perimeter shooting, leadership in big spots and playmaking ability in the open court were among the key elements that matured in his game this season. A sure-fire way to be named first team all-star is to play well head-to-head against the incomparable Brad Rootes, which Steer did this season, averaging 18 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 9.5 apg in the two Lancer wins against the Badgers.
Brad Rootes, Brock Without a doubt, the best guard in the OUA West and arguably Canada during his career, Rootes ordinarily played through numerous ailments including a pair of ankle injuries this season and when available usually played the full 40 minutes without fail. Rootes consistently made big, game-changing plays for the Badgers at key spots this season and his value to the Badgers cannot be measured simply by statistics. With Rootes out of the lineup earlier in the year, the Badgers struggled. In constrast, Rootes willed his team to victories when the supporting cast of Rohan Steen, Mike Kemp and others were out with injuries. Brad goes down as one of the great players of his generation in the CIS.
Brad Smith, Western Emerged as an offensive machine this season with his blend of skill and underrated athleticism. Smith's second and third jumps make him a put-back machine and his smooth lefty stroke opens up the paint for drives. One of the most difficult defensive matchups in the OUA West is deserving of a first-team all star nod.
Mike Kemp, Brock The Badgers leading scorer at 18.9 ppg was also arguably the West's top defender with his combination of size, strength and quickness, ordinarily guarding the opposition's top player. Kemp has matured into an offensive threat alongside Brad Rootes, is an able rebounder and had several big scoring games in leading the Badgers to second place.
Second Team All-Stars
Matt Curtis, Western
Kiraan Posey, Lakehead
Nick Pankerichan, Guelph
Kale Harrison, Laurier
Duncan Milne, Guelph
All-Freshman Team
Kale Harrison, Laurier Harrison showed great confidence from the very beginning of the season and his 17.0 ppg including 48.8 % of his 3's were among the best numbers for a freshman in recent memory.
Jonathan Moscatelli, Guelph Likely could have pushed Harrison if not for injuries but still fashioned a solid freshman season.
Tyrell Vernon, McMaster Mac's future in the backcourt showed flashes of an above-average shooting range and progressed well as a lead guard also.
Cam McIntyre, Waterloo An explosive scorer with tremendous range, McIntyre had some eye-opening point totals but needs to become more consistent.
Mike Patrella, Guelph An unheralded recruit at the beginning of the season, this coach's son displayed a gritty, intelligent game running the point without fear of failure, allowing Nick Pankerichan to assume more of a scorer's role.
Honourable Mention: Ryan Baribeau, Western.
Wednesday's Action in the OUA West
7 PM Laurier at Windsor Senior's night for Ryan Steer, Kevin Kloostra and the Allin brothers. Watch the action on the Streaming Sports Network
7:30 pm McMaster at Brock These long-time QEW rivals meet in St. Catharines with Brock already clinching a bye and Mac a lock to play a road playoff game either at Guelph or at Western. Watch the action on the Streaming Sports Network OR listen live on Mac Radio 93.3 CFMU
8:00 pm Guelph at Western The winner gets third place and either Laurier or Mac at home and the loser gets fourth and either Laurier or Mac at home.
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