CIS Hoops.ca

AUS Tonight
Saint Mary's (4-5) at Acadia (3-3)  First of four meeting this season between the Huskies and Axemen and both teams come off impressive outings with Saint Mary's renewing their commitment to the defensive end, especially guarding the ball, while Acadia finally has a healthy rotation that has had time to play together.  Both teams have a solid stable of guards and wings - the difference may be how well the Huskies deal with 6'10" Owen Klassen inside.  Game is on SSN Canada.


St. FX (7-0) at Cape Breton (4-3)  In their first meeting, the X-Men, down 11 at halftime at home in Antigonish, outscored the Capers by 30 in the second half including 30-11 in the fourth to win going away by 19.  Game likely to be broadcast on Capers TV.


OUA West Tonight
McMaster (8-2) at Brock (7-3)  While, both teams retain hopes of a first-round playoff bye, tonight's contest more practically will go a long way in determining how probable hosting a post-season game will be.  Expect Badgers find matchups inside with 6'6" Mark Gibson inside looking to draw doubles.  Marauders coach Amos Connelly has lamented his teams inconsistency on the defensive end and the Badgers were porous at Laurier on Saturday so many would expect a game in the 90's.  6'7" Jameson Tipping presents matchup problems with his size and perimeter skills.  At the point, fifth-year Brock guard Andrew Kraus has experience over Marauders who have been running 6'2" Adam Presutti and 6'4" Aaron Redpath for major minutes at the lead guard spot.  Brock must account for 6'6" Cam Michaud and 6'3" Victor Raso.

Waterloo (4-6) at Windsor (7-3)  Two teams going in opposite directions as the Warriors have been humbled in their first two games after the Holidays while Windsor has defended as well as any Lancer team in recent memory with home wins over McMaster and Guelph.  6'2" Enrico Diloreto, one of the leading offensive talents in the conference, continues to work through a high ankle sprain while 6'1" Josh Collins is authoring a first-team all-star type season.  Key to Warriors is health of 6'3" Cam McIntyre (back) however 6'1" Mike Wright continues to push his game to a higher level and his point guard matchup with Collins should be a good one.  Game available on SSN Canada.

Guelph (5-5) at Western (3-7)  With the final playoff spot in the OUA West seemingly shaping up into a three-team battle, a road win by the Gryphons would solidify their hold on the post-season.  The Mustangs have an emerging star in 6'5" lefty Peter Scholtes who, in the absence of 5'11" fifth-year guard and leading scorer Ryan Barbeau, single-handidly kept them in Saturday's loss at #3 Lakehead in Thunder Bay.  Both teams lack comparative size inside.  No word on whether oft-injured 6'6" Adam Jespersen will be available for Western.

OUA West Standings
Laurier 9-1
Lakehead 9-1
McMaster 8-2
Brock 7-3
Windsor 7-3
Guelph 5-5
Waterloo 4-6
Western 3-7

In a rare mid-week OUA East game, York Lions (0-10) travel to Sudbury to meet Laurentian (2-8).  Game available on SSN Canada.

Canada West Races Tighten


T-Birds, Spartans, and Bisons Get Sweeps and Climb Standings

The UBC T-Birds needed 2 wins against top Prairie rivals this past weekend, and they got the job done in the friendly confines of War Memorial Gym.  The ‘Birds, who had stumbled so badly back in late November at Calgary and Lethbridge, were losing ground to Pacific rivals, UVic, but they came out on top on Friday against Alberta in a most improbable finish to regulation time.
On Saturday , despite some sketchy ball-handling, the T-Birds cooled off Jamelle Barrett, the often dominating guard for Saskatchewan, and gouged out another tense win to pop into the Vikes rear-view mirror at 6-2. UBC travels to Kamloops next week to face the hungry WolfPack, who want what the ‘Birds have enjoyed for some time.

Perhaps counted out far too soon by Canada West observers (like you, WT ?) , the Trinity Western Spartans feasted on some porous defense from Lethbridge (105-97) and Calgary (107-97) to at least get a peek at a playoff possibility.  Kyle Coston and Calvin Westbrook were chucking ‘em in ‘like they can’, and athletic newcomer Sean Peter was doing a 1 man lay-up drill for the Langley ‘Faithful’ as Trinity climbed to 4-6. Tristan Smith looking more like a set-up point guard every game, passed for 19 assists in the 2 games , as the Spartans found their groove. They get 2 games against the last place UBC-O Heat up in Kelowna this coming weekend.

Coach Kirby Schepp’s Manitoba Bisons (6-4) swept their 2 games in B.C.’s Okanagan, and put themselves right in the mix for top spot in the Prairie Division.  The Bisons took care of business, expectedly, with an 80-65 team effort over UBC-O on Friday, as all 5 starters hit double figures.  Manitoba halted the momentum of Scott Clark’s TRU WolfPack in Kamloops on Saturday with 3rd year guards, Jonar Huertas (23 pts.) and Kurtis Sansregret (22 pts.), long-time teammates at Winnipeg’s Sisler High School and Red River College, providing the scoring.  They host Regina next weekend with an eye on another sweep keeping them in the rarified air with Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Vikes and Huskies Top Their Divisions

It was a case of mixed results for both Saskatchewan and Victoria in the ‘Big 4’ go-round on the Coast ... Vikes Coach Craig Beaucamp was pleased that his team bounced back after having lost to the Huskies Friday ... "Tonight, we made more big plays when the game was on the line,’’ said Beaucamp. "That win was an important confidence builder for us.’’ (From The Victoria Times-Colonist, following an 83-77 win over Alberta).  Victoria is in great shape at 9-1, ahead of UBC (6-2) and Fraser Valley (6-4), and Beaucamp says they will focus on developing as a team over the next weeks, building towards success in March.  Victoria stays at home for a key match-up with the UFV Cascades in a 2 game set next weekend.

The Huskies, through the magic of Jamelle Barrett (32 points), and the consistent tenacity of Michael Lieffers, who had a terrific weekend with 15 ppg, and 14 rebs./game, beat the Vikes 86-81 coming from behind.  On Saturday, with Barrett getting extra security attention from multiple UBC defenders, the Huskies were worn down, and edged 69-60 in a close, but often sloppy affair in Vancouver. Saskatchewan benefits from 2 Alberta losses, and U of S inherits at least temporary possession of top spot in the Prairie Division at 6-3 followed closely by the Bears at 6-4, then Manitoba and Lethbridge with 5-5 marks.  Saskatchewan is in Calgary for a pair next Friday and Saturday.

And, Looking Down at the ‘Lower Ranks’

Pacific Division ...

The Fraser Valley Cascades had their bandwagon derailed by the pesky Lethbridge Pronghorns on Saturday.  Just when the ‘Cades were admiring their press clippings, ‘Horns Nation’ rudely intervened, knocking UFV down to 6-4, again looking way up at the T-Birds and Vikes.  These are the games which Coach Barnaby Craddock knows his team must win, if they’re to be the ‘Tall Firs’ in the Pacific forest. Sam Freeman, Joel Friesen and company now have to steal at least 1 game from UVic this weekend on The Island.

Head Coach Scott Clark , never one to mince words, was less than thrilled with his charges as his Thompson Rivers WolfPack lost at home on Saturday to the Manitoba Bisons ... "I think our effort wasn't good enough at the defensive end," said WolfPack head coach . "Our toughness wasn't good enough and that's what results when you can't fulfill your responsibilities at the defensive end."  Clark is also well aware of the brutal schedule awaiting his upstart club ... 2 at ‘home’ (they will play at the old TRU gym, because of a scheduling conflict) vs those bullies, the UBC T-Birds, the road games at Alberta and Saskatchewan.  Talk about party pooping ...!

Despite the typical grey, leaden clouds hovering over B.C.’s Lower Mainland, the TWU Spartans are enjoying a shaft of sunshine in their basketball lives. 2 wins over Lethbridge and Calgary ... 2 games over the century mark ... we’re having fun now !

Some joy as well in the UBC-O camp, with their 2nd League win coming on Saturday vs the Winnipeg Wesmen.  Yassine Ghomari may have a street named after him in Kelowna, if he keeps up the 30 point games!  The Heat, however, better use that momentum to good effect against Trinity this week, because the rest of the Canada West journey for this season could get painful ... at Saskatchewan and Alberta, at UBC, home vs. UVic, then a home and home against the Wolfpack, who will be wanting 2 wins very badly at that stage.

Prairie Division ...

Alberta must be wondering what happened.  The Bears choke on a hair-ball in the last seconds at UBC, when the game was their’s, if they can just get it inbounds ... then, Victoria snatches the win away in the final minutes of the Saturday game.  But, this may well be a mere speed-bump for Coach Greg Francis’
charges. They should have confidence in their stout defense, their 2 all-stars, Jordan Baker and Daniel Ferguson, the chance to play Lethbridge in Edmonton this week, then with a schedule that has them playing teams with a combined record of 17-32 in their final 8 games of the regular season. No ... we’re good here boys!

Some confidence building in Lethbridge as well, as they come off an upset win at Fraser Valley, and sit at 5-5 with a good run at a playoff spot, which has been a rarity in the recent life of ‘Horns Nation’.  ‘LCC West‘ has seen a re-birth with the infusion of a multitude of 3rd year College transfers, 2 of whom, Dom Coward and Daryl Cooper, are the team leaders as a post and at lead guard.  The ‘Horns will try to steal one at Alberta this week, then they get the luxury of Calgary, Manitoba, and Regina at home, with 2 road games in Brandon.

Brandon may have really hurt their chances with that loss to Regina on Saturday, which dropped them to 4-6. Now a game behind Lethbridge for the final play-off spot, the ‘Cats, who, at their best are a quick team with a good mix of vets and talented young guys, have a much tougher row to hoe than do the Pronghorns.  OK ... they have a shot at 2 wins in this weekend’s home and home with Winnipeg ... but, Saskatchewan, Alberta, both on the road, plus home dates with Lethbridge, Trinity, and Fraser Valley ?  Rugged.

So, you’re Calgary Dinos Coach Dan Vanhooren in June of 2011 ...  you have Tyler Fidler, a Canada West all-star in his 5th year, Matt Letkeman, Canada West Rookie of the Year, the return of your dynamic point guard, Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, the arrival of 5th year OUA scoring sensation, Boris Bakovic, Montreal native Clay Mbayi, a powerful NCAA transfer forward with a soft shooting touch, and a good mixture of experienced and young players in support.  Beauty ! But, alas ...  no Mbayi (broken leg), no Phil Labongo (went home to Winnipeg) ... they are 3-7, facing Saskatchewan at home, Lethbridge on the road, Alberta at home, Manitoba on the road ....  They may get Ogungbemi-Jackson and Letkeman back at some stage, but the uphill looks pretty steep at this juncture.

The Regina Cougars will take heart with a solid win on the road vs their old nemesis, the Brandon Bobcats.  Those 2 teams regularly fought it out for supremacy in the old GPAC, with Jerry Hemmings’, then Barnaby Craddock’s ‘Cats usually coming out on top. Cougars’ Head Man, james Hillis, with 163 conference wins and 28 playoff victories over the first 16 seasons of his coaching career, knows this is a rebuilding year in Regina.  The Cougars now face the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg this coming weekend, but, they then have 6 straight home games, where they have been 63% Ws over the past 5 years ! Some reason for optimism, then.

The Winnipeg Wesmen do not have warm thoughts about their situation after losing to UBC-O Saturday.  That was a game they felt they should win.  After all, they had beaten the Heat 82-49 at their Wesmen Classic, just a week prior.  Where do they go from here?  They are 2-8, with no serious chance at a playoff berth ... time to focus on development of the squad for the future? Coach Mike Raimbault is not the type of guy to start feeling sorry for himself ... he has Andrew Cunningham, a great point talent, he also has some good young players in Kelvin Smith and Travis Krahn to go with College transfers Dominique Brown and Mark McNee.  A long-term focus is a necessity for the Wesmen, but a real challenge for both coaches and players with so much of the season still to be played..

Notes ...

  *  "We put a bit of height on him, and you can't guard him with one guy so we double teamed him and triple teamed him at times not letting him get to the rim," ... UBC Coach Kevin Hanson ... on the T-Bird strategy for Huskies’ star, Jamelle Barrett this past weekend.
  *  Coach Hanson, even after 2 big wins, on looking to improve his team   "...  you just shouldn't win games with 29 turnovers and allowing 22 offensive rebounds, and we're trying to address both of those things."

A pair of victories for Trinity Western with the Spartans hit the century mark both times led by Canada West Player-of-the-week Kyle Coston  Coston paces Spartans attack

Two solid pieces on Fraser Valley first in the Chilliwack Progress  Cascades split the weekend plus Barnaby Craddock has some choice comments after the weekend in the Abbotsford Times  Foul trouble fuels coach

T.J. Colello of Cape Breton Post tees up the Cape Breton / X game on Wednesday night  Capers look to get back on winning track

Julien Mei from the Concordian on the Stingers weekend victory over UQAM including some nice quotes on the Top 10 from Concordia Coach John Dore  Stingers trudge to win in sloppy game

Brock Press with a comprehensive piece on the Badgers Men's Basketball grinds out a split

Sudbury Star with Laurentian cagers drop decision to Carleton plus Northern Life.ca  LU hoopers face tough welcome to second half

Long-time Capital Region referee Jim Ward was recently honoured for 57 years of officiating

Charlottetown Guardian with Rough weekend for Panthers

Given that most of the top teams had players missing for at least two weeks in October while playing for Canada at the Pan-Am Games, this season's Top 10 is very challenging to accurately lay-out (although the Top 3 teams are the top three in my opinion).  Here is the latest coaches poll:

In addition to the usual OUA West action on Wednesday, AUS and OUA East teams are in action with some excellent matchups featured.  McMaster travels down the QEW to face Brock in maybe the most interesting matchup between two teams that love to get up and down the floor and shoot 3's.  Brock is likely to work their perceived size advantage inside.  Windsor has their third consecutive home game in the New Year - Lancers are 2-0 thus far vs. OUA West teams and are defending very well - Waterloo comes to town.  Guelph travels to London to face Western.  In the AUS, Saint Mary's, fresh off a pair of wins at home against previously-undefeated UPEI, travels to Wolfville to Acadia where NovaNewsNow reporter John DeCoste writes Axemen leaner crew in 2012.  In what has always been a fierce rivalry, St. FX, undefeated in league play and overall vs. CIS teams, travels to Sydney to face Cape Breton Capers.  Finally, York Lions look for their first win of the season as they travel to Sudbury to face Laurentian Voyageurs.  There are also two games Thursday, in the Q, Bishop's travels to McGill and in Canada West, Winnipeg Wesmen travel to Brandon.

More to come on these games...

Lakehead article in the Argus

TSN's Maritime correspondent Alex J. Walling pays tribute to Coach K's 800th victory  ... UBC's student newspaper Ubyssey on-line chronicles the Thunderbirds miraculous comeback over Alberta over the weekend... Darren Zary of Saskatoon Star-Phoenix summarizes Saskatchewan's loss to UBC on Saturday... Jonar Huertas has a big game for Manitoba on Saturday at TRU; Huertas sparks Manitoba comeback... McMaster coach Amos Connolly laments his team "d" despite Marauders outgunning Warriors on Saturday... In Windsor, defense has been the difference as the Lancers are 2-0 in the new year and Coach Chris Oliver earns his 100th win at U of W....  6'6" Matt Buckley was the difference as Laurier burrows in on Badgers... The short-handed Western Mustangs pushed Lakehead on Saturday night despite the absence of two regulars as fifth-year senior Ryan Barbeau missed the game while dealing with on-going issues related to stress on his legs that preclude him playing in back-to-back games - word is he should be available for Mustangs home game this Wednesday against Guelph - while Quinn Henderson caught the flu and was unable to go... For Saturday's overtime loss at Laval, McGill was without freshman Te'jour Riley, a native of the Bahamas, due to administrative error regarding his student visa; the situation should be cleared up for future games... Rouge et Or were once again without 6'6" Etienne Labrecque as he continues to deal with back troubles...  Carleton Ravens were without under rated 6'8" center Kevin Churchill for the majority of the weekend after the emerging post banged his head early in Friday's victory at York.  Churchill did not play Saturday at Laurentian but expects to be ready to go as the Ravens travel to Toronto for a pair of games at Ryerson and at Toronto... Ottawa OUA First Team All-Star Warren Ward twisted his knee early against Laurentian on Friday night and did not play at York on Saturday.  No word on how long Ward will be out for however Gee-Gees have a pair of tough road games this weekend in Toronto as well...  Laurier hopes to have sparkplug 6'3" sophomore Jamar Forde back in the lineup this weekend after a lengthy absence due to an ankle injury... Despite an 0-2 weekend, York Lions play was encouraging as they were in the game for much of the first half against Carleton and trailed Ottawa by only 2 at halftime on Saturday, hitting 7 3's in the second quarter alone.  Despite remaining winless, the Lions trail fifth-place Laurentian (2-8) by only 2 games as the teams prepare to face each other this coming Wednesday night in Sudbury in a rare OUA East mid-week matchup.  Next weekend, the Lions travel to Kingston for games at RMC and at Queen's.

Dalhousie 92, Memorial 82 (4 point game)  The Tigers fought off a late Sea-hawk push with a 10-0 run in the last 5 minutes that sealed the victory for a sweep eight points over the weekend to propel themselves back into a playoff position.  Dal had a double digit lead for much of the second half as 6'6" William Yengue (18 points, 5 rebounds, 8-14 shooting) and 6'1" wing Stephen Lopez (14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) went to work but Mark Woodland (game-high 20 points) scored 5 straight to help get the game back to 4 with only 5 1/2 minutes remaining.  Tigers then clamped down and went to work offensively, capped by a three-pointer by 6'3" Casey Fox (11 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists), as Dal went 10-23 from downtown for the game.  The game was tight throughout the first half until 6'3" Alex Arthur (15 points, 4-9 3's) knocked down three 3's in the final three minutes of the second quarter, the first one giving Dal the lead for good at 36-33 and MUN trailed by 5 at the half.  Later, the Tigers finished the third quarter on a 10-2 run to lead by 17 at 77-60 but Memorial had one run left.  Jason Shepherd added 19 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists for Memorial which remains in last place in the AUS.

Saint Mary's 91, UPEI 83 (2 point game)  With a solid display of half-court "d", especially guarding the ball, the Huskies won their second straight over the Panthers, taking a 12 point lead midway through the second quarter, building leads as large as 22 and never looking back for the comfortable win while holding UPEI to 34% shooting.  Huskies held the normally-explosive Panthers to just 53 points after 3 quarters, building up a 22 point lead early in the fourth before UPEI brought it back to 5 with a minute to play.  SMU coach Ross Quackenbush clearly spoke to Huskies defensive woes after an uncharacteristic 2-5 first half of league play in the AUS and if this afternoon is any indication, Huskies have turned it around, creating Panther turnovers and consistently getting to the rim or to open perimeter looks.  While 6'5" Torey Fassett (27 points, 12 in the first half) as usual was instrumental in the win despite missing much of the first half with two fouls, Saint Mary's got blue collar performances from their pair of hard-working bigs 6'8" Iain Robertson (4 points, 8 rebounds) and 6'7" Riley Halpin (13 points on 5-11 shooting).  Also, 6'4" freshman Warren Liang had 10 of his career-high 13 points in the first-half.  Panthers made their one and only big run late in the game led by 14 fourth-quarter points from 6'2" Jonathan Cooper, who finished with a game high 29 while Terrance Brown added 27 but the Panther suffered their 4th consecutive loss going back to the semi-finals of the Shoveller tournament.  Saint Mary's played without 6'5" athletic post Harry Ezenibe, out with an injury.

1 PM AT/ Noon ET   Dalhousie at Memorial (4 point game)  The second of two at St. John's where the Tigers will have to do a much better job controlling the quick Sea-Hawks off the dribble.  Dal does have some size advantages inside with Rob Nortmann and William Yengue.  Casey Fox broke out for the Tigers last night.  No webcast coverage to our knowledge.  Dal has a chance to vault into fifth place with a win.

4 PM AT/3 PM ET  UPEI at Saint Mary's (2 point game)  The fourth and final meeting of the AUS regular season between these two very athletic teams that play fast, get alot of shots up and attack the offensive glass.  Expect another game in the 90's or 100's.  Our good friend Bill MacLean will be broadcasting the game from the Tower on sportstream.ca

AUS Standings
St. Francis Xavier 7-0, 18 pts.
UPEI 6-1, 12 pts
Acadia 3-3, 12 pts. with 3 4pt. wins
Cape Breton 4-3, 10 pts.
Saint Mary's 3-5, 8 pts.
UNB 2-6, 8 pts.
Dalhousie 2-4, 6 pts.
Memorial 1-6, 2 pts.

Dinos Fall Short in Loss at Trinity

Trinity Western Spartans 107 Calgary Dinos 97...  The Spartans earn a much-needed sweep, as hot-shooting from Kyle Coston and Calvin Westbrook sparked TWU with 28 and 22 points respectively.  While the Spartans give themselves a confidence boost for a chase of a playoff spot at 4-6, the Dinos must have doubt creeping in as they drop to 3-7, after a late surge brought them to within 4 points before TWU iced it.

Tyler Fidler was in foul trouble from the outset, and sat out much of the 1st half, then getting his 4th mid-way in the 3rd quarter; Fidler had a red-hot 4th, and, along with the 3 point shooting of guard Andrew McGuinness, the 5th year wingman gave the Dinos a brief look at a come-back, as he finished with 23 on 7/11 FG shots.  McGuinness was 5/11 from beyond the arc, and most of his 20 points came in a flurry in the 4th.  Boris Bakovic scored 22, and grabbed 7 boards ... the 5th year post man was 10/12 from the foul line.

In the end, it was the inability of Calgary's defense to stop the Trinity attack ... Westbrook hit 4/7 treys and Coston hit on 9/14 field goals.  The Spartans were a scorching 41/66 from the floor (62%), and hit 19/31 free throws ... Calgary shot a respectable 48% on 30/62, and were 27/33 (82%) from the line.  Calgary suffered from 23 turnovers, while Trinity had 19, with many of those in a loose 4th stanza.

The Dinos will be at home next week against the #4 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies, who were 1-1 this week, losing to UBC Saturday, after beating Victoria on Friday.

Other Canada West Results - Saturday

  at UBC T-Birds 67 Saskatchewan Huskies 60 ...  a swarming UBC defense stifled the usually potent Huskies offense, and Nathan Yu poured in 22 points on 4/8 treys, while Kamar Burke had 9 points and 12 rebounds.  UBC (6-2) had 11 blocks on the game, but they limited their own offense with 29 turnovers. The Huskies (6-3)  got 17 from a closely guarded Jamelle Barrettt, and 11 pts./15 rebs. from Michael Lieffers, but they were 25 points under their season's average.

at Victoria Vikes 83 Alberta G. Bears 77 ... Victoria got a weekend split to stay atop the Pacific at 9-1, while Alberta was sent home with 2 losses, and fall to 6-4 behind Saskatchewan in the Prairie. Vikes, who shot 51% from the floor to Alberta's 47%, were 24/28 from the line vs just 11/15 for the Bears. Michael Acheampong scored 23 for Vic, with Ryan McKinnon chipping in 20 ... Jordan Baker had 25 pts/12 boards for U of A, with Daniel Ferguson notching 26 including 4/10 treys.

   Lethbridge Pronghorns 87 at Fraser Valley Cascades 78 ... the 'Horns get a big win over the #9 Cascades, with 4 players in double figures ... Daryl Cooper 18 pts, Dom Coward 17/ 9 boards, Morgan Duce with 17 from 4/7 shots from 3 , while Niko Kovac managed 10 points and 7 rebounds.  Lethbridge (5-5) claimed 46 rebounds to 36 for the home team ... U of L was 26/44 from the line vs 21/29 for UFV in a foul-plagued affair. Sam Freeman was the game's high scorer for Fraser Valley (6-4) with 23, and Jasper Moedt counted 20 and had 6 boards.

  Manitoba Bisons 86 at Thompson Rivers WolfPack 78 ...  trailing by 5 after 3/4s, the Bisons (6-4) clipped the Wolves 22-9 in the 4th as Jonar Huertas scored 23, Kurtis Sansregret 22, and Kevin Oliver had 19 and 7 rebounds. TRU got another good scoring night from justin King, who was 24 points and 13 rebounds, but he and his teammates coughed up the ball 23 times. Chas Kok also had a double double 15 pts/ 10 rebounds for the 'Pack who fall to 5-5.

  at UBC-O Heat 79 Winnipeg Wesmen 70 ... a 2nd Canada West win for the Heat (2-8), as the woes of Winnipeg continue into the New Year. Yassine Ghomari impresses in scoring 32 for UBC-O on 12/21 field goals, while Brett MacDonald added 16 and 6 rebounds. The Wesmen, who are now 2-8, had Dominique Brown scoring 16, Eric Zimmerman and Mark McNee 14 each, and Benny Iko with 12 pts. / 9 rebounds.

   Regina Cougars 83 at Brandon Bobcats 74 ... Regina gets the split with a career effort from Jared Janotta as he scores 22 and grabs 14 boards.  Paul Gareau shot 9/12 FGs for 21 points, and Brenden Hebert is 9 pts./9 rebs. as the Cougars move up to 3-6. Brandon has a letdown from Friday, slipping to 4-6 ... Jordan Reaves hits 21 pts., Donovan Gayle with 12 pts./14 rebounds. for the 'Cats.

Notes ...

  *  Coaches all suffer incremental damage from losses like the Alberta tragedy at UBC Friday ... Coach Greg Francis doesn't really care that others have replayed these moments on and off for years. He is the guy with the pain at the moment.  Can't inbounds the ball ?  Travel or turn it over with a panic pass? Miss a clutch free throw? Or get the cold dagger of a last second 'prayer' going in for your opponent ?  Take 3 deep breaths, and move on ....
  *  Kudos to long-time St. FX Coach Steve Konchalski, who recorded his 800th career win in CIS competition with his teams victory Saturday over UNB.
  *  As Regina and Winnipeg have illustrated, it's tough to find an 'instant remedy' to all that ails you ...   the Cougars brought in a point guard and a post in the past week or so, to shore up a struggling roster, but Coach James Hillis knows (looking at his 11 deep rotation from Friday's loss to Brandon) that this is a longer term project.  Andrew Cunningham is and will be a great floor leader for the Wesmen and Coach Mike Raimbault, but his influence is not immediately able to turn the Ws into a 40% + shooting team ...patience.  3 deep breaths ....
  *  If jamelle Barrett is now going to revert to 'THE JAMELLE BARRETT' , the scene changes significantly for U of S opponents. The guy can be spilled mercury at times ... he snakes to the hoop and banks in some impossible runner ... then launches, and makes an 'in your face' trey over 2 defenders.  Ask the Vikes, who are just the most recent victims.  Like the movie  'Jaws' ... just when you thought it was safe .... (UBC denied him the ball on Saturday, and the 'Birds won at home).
  *  Note to Canada West TV ... not sure it was just my own experience, but reception was better than ever last night and tonight.  Now about the announce and camera  crews ... the passion is there, and polish comes with experience ... maybe less hysteria, less story-telling, more score and time.  Show the score clock, if we don't have an on-screen time/score graphic. Why don't we have an on screen time/score graphic?  Still ...     getting better.

Other CIS Scores ...

In the Atlantic - Dalhousie 89 Memorial 76 , St. FX 87 UNB 68, St. Mary's 93
UPEI 86

In Quebec - UQAM 73 Bishops 60

in the OUA - #1 Carleton 98 Laurentian 51, #3 Lakehead 87 Western 66, #8
Laurier 93 Brock 70 ,

McMaster 97 Waterloo 84, Toronto 69 Queens 56 , Ryerson 92 RMC 19, Ottawa 92
York 71, Windsor 70 Guelph 59

In a rematch of last season's CW quarter-final, Victoria avenged their Best-of-3 series loss with a win over Alberta, which dropped both games on their tough tour of B.C.  After 6'3" Daniel Ferguson hit a 3 to bring the Bears to within 3 at 64-61, the Vikes clinched the game with a 13-6 run, led by 6'4" Ryan MacKinnon and Humber College transfer Michael Acheampong to lead by 10 with just over a minute to play.  Both teams remain firmly in the CW Final Four hunt.  UVic men get back to winning  plus Box Score  ... While it is a long way from Coach K's 800 wins, Windsor's Chris Oliver celebrated his 100th victory as coach of the Lancers on Saturday after their win over nemesis Guelph Gryphons.  Oliver also won 25 games while at Queen's where he started his CIS coaching career... Western Mustangs hung in tough on Saturday night for much of the evening at Lakehead, doing so without the services of 5'11" fifth-year guard Ryan Barbeau and 6'4" Quinn Henderson, both of whom played on Friday.  Without Barbeau, the Mustangs relied heavily on emerging 6'5" second-year wing Peter Scholtes, who singlehandidly carried the 'Stangs with 35 points... UBC T-Birds swept their very important weekend games with Alberta and Saskatchewan and did so without freshman guard Nakai Luyken, who did not play in either game.  While the Birds continue to struggle taking care of the ball offensively (29 turnovers vs. Sask; 22 turnovers vs. Alberta), UBC's vaunted half court "d" continues to shine, holding 5'11" Jamelle Barrett to just 4 for 20 shooting and the entire Huskies team to just 27% from the floor.  Defense still wins in most cases... While Laurentian did give Carleton a very tough first half in Sudbury, the Ravens finished the game on a 77-19 run which is downright scary.  6'3" Phil Scrubb, 6'6" Tyson Hinz and 6'5" Cole Hobin are the best three-some in Canada with Hinz being maybe the best pure decision maker offensively that Carleton has ever had... While the U of T Varsity Blues Queen's score looked reasonably close (Blues win by 9), Varsity jumped out of the gate leading 18-1 and quickly upped the lead to 33-12 before coasting to the victory.  The Gaels did get the game below 10 only once after the initial run and that was in the final minute of the fourth quarter.  OUA East remains brutal at the bottom of the standings with three teams (Queen's, York and RMC) all winless at 0-10.  Something has to give next weekend as York meets both the Gaels and Palladins... Here is a Regina Leader-Post story on one of Regina's new additions, point guard Antonio Tate from Minneapolis.  5'9" Tate played only 7 minutes last night as the Cougars avenged a Friday night loss with a very important win at Brandon, leading by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, as Jared Janotta (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Paul Gareau (21 point, 9-12 shooting) led the way offensively.  More prominently however was the work of second-year point guard Brendan Hebert who fashioned a near triple double line of 9 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists with only 3 turnovers in 34 minutes.  Hebert, who was thrust into major minutes as a freshmen to mixed results, is beginning to give coach James Hillis much more depth at the important point guard position... After advancing all the way to the CIS Natioanl championship game last season, Trinity Western Spartans lost several key pieces to graduation and, as importantly, lost sophomore point guard Eli Mara to a season-ending injury.  But several key pieces were in place with 6'7" Kyle Coston returning and 6'3" Sean Peter transferring in after a stellar four-season career at uOttawa.  Optimism was high after an overtime victory over NCAA Division 1 Santa Clara in September however a brutal first-half schedule that included pairs of games against Victoria (0-2) and at UBC (0-2) plus losses at Saskatchewan and at Alberta, resulted in the Spartans entering the second half at 2-6.  Fast forward to after the holidays and TWU appears to have rebounded at least after the first weekend after a pair of wins including last night's victory over visiting Calgary Dinos, who have a resurgent 6'9" Tyler Fidler and 6'7" Boris Bakovic back in the lineup.  Coston (21.0 ppg) has delivered all season including a 35 point effort on Friday vs. Lethbridge and 28 last night vs. Calgary.  But, after a slow start, Peter (17.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is coming alive, with his usual efficiency scoring (shoots 59% from the floor), averaging 25 ppg over his last 3 Canada West outings.  With a pair of CIS Nationals appearances under his belt from his days as an Ottawa Gee-Gee, expect the fifth-year wing, who can score in and around the paint in many different ways, to be a key reason why Trinity, with a remaining schedule that includes UBC-O (twice), Brandon, Regina and Thompson Rivers (twice), to be in contention for a playoff spot despite the terrible start.  Spartans two most important games may be the home-and-home with rivals Fraser Valley Cascades toward the end of the season... While there was no greater tribute for Coach K's 800th win than provided by Eddie Pomykala in his special "View from the Q", the Halifax Chronicle-Herald also provided a special look at the wonderful milestone... Hope to have more on this two-game set however Saint Mary's got themselves back in the playoff hunt in the AUS with a home win against UPEI (the teams meet again today in Halifax).  In what can loosely be described as a typical, high-energy, fast-paced game between the two teams full of athletes, there were a combined 48 offensive rebounds in the game; teams together hoisted 58 threes (29 each) while combining for over 150 shots from the floor (almost 4 shots per minute of play) with Saint Mary's getting a somewhat-unexpected strong effort from 6'8" Riley Halpin who had 23 points in 30 minutes of play  Box Score

Eddie pays tribute to Coach Konchalski's for his 800th victory.

The story tonight is about about one man and one man only. My former coach- Steve Konchalski and his attaining his 800th career win. What an amazing accomplishment. To put that into perspective, I only coached some 600 games, never mind winning so many. It is a testament to Steve's ability as a leader, as a motivator, as a tactician and most of all as a teacher. Incomprehensible to me what he has accomplished and I am so proud to have played for him, learned under him and coached against him.

Coming out of Dawson College in the late 70's- I chose to attend STFX for one reason (he probably won't be happy to see me write this)- I wanted to become a basketball coach. I figured I could learn from one of the best in the country. Little did I know that Steve would become a Canadian coaching icon. I first encountered Steve when he was an assistant at Loyola College (now Concordia) where one of his players was John Dore. Steve, being a former Acadia Axeman, had a close relationship with my Dawson coach- Richie Spears. Steve made sure to attend our weekly intra squad scrimmages each Wednesday. Those may have been the best college games in Montreal. The guys on the team liked Steve- so much so that ultimately teammates: Varouj Gurunlian, Wayne Smith, Pat Adrien, Henry Blumenfeld and later Ed Muha, made the trek to the maritimes to enrol at STFXU. I was an easy catch for Steve- while never pretending to be a blue chip recruit- Steve was somewhat interested in me as a player. Here's how my recruitment went: I called Steve and said the following: "Coach, you are coming to my house to have supper with our family so that you can explain to my parents that I am going to STFX." That was it- no games, no bull- I knew that I wanted to continue what I had at Dawson which was a first class basketball education and I knew that Coach K would provide that for me and more. It was no coincidence, that while I was never more than 7th or 8th man at X, I always sat next to him during games so I could learn my future craft better.

When I applied for the Bishop's job in 1984, Steve wrote the finest and most sincere letter of recommendation anyone can receive on my behalf. I still have a copy of that letter. When I was struggling toward the end of my career, Steve wrote me another letter- this one was filled with encouragement and reminding me of some of the things that I had been able to accomplish as a coach. More importantly, Coach  reminded me never to lose sight of the values of being a coach and a teacher. He was there for me when I needed it most just like he has been for all his players over the years. That's Coach K's trademark. That's why I revere him so highly and that is why everone in the Canadian basketball community has to have only the highest respect for what he has been able to accomplish.

Congratulations Coach, more importantly- thank you!

StFX 87, UNB 68 (2)   X sweeps the weekend series and remains undefeated, taking sole possession of first with UPEI's loss at Saint Mary's.  Congratulations to Coach Steve Konchalski on his 800th victory.

Saint Mary's 93, UPEI 86 (2)   The Huskies avenge two prior losses to the Panthers and knock UPEI from the ranks of the undefeated with a victory at home in Halifax at the Tower.  More on this game to come.  The teams meet again tomorrow at 4 PM AT.

Dalhousie 89 Memorial 76  (4)  First of two four-point games at St. John's provides the Tigers with some breathing room pushing up toward a playoff spot.  Game was closer than score indicated but Dal led for most of the way as 6'3" Acadia transfer Casey Fox had probably his best game as a Tiger with 24 points while 6'6" Robert Nortmann had his way inside with 23 including a strong effort on the offensive glass.  Memorial stayed in the game with their veteran group breaking down the Tigers off the bounce and Player-of-the-Game Jason Shepherd finished with 29 points (unofficial) to lead all scorers.  Mike Helsby chipped in with 20+ (again unofficial).  The teams meet again tomorrow afternoon at 1 PM AT/ Noon ET.

Windsor 70, Guelph 59  6'0" Josh Collins was a difference maker down the stretch once again and the Lancers got a very strong effort from 6'8" Ryan Christie at both ends of the floor in holding off the scrappy, tough Gryphons.  Christie was a factor on the defensive glass and got loose inside for some big finishes while Collins controlled the game offensively.  The Gryphs had it back to a three point game at 55-52 with just over 4 minutes to play and 6'1" Kareem Malcolm had a nice look at a game-tying three from the left baseline but the shot came off.  Collins and 6'8" Lien Phillip then went to work and the Lancers were able to make their free-throws down the stretch to move to 7-3 on the season.

Lakehead 87, Western 66   After an easy win over the Mustangs on Friday, the Thunderwolves came out sluggish and were inconsistent all night but were able to hang on for the victory, finishing the game on a 19-7 run after 'Stangs cut a 20 point lead to 9 with about 6 minutes left.  The Mustangs jumped out to a 9-1 lead off the opening tip and kept the pressure on Lakehead throughout the first half, trailing by 4 at 36-32 at halftime capped by Lakehead's 6'5" Ryan Thomson,who went full-court then behind-the-back before nailing a long three that just beat the second quarter buzzer.  Lakehead burst out of the gate in the third, building leads as large as 20 late in the third and the route appeared to be on.  But Mustangs excellent 6'5" second year wing Peter Scholtes (26 points - unofficial) led a Mustang 13-2 run that got the game back to 9 before Lakehead pulled away in the final 5 minutes for the weekend sweep.  6'2" Joseph Jones had a big first half for Lakehead but hurt himself late in the second.  Lakehead now readies for Laurier in a OUA West first place showdown in Kitchener-Waterloo.

OUA West Standings
Laurier 9-1
Lakehead 9-1
McMaster 8-2
Windsor 7-3
Brock 7-3
Guelph 5-5
Waterloo 4-6
Western 3-7

Carleton 98, Laurentian 51  For the second consecutive night, #1 Carleton Ravens got off to a sluggish start, on this night even allowing visions of a major upset to fester in the minds of the host Laurentian Voyageurs who grabbed an early 8 point lead, led by 11 first-half points from Manny Pasquale, energizing the crowd at Ben Avery Gym.  However, reality set in and Carleton shook off the possible weariness of the trip up Hwy. 400, emposing their wills with their usual lock-down "d", taking the lead for good late in the second quarter and pushing to a six point lead into halftime before completely dominating the second half to author an easy win.

Carleton began the second half on a 17-4 run, capped by 7 consecutive points by 6'6" Tyson Hinz, giving the Ravens a 19 point lead only 2 1/2 minutes into the third.  Carleton later had a 24-11 run including back-to-back 3's by 5'11" Willy Manigat to push the lead above 40 to 92-51.  6'3" Phil Scrubb also was instrumental bringing the Ravens back in the first half, finishing with over 20 points.

Carleton remains unbeaten while the Vees fall to 2-8 on the season but still in 5th place in the conference.

Ottawa 92, York 71   The Lions hung with the Gee-Gees for much of the game, trailing by only 2 at halftime but uOttawa locked down York defensively, holding York to just 32 second half points for the win to move to 6-4 and keeping the Lions winless.

Toronto at Queen's
Ryerson at RMC

In Quebec league action, in what may be the first of the continuing battle for the fourth and final playoff spot, UQAM defeated Bishop's 73-60

Laurier solidified their hold on first place in the OUA West along with Lakehead with a convincing victory over Brock before a large crowd at Laurier.  The explosive Hawk offense was on display once again against a pourous Badger "d" with the normal cast of characters leading the way for Laurier.  The Golden Hawks had their way offensively in the opening frame, with plenty of open looks from downtown for 6'6" Kale Harrison, 6'5" Pat Donnelly and 6'1" Will Coulthard especially and each had big halfs, knocking down 3's.  Harrison had 10 and Coulthard, who has seen his minutes at key stetches increase through the season, knocked down 2 3's as part of his 11 points.  Laurier led by 24 at the half, extended the lead to over 30 for a long stretch before garbage time at the end.

Brock tried to pound the ball inside on 6'5" Matt Buckley with 6'6" Mark Gibson and 6'6" Brian Nahimana and with Buckley holding his own and not requiring the double down.  While Gibson especially had some slick finishes, the matchup never really hurt the Hawks; in fact, it was Buckley who exploited Brock's post "d" for 15 first-half points many on fundamentally-sound baby hooks and turn arounds when not doubled, adding 7 boards.  Buckley finished with 19 points (unofficial) while Harrison led the way with over 20 for Laurier.

Brock welcomed back 6'9" Theo Davis, who offensively showed his under-rated passing ability from the high post but Davis did go to the bench with three foul mid-way through the second quarter, the second and third of which coming on the same play as he was whistled for a close foul on Buckley on a lay-in attempt but unfortunately followed the referee to the scorer's table to dispute the call and was hit with a "T".  Davis did not appear in the second half to my knowledge.

The lone bright spot for Brock was the play off the bench of Michael Williams who knocked down several 3's as part of his 20 point effort.

Laurier now gets set to host #3 Lakehead Thunderwolves next weekend for a pair of games at home in a likely battle of teams sharing top spot in the OUA West - Lakehead plays tonight at home against Western Mustangs, a team they dominated last night.

McMaster 97, Waterloo 84  The Marauders spread the minutes around and broke away late in the first half after the Warriors got it to at 42-38.  6'6" Cam Michaud led the Marauders with 22 points while freshman Joe Rocco had a career-high 20 points.  Box Score

OUA West Standings
Laurier 9-1
Western 8-1
McMaster 8-2
Brock 7-3
Windsor 6-3
Guelph 5-4
Waterloo 4-6
Western 3-6

Tonight:
Western at Lakehead
Guelph at Windsor
(both games available on SSN Canada live at 8 PM).

Six teams in action in the AUS including an interesting matchup in Halifax as Saint Mary's hosts UPEI at the Tower.  Huskies had a road-heavy schedule in the first half and appeared to be a bit more focused on the defensive end during the recent Shoveller tournament.  Panthers remain undefeated in AUS play.

4 PM AT UNB at #2 St. FX   Coach Steve Konchalski goes after win #800 and the Reds look to grab their first victory in Antigonish in almost 8 years (last win was January, 2004).  SSN Canada

8 PM AT UPEI at Saint Mary's  Panthers have already defeated Huskies twice in league play in Charlottetown in the first half, winning by two in the first game despite 26 points from SMU's Torrey Fassett and then jumping out to an early double digit lead in the second game bouyed by a career-high 30 point effort from fifth-year wing Jonathan Cooper.  Expect another high scoring game between two teams that rarely go deep into their benches.

8 PM AT Dalhousie at Memorial (4 point game)  In a meeting of 7th and 8th place teams, Tigers appear to have shrugged off a slow start with a strong performance at their own Shoveller tournament and need a couple of wins in St. John's to once again make a push for a playoff berth.  Sea-Hawks have developed into a veteran group with the core having been together for 2-3 years but size remains an issue so expect Dal to try to attack early and often with 6'6" Robert Nortmann and 6'6" William Yengue.  Freshman Ritchie Kaza-Mata broke out with a couple of very strong efforts at the Shoveller as Dal finished third.  Memorial participated in the Ryerson tournament in Toronto.

AUS Standings:
St. FX  6-0, 16 pts
UPEI 6-0, 12 pts.
Acadia 3-3, 12 pts.
Cape Breton 4-3, 10 pts.
UNB 2-5, 8 pts.
Saint Mary's 2-5, 6 pts.
Dalhousie 1-4, 2 pts.
Memorial 1-5, 2 pts.

Four games in the OUA West with two this afternoon and a pair this evening:

3:00 pm Brock at Laurier  The inconsistent Badgers have an opportunity to move into the division title discussion with a victory over the Hawks at Laurier.  Both clubs are reasonably deep however Laurier is more experienced and is probably stronger and more physical.  Brock has fifth-year pg Andrew Kraus making many of the decisions along with 6'1" Didi Mukendi.  Laurier has arguably the most versatile player in the conference in 6'6" Maxwell Allin who is a tough check offensively and can guard anywhere from point to the four spot.  Brock has missed 6'9" Theo Davis during their Florida training camp and thus he was deemed not ready to go this past Wednesday vs. Guelph.  Expect him to be ready for the first place Hawks.  Game is available on Hawkcast.
 
3:00 pm Waterloo at McMaster  Marauders broke down amid stifling Windsor half court "d" and an inability to consistently make use of the post, settling for many perimeter jumpers in the loss to the Lancers on Wednesday night.  Mac misses the consistency and experience of veteran wing forward Scott Laws, the Marauders top defender and an able decision maker, who is still injured.  The Warriors were embarrassed at Laurier and need a much better effort and production from their OUA West all-star 6'3" fifth-year wing Cam McIntyre who was shut down very early in Wednesday's loss at Laurier.

8:00 pm Western at Lakehead The teams meet again after T-Wolves decisive win on Friday during which Western fell behind early but played reasonably even the remainder of the way in Thunder Bay.  Game available on SSN Canada.

8:00 pm Guelph at Windsor   The second of three consecutive home games to start the second half for the Lancers is a date with the scrappy Gryphons, who always play the Lancers tough, especially at the St. Denis Center.  Guelph is always ready to play, especially defensively, which keeps them in most games.  Windsor had arguably their most consistent defensive effort of the season on Wednesday against Mac and hopes to have a healthier Enrico Diloreto, who has played through a high ankle sprain.  6'2" wing Danny McCarthy looks to rebound from a 3 for 16 effort at Brock on Wednesday night as the main scorer and creator for the Gryphs.  Game is available on SSN Canada.

Four seemingly-one-sided affairs in the OUA East tonight with #1 Carleton (9-0) in Sudbury to meet Laurentian (2-7) (available on SSN Canada).  Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-4) travel to Toronto to face an energetic but winless York Lions crew in North York.  Late word out of the Gee-Gees camp is 6'6" Warren Ward, who twisted his knee early in last night's 11 point win over Laurentian in Sudbury, is not likely to play this evening.

Toronto Varsity Blues visit Queen's in Kingston as Gaels rookie Head Coach Steph Barrie faces off against the program where his CIS assistant coaching career began under Mike Katz.  There remain 3 winless teams in the OUA East and unless a major upset happens, it figures to remain the same after tonight's games.

8:00 pm Carleton vs. Laurentian SSN Canada
8:00 pm Ottawa vs. York SSN Canada
8:00 pm Ryerson vs. RMC
8:00 pm Toronto vs. Queen's

Some great finishes in Canada West last night, most notable UBC's stunning last second comeback over Alberta and Jamelle Barrett at it again down the stretch for Saskatchewan at Victoria.  Fraser Valley had a big second half to keep the Cascades firmly in the Canada West Final Four discussion.  Also, somewhat quietly, Thompson Rivers WolfPack (5-4) now has won three straight Canada West league games for the first time, and its five victories are a record for the program.  How seriously the WolfPack, which has never qualified for the CW postseason, will be involved in the playoff discussion will be determined beginning tonight as TRU has the first of 7 consecutive games against serious playoff contenders when they host improving Manitoba Bisons.  After that, the Pack hosts perennial CIS Nationals contender UBC Thunderbirds for two games before embarking on what could be a season-defining, four-game road trip with games at Saskatchewan and at Alberta before travelling to Langley for a pair of games at Trinity Western.  TRU finishes with a pair of home games against UBC-O.

Sportstream.ca summarizes St. FX / UNB; game Coach K at 799

Leith Dunick from TBNews on Lakehead's win

Nolan Brudehl article from Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

The Brunswickan on UNB's games at Classique des Citadins