| (1) | Carleton | 82 | ||||||
| (8) | Calgary | 66 | Carleton | 63 | ||||
| (4) | Alberta | 72 | Western | 90 | Carleton | 74 | ||
| (5) | Western | 86 | ||||||
| —–CARLETON | ||||||||
| (2) | Dalhousie | 67 | ||||||
| (7) | Ottawa | 63 | Dalhousie | 84 | Dalhousie | 65 | ||
| (3) | U.B.C. | 103 | U.B.C. | 55 | ||||
| (6) | Bishop’s | 66 |
SEEDING
1. Carleton Ravens (OUA champions): 21-1 regular season / 3-0 playoffs
2. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions): 19-1 regular season / 2-0 playoffs
3. U.B.C. Thunderbirds (Canada West champions): 16-4 regular season / 3-0 playoffs
4. Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West runner-up): 19-1 regular season / 2-1 playoffs
5. Western Mustangs (OUA runner-up:) 16-6 regular season / 2-1 playoffs
6. Bishop’s Gaiters (RSEQ champions): 8-8 regular season /2-0 playoffs
7. Ottawa Gee-Gees (host): 18-4 regular season / 1-1 playoffs
8 Calgary Dinos (wild card): 18-2 regular season / 1-1 playoffs
In the quarterfinals, the 5th-seeded Western Mustangs spanked the 4th-seeded Alberta Golden Bears 86-72 after taking command with a barrage of treys in the second quarter. The Golden Bears led 24-11 after one quarter. The Mustangs led 46-36 at the half and 61-57 after three quarters. “Our guys battled back after having a very poor start,” said Mustangs coach Brad Campbell “I feel like we just kept fighting and kept believing, having been born and raised here in Ottawa it was great to get the win here and see a lot of familiar faces at the same time.” Eriq Jenkins nailed a trey with 7:13 to play in the second quarter and the Mustangs added seven more bombs, including four by Omar Shiddo, as they exploded with a 21-0 run. “We tell our guys not to shy away from open shots so that was a big part of the turnaround in that 2nd quarter,” said Jenkins. “First quarter nothing was really falling for us, but in the 2nd quarter everything was an it was amazing. … Omar is a star, he’s a scorer and we trust him fully to score for us and do it in clutch situations and today I think he proved that he is one of the best players in the country.” Campbell said “we led the OUA in threes made per game this season, obviously 17 is a lot but to do it in a national championship quarter final is obviously big. We’ve got some really good shooters and we understand that is the way we play.” Shiddo was chosen player of the game for the Mustangs, while Brody Clarke earned the laurels for the Golden Bears. Shiddo paced the Mustangs with 24 on 7-20 from the floor, 6-11 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 3 boards 2 assists and 3 steals. Eriq Jenkins added 21 on 6-11 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 6 boards and 5 assists. Aryan Sharma notched 17 on 6-7 from the floor, 4-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 steals. Nikola Farkic scored 13 on 4-7 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 assists and 6 steals. Aaron Tennant added 5 on 2-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-6 from the line and 4 boards. Julian Walker added 2 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 5 boards, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Tyler Thompson notched 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 0-1 from the arc. Ukasha Khan added 2 on 1-2 from the floor. The Mustangs hit 28-61 (.459) from the floor, 17-28 (.607) from the arc and 13-22 (.591) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 22 fouls, 17 assists, 15 turnovers, 3 blocks and 13 steals. Brody Clarke paced the Golden Bears with 17 on 7-15 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2-6 from the line, 13 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Cole Knudson added 17 on 7-7 from the floor, 3-6 from the line, 7 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Tyus Jefferson notched 12 on 6-12 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Ivan Ikomey scored 7 on 2-7 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 2 steals. Dwan Williams added 7 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Geoffrey James notched 5 on 2-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Adam Paige scored 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 3 boards, while Brandon Meiklejohn and Max Russell were scoreless. The Golden Bears hit 30-64 (.469) from the floor, 5-20 from the arc and 7-16 (.438) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 24 fouls, 14 assists, 17 turnovers, 7 blocks and 11 steals. The Golden Bears (coach Barnaby Craddock, assistant Kent Johnson, assistant Jordan Baker, graduate assistant Brandon Brock, manager Zale Smordin, therapist Brennan Mahon, student kinesiologist Justin Requier, student kinesiologist Kael Tupper, student kinesiologist Taya Wong) also included Lars Ishimwe, Daniel McLaren, Jack MacPherson, redshirt Miles Fryett and redshirt Max Petryk.
The top-seeded Carleton Ravens clipped the 8th-seeded Calgary Dinos 82-66 after leading 19-14, 43-25 and 61-45 at the quarters. Isiah Osborne was chosen player of the game for the Ravens, while Brett Layton earned the laurels for the Dinos. Calgary coach Dan Vanhooren told Canadian Press that “in truth, we would have had to play perfect basketball to beat that team. … Our kids battled but they battled a little harder. We knew everything they were going to run, we know everything they do, how they guard, and we knew how they were going to guard Brett (Layton) on both sides of the floor. The tempo and the pace of play was the difference.” Osborne said “we know we have a lot of depth and we know we can run on some teams, so we want to go out there and do what we hae to do.” Ravens coach Taffe Charles said “we didn’t expect it to be easy, although sometimes we make it look easy as a team because we’ve had success in the past. But winning is not that easy. … Some things we need to clean up in terms of recognition and I thought we were a little nervous to start.” Vanooren said on Calgary’s website that “I’m proud of our guys for our energy level and how hard we played, and that they battled as hard as they did. For us to win the second half was good. The second quarter hurt us, we gave up too much offensive glass and on the O-glass they get their kickout threes, and they took advantage of it. It’s a good experience for our guys – we don’t graduate anybody, so for us to bring this experience back and be able to build on it for the next 50 weeks is going to make a big impact for us.” Isiah Osborne paced the Ravens with 20 on 7-13 from the floor, 4-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 6 boards. Lloyd Pandi added 12 on 5-8 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Biniam Ghrebrekidan notched 12 on 6-13 from the floor, 11 boards and 2 steals. Marcus Anderson scored 9 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Munis Tutu added 7 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 assists. Yasiin Joseph notched 7 on 1-8 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 5-8 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Alain Louis added 7 on 1-5 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 4 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Connor Vreeken scored 6 on 2-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Cordell Veira added 2 on 1-1 from the floor, while Elliot Baiely, Stanley Mayambo and Aiden Warnholtz were scoreless. The Ravens hit 29-66 (.439) from the floor, 10-20 from the arc and 14-22 (.636) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 24 fouls, 20 assists, 14 turnovers, 2 blocks and 11 steals. Brett Layton paced the Dinos with 23 on 8-15 from the floor, 7-9 from the line, 16 boards and 4 blocks. Ezeoha Santiago added 14 on 5-14 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 4 boards and 4 assists. Max Eisele added 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 25 from the line and 4 assists. Mason Foreman scored 6 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 8 boards. Noah Wharton added 6 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Jeffrey Tezo scored 5 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Simon Kutzschamar added 3 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Edwin Jeudy notched 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 0-1 from the arc. Ali Raza scored 1 on 1-2 from the floor and 2 boards, while Jackson Bayles and Jake Nielson were scoreless. The Dinos hit 21-56 (.375) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 20-28 (.714) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 18 fouls, 9 assists, 18 turnovers, 5 blocks and 4 steals. The Dinos (coach Dan Vanhooren, assistant Dan Pearson, assistant Kyle Landry, assistant Phil Barndt, assistant Blaine Miciak, athlete development Rich Hesketh, therapist Chris Linder, student therapist David Bertrand, athletic director Jason Kerswill, SID Ben Matchett) also included Tobi Adelodun, Parker Johnstone, Sasha Pojuzina and Carter Kuchinka.
The 3rd-seeded U.B.C. Thunderbirds dusted the 6th-seeded Bishop’s Gaiters 103-66 after leading 31-13, 41-28 and 75-49 at the quarters. Grant Audu, who was chosen player of the game for the Thunderbirds, said “I think what allowed me to be effective was my ability to find gaps in the press that Bishop’s was running. “There was a lot of room for me to operate and it was a lot of fun hooping out there with my guys, I think were locking in and meshing at the right time, we’ve been focusing on defence all year but we were ready to play at both ends.” Thunderbirds coach Kevin hanson said “it was very exciting, we’ve had some tough luck over the years in these first games but I think our guys came into the game really confident this year as our defence has been the big difference as we’ve talked about coming here and teams being able to put up some points on us. The focus on the defence has been the big difference for us all year and our aggressiveness on both sides of the ball was the key tonight.” U.B.C. broke to a 15-0 lead and the Gaiters never threatened, despite holding the Thunderbirds to just 10 points in the second quarter. Thunderbirds star Grant Shepherd suffered what appeared to be a severe ankle spring in the final minutes of the contest, with Hanson saying he really had no option but to keep his star on the floor despite the fact that the T-Birds had a commanding lead. Ibrahim Ngom was chosen player of the game for the Gaiters. Grant Audu paced the Thunderbirds with 25 on 8-17 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 7-11 from the line, 7 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Taylor Browne added 16 on 6-15 from the floor, 4-12 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 assists. Jadon Cohee notched 15 on 6-14 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Manroop Clair scored 11 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 3-3 from the line and 2 assists. Zack Moore added 10 on 3-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Grant Shepard scored 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 8 boards and 5 assists. Jonah Morrison notched 7 on 3-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 3 boards. Brian Wallack scored 7 on 3-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 13 boards and 3 assists. Jack Cruz-Dumont added 2 on 1-4 from the floor and 3 boards. Lincoln Rosebush scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 3 boards, while Toni Maric was scoreless. Ibrahim Ngom paced the Gaiters with 16 on 6-16 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Connor Kelly added 11 on 4-10 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 5 boards. Nervens Demosthene scored 10 on 3-13 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3-8 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jordan Thornhill scored 8 on 4-5 from the floor and 6 boards. Texandre Theus Abela notched 6 on 2-2 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Carl Jacob added 5 on 1-7 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Yassin Naji scored 3 on 1-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 8 boards and 3 steals. Zion Verbroegen-Thom scored 3 on 1-4 from the floor and 1-3 from the arc. Liam Tissot added 2 on 0-1 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Abdul Kame scored 2 on 0-3 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 3 boards, while Joany Castor Thadal and James Murray were scoreless. The Gaiters hit 22-78 (.282) from the floor, 8-36 (.222) from the arc and 14-24 (.583) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 19 fouls, 13 assists, 7 turnovers, 1 block and 8 steals. The Gaiters (coach Rod Gilpin, assistant Steve Dunn, assistant Matt McLean, assistant Kevin Davis, assistant Berkay Ozkumova, strength & conditioning Michael Fullum, therapist Katrina Lambert, therapist Andy Grant, therapist Francois Martel, student therapist Natalie Rosero Velilla, SID Marty Rourke) also included David Bouhoussou, Trey Holness, Zack Bowles, James Murray, Javier Toro Mena, Hisham Saleh and redshirt Matthis Guerut.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded Dalhousie Tigers edged the 7th-seeded uOttawa Gee-Gees 67-63. The score was knotted at 17 after the sluggish first quarter capped by a Shamar Burrows buzzer-beating trey for the Tigers. Although Gee-Gees point guard Calvin Epistola quickly found himself in foul trouble in the second quarter, the game remained knotted at 31 at the half. The Gee-Gees took a five-point lead in the third quarter on seven consecutive points by Guillaume Pépin but the Tigers rallied back to a 48-46 lead after three quarters and stretched their margin to 10 while holding uOttawa scoreless for the first four minutes of the final frame. The Gee-Gees rallied with an 8-0 run before Sascha Kappos iced it with a dunk for the Tigers. “You fall in love with that team and how they don’t give up,” said Gee-Gees coach James Derouin. “We held a team that averages 90 down to 60, but we just didn’t have the small details tonight – free throws and key shot making when we had good looks. … With the draw that was put forth, I knew right away this was a semifinal. That’s what can happen when two really good teams play each other – a three-point game or a four-point game. I thought their experience at the nationals was the difference.” Keevan Veinot was chosen player of the game for the Tigers, while Guillaume Pépin earned the laurels for the Gee-Gees. Keevan Veinot paced the Tigers with 14 on 4-10 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Sascha Kappos added 13 on 6-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 8 boards and 2 blocks. Alex Carson scored 9 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Matt McVeigh scored 8 on 2-3 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Xavier Ochu notched 7 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 7 boards, 2 assists and 4 steals. Shamar Burrows scored 7 on 2-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Jordan Wilson added 6 on 3-8 from the floor, 4 boards and 2 steals. Jordan Braithwaite scored 3 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 steals, while Adam Sellan, Samuel Maillet, Marley Blommers and Brent Martindale were scoreless. The Tigers hit 24-58 (.414) from the floor, 8-15 (.533) from the arc and 11-13 (.846) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 24 fouls, 8 assists, 17 turnovers, 4 blocks and 12 steals. Guillaume Pépin paced the Gee-Gees with 23 on 7-19 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 7-11 from the line and 15 boards. Calvin Epistola added 18 on 8-15 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 3 boards, 2 assists and 7 steals. Thomas Chilton notched 6 on 3-5 from the floor. Marlon Kordrostami added 6 on 2-3 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 4 boards. Charles-Antoine Gaba scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Dragan Stajic scored 4 on 0-2 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 3 boards. Sean Stoqua added 1 on 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards, while Borys Minger, Gage Sabean, Kevin Civil, Quinton Hamilton and Olivier Cadieux were scoreless. Minger and Sabean each nabbed 2 boards. The Gee-Gees hit 22-60 (.367) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 15-27 (.556) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 7 assists, 14 turnovers, 1 block and 14 steals. The Gee-Gees (coach James Derouin, assistant Mike L’Africain, assistant Clarence Porter, assistant scouting & analytics Chris Gent, director of operations Ahmed Mahamoud, mental performance coach Sieger Roorda, strength & conditioning Alex Ethier, academic coordinator Malick Turenne, digital media coordinator Spencer Murdock) also included Camille Mussuakala, Sam Dyck, Cole Newkirk, Cole Newton and redshirt Joel Izere.
In the semis, the top-seeded Carleton Ravens clubbed the 5th-seeded Western Mustangs 90-63 as their perimeter defence and depth wore down the OUA runners-up. “We go pretty deep,” said Ravens coach Taffe Charles. “Our depth has been something that’s carried us… we’ve had injuries, we’ve been sick as well … (our depth) has been a big key for us.” The Ravens received 53 points off the bench. They led 21-14, 43-31 and 72-40 at the quarters. Mustangs guard Eriq Jenkins said “they came out strong, they’re the best team in the country and they came to play. We got down a little bit early and just couldn’t find a way to dig ourselves out of that hole.” Mustangs coach Brad Campbell said “we definitely got off to a slow start and spotted them a ten-point lead and then fought back a little bit. They sort of drew us into a few things and playing without Julian (Walker) kind of hurts too.” Isiah Osborne paced the Ravens with 17 on 6-12 from the floor, 4-8 from the arc, 1-3 from the line and 11 boards. Alain Louis added 15 on 5-7 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Lloyd Pandi scored 13 on 6-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Yasiin Joseph notched 13 on 4-8 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 2-3 from the line and 5 boards. Connor Vreeken scored 8 on 3-13 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc and 8 boards. Stanley Mayambo added 6 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Marcus Anderson notched 4 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 5 steals. Biniam Ghebrekidan scored 4 on 2-4 from the floor and 9 boards. Munis Tutu added 3 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 6 boards and 3 assists. Aiden Warnholtz notched 3 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Cordell Veira scored 2 on 1-3 from the floor. Elliot Bailey added 2 on 1-1 from the floor and 2 boards. The Ravens hit 32-74 (.432) from the floor, 13-39 (.333) from the arc and 13-21 (.619) from the line, while garnering 57 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 27 fouls, 13 assists, 17 turnovers, 2 blocks and 9 steals. Ukasha Khan paced the Mustangs with 15 on 5-8 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Eriq Jenkins added 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Omar Shiddo notched 13 on 3-16 from the floor, 0-10 from the arc, 7-7 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Aryan Sharma scored 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 2 boards. Nikola Farkic added 5 on 1-6 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Aaron Tennant notched 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the line and 6 boards. Jerric Palma scored 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 1-2 from the line, while Tyler Thompson, Peyton Campbell, Julian Walker and Cal Hager were scoreless. The Mustangs hit 20-59 (.339) from the floor, 4-31 (.129) from the arc and 19-30 (.633) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 10 assists, 15 turnovers, 3 blocks and 7 steals.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Dalhousie Tigers torched the 3rd-seeded U.B.C. Thunderbirds 84-55. Manroop Clair opened the scoring with back-to-back treys to give UBC an early 6-4 advantage before Grant Shephard, who appeared to have limited mobility as a result of an ankle injury suffered in the quarterfinals, drove the lane for an and-one and a 9-6 lead. The Tigers responded with a trio of buckets including a coast-to-coast effort from Keevan Veinot to go up 12-9. Clair responded with his third trey but Alex Carson answered with a bomb for Dalhousie and Shamar Burrows notched a pair of buckets as Dalhousie took a 17-15 lead after one quarter. An early Sascha Kappos spin move in the lane put Dalhousie up 25-17. Jack Cruz-Dumont answered with a driving layup and Clair notched an and-one to trim the margin to 28-25. But the Tigers took a 41-29 lead at the half as Jordan Braithwaite nailed a trey and Alex Carson a pair from beyond the arc. Both teams kept bombing from the perimeter as Dalhousie extended its margin to 61-48 after three quarters and then took command with a 23-7 run on 10 from Kappos and 5 from Braithwaite. Kappos was chosen player of the game for the Tigers, while Jadon Cohee earned the laurels for the Thunderbirds. The game was decidedly chippy. National coach of the year Rick Plato received a technical foul, while guards Jordan Wilson and Keevan Veinot received unsportsmanlike fouls. Jonah Morrison received an unsportsmanlike foul in the third quarter for UBC. Jaden Cohee told Canadian Press that “we came out and it’s almost like we forgot everything we were supposed to do. I don’t understand exactly what happened.” Thunderbirds coach Kevin Hanson said “you’re not going to win many basketball games scoring seven in a quarter, especially in the fourth.” Tigers coach Rick Plato said “I’m very proud. I’ve coached a long time and coached a lot of great kids and great teams, but I think this is a very special team.” Hanson told reporters “it stings right now obviously. It was one of our worst performances of the year which is disappointed as we thought heading into the game, we were very prepared, a great spot after being on a great run the last month playing some of the top ranked teams in the country. That said honestly Dal is a very good team going 36-1 you get that record for a reason, they’re a tough team and took away a lot of stuff we wanted to do. I don’t think we came out as mentally tough as we needed to and specifically our turnovers hurt us and with just five assists that didn’t help, they played as a team so give them full credit.” Sascha Kappos paced the Tigers with 19 on 7-11 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-5 from the line and 7 boards. Alex Carson added 19 on 6-13 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Jordan Braithwaite added 13 on 4-7 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Keevan Veinot scored 8 on 3-11 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 4 assists. Shamar Burrows added 8 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Jordan Wilson notched 6 on 3-6 from the floor and 2 boards. Matt McVeigh scored 5 on 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Marley Blommers added 4 on 0-1 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 4 boards. Adam Sellan scored 2 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-2 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals, while Xavier Ochu and Brent Martindale were scoreless. The Tigers hit 28-66 (.424) from the floor, 9-23 (.391) from the arc and 19-22 (.864) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 23 fouls, 15 assists, 6 turnovers, 2 blocks and 10 steals. Jadon Cohee paced the Thunderbirds with 19 on 6-18 from the floor, 0-6 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Manroop Clair added 16 on 5-13 from the floor, 4-10 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Taylor Browne notched 7 on 2-6 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Zack Moore notched 7 on 2-6 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Grant Shepard scored 4 on 1-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-3 from the line and 7 boards. Jonah Morrison added 3 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2 boards. Grant Audu added 2 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2 boards. Taylor Browne added 2 on 0-4 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Jack Cruz-Dumont scored 2 on 1-4 from the floor and 0-1 from the arc, while Brian Wallack, Toni Maric and Lincoln Rosebush were scoreless. The Thunderbirds hit 17-62 (.274) from the floor, 6-28 (.214) from the arc and 15-19 (.789) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 5 assists, 19 turnovers and 2 steals.
In the bronze medal match, the 3rd-seeded U.B.C. Thunderbirds whipped the 5th-seeded Western Mustangs 99-82 as Manroop Clair lit up the scoreboard with six treys. “It means a lot but I’ve been doing this my whole life,” said Clair of his last university game. “I’ve had 40 points, I’ve had 30, I’ve had 50 and 60, It’s something I do, I’m a basketball player, I hoop and make tough shots and I’m going to continue to do that my whole life. For this being my last game, I was extremely proud to be a T-Bird and have the opportunity to play two years, I got a lot of help along the way and my thanks to coach (Kevin) Hanson and our donors it’s been unbelievable.” Hanson said “that was a wild game, we took an early lead and they fought back. I think that’s the most technical and unsporting fouls I’ve seen in a lot of years. I think both teams were a bit banged up and you’re working on your personnel with not much time to prepare for each other at this stage with the quick turnaround and time change last night so it wasn’t the prettiest of basketball. Obviously, we had a very special performance from Manroop Clair and Jadon Cohee who both played very well in their final games as UBC Thunderbirds, I’m very proud of what they did for our program in their two years here and I know they’ll be great alumni for us.” In a perimeter-oriented game, the Thunderbirds led 24-17 after one quarter. The Mustangs led 45-41 at the half. U.B.C. took a 63-57 lead on a pair of treys by Clair and a single from Cohee and then extended the margin to 75-63 after three quarters. Mustangs coach Brad Campbell said “this group battled adversity, not a lot of people believed in this group but we did and to be able to punch a ticket to the national championship and win a game and be one of the final four in the country is an amazing vaccomplishment. … We gave up way too many points in the second half, especially the third quarter. There was sort of a change in momentum in there that kind of deflated us and that’s just the way it goes sometimes.” Manroop Clair paced the Thunderbirds with 39 on 12-21 from the floor, 6-12 from the arc, 9-10 from the line, 10 boards, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Jadon Cohee added 20 on 7-17 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 3 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Grant Audu notched 12 on 4-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 7 boards. Jack Cruz-Dumont scored 11 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Grant Shepard added 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Brian Wallack notched 4 on 1-3 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 12 boards. Zack Moore scored 3 on 1-6 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 7 boards and 4 steals. Taylor Browne added 2 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 assists, while Jonah Morrison, Toni Maric and Lincoln Rosebush were scoreless. The Thunderbirds hit 33-72 (.458) from the floor, 12-32 (.375) from the arc and 21-24 (.875) from the line, while garnering 53 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 28 fouls, 15 assists, 17 turnovers, 4 blocks and 8 steals. Omar Shiddo paced the Mustangs with 29 on 8-28 from the floor, 3-16 from the arc, 10-13 from the line and 3 boards. Ukasha Khan added 17 on 7-10 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2-5 from the line and 3 boards. Nikola Farkic notched 12 on 4-10 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 5 boards, 9 assists and 3 steals. Aaron Tennant added 9 on 4-8 from the floor, 1-7 from the line, 7 boards and 2 assists. Eriq Jenkins scored 7 on 3-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 assists. Aryan Sharma added 6 on 2-7 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Jerric Palma scored 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 0-2 from the arc, while Tyler Thompson, Peyton Campbell, Athlian Jongkor and Cal Hager were scoreless. The Mustangs hit 29-77 (.377) from the floor, 9-36 (.250) from the arc and 15-29 (.517) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 24 fouls, 18 assists, 9 turnovers and 9 steals. The Mustangs (coach Brad Campbell, assistant/recruiting coordinator Joel Delcarmen, assistant Jacob Lindley, assistant Mo Haidar, strength & conditioning Benson Amihere, social media manager Waell Khalife, director of analytics Danny Leese, manager of analytics Alex Salsali, manager Matthias Chow, video coordinator Colin Shin, trainer Matt Johnston, trainer Max Ackerman-Vernon) also included Julius Laurinavicius, Tyrell Vickers, Julian Walker and redshirt Isaiah Familia.
In the final, the Carleton Ravens captured their 15th title in 17 seasons by clipping the Dalhousie Tigers 74-65 as Taffe Charles became the first coach in uSports history to lead a team from each gender to a national crown. The Ravens trailed 15-13 after one quarter and 36-24 at the half as the Tigers effectively closed out Carleton’s perimeter shooters and dominated the offensive boards, while point guard Keevan Veinot masterfully masterminded the Dalhousie office. They capped the dominant first half with a midcourt-bomb from Sascha Kappos. But Carleton came out of the half attacking off the dribble on every possession, defying the Tigers to collapse their defence and close off the driving lanes, and Dalhousie was unable to meet the challenge as Carleton rallied to within 54-50 after three quarters. With Dalhousie continuing to focus on closing out Carleton’s perimeter attack, and the Ravens continuing to control the defensive boards, Carleton repeatedly asserted themselves in the paint with their ‘attack, attack, attack’ strategy, often drawing reac-in fouls as they blew by Tiger defenders. The Ravens took the lead for good after Aiden Warnholtz and Isiah Osborne drove for layups and Munis Tutu drilled a trey with 1:17 to play. After a missed bomb from Kappos, Biniam Ghebrekidan notched a putback and-one to ice it for the Ravens. Charles, who’d coached the distaff Ravens to a title in 2018, told Canadian Press that “in 2002, I remember telling [then Carleton coach] Dave (Smart) after we got a ring, ‘Man we’re never going to get another one of these again.’ It was just so difficult. And here we are years later it’s 15. … (At halftime), we talked about being together for the whole game. Sometimes we blow people out and it seems easy, but it’s just not that easy. We’ve been in closer games and understood when things don’t go your way. We had to keep going, keep fighting, keep playing. It’s 40 minutes and we’re a good team. … It hasn’t sunk in really right now. I’m just very fortunate to be put in this position. It’s a crazy ride, but it’s about the players. The players got it done and I’m proud of them.” Tournament MVP Osborne said “my team, they’re the best. They push me every day in practice. When I get out there, they trust me and I trust them. They put me in a good spot to have success. I shoot the shots they give me, and they were falling this weekend.” Ghebrekidan, from nearby Aylmer, Que., said “it was one of the best experiences of my life to be honest.. Having my friends and family here and be able to celebrate with them is phenomenal.” Tiger Alex Carlson said “I knew our team would keep fighting until the end. We battled to the end and I’m really proud of this team.” Tigers coach Rick Plato said “first half we did what we were supposed to do, the second half we didn’t. … You have to play 40 minutes and unfortunately, we maybe played 32. But credit Carleton, they’re a great team and they proved it today.” Biniam Ghebrekidan paced the Ravens with 19 on 9-12 from the floor, 1-1 from the line and 11 boards. Munis Tutu added 14 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 7-8 from the line and 3 boards. Alain Louis notched 13 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-8 from the line and 3 assists. Isiah Osborne scored 12 on 5-15 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 2-6 from the line, 6 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Lloyd Pandi added 8 on 4-7 from the floor, 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Aiden Warnholtz notched 8 on 3-4 from the floor and 2-3 from the arc, while Marcus Anderson and Yasiin Joseph were scoreless. The Ravens hit 28-61 (.459) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 14-25 (.560) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 7 steals, 6 blocks, 5 turnovers and 17 fouls. Alex Carson paced the Tigers with 20 on 7-14 from the floor, 4-11 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Keevan Veinot added 11 on 4-17 from the floor, 1-8 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 9 boards and 6 assists. Sascha Kappos added 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards and 3 blocks. Shamar Burrows scored 9 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Xavier Ochu added 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 5 boards. Jordan Wilson scored 4 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 5 boards. Adam Sellan notched 3 on 1-1 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Jordan Braithwaite added 1 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2 boards. Brent Martindale scored 2 on 0-1 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards, while Matt McVeigh and Marley Bloomers were scoreless. The Tigers hit 24-63 (.381) from the floor, 7-28 (.250) from the arc and 10-12 (.833) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 4 steals, 5 blocks, 9 turnovers and 21 fouls.
The all-tournament team featured MVP Isiah Osborne (Carleton); Keevan Veinot (Dalhousie); Biniam Ghebrekidan (Carleton); Lloyd Pandi (Carleton); and Manroop Clair (U.B.C.).
The bronze medalist British Columbia Thunderbirds: Manroop Clair; Zack Moore; Grant Audu; Taylor Browne; Brian Wallack; Jonah Morrison; Toni Maric; Grant Shephard; Jack Cruz-Dumont; Jadon Cohee; Mason Bourcier; Lincoln Rosebush; Alex Nwoye; coach Kevin Hanson; assistant Sean Shook; assistant Vern Knopp; trainer Jackson Liu; trainer Saeed Habib; therapist Kevin Valcke
The silver medalist Dalhousie Tigers: Samuel Wade; Adam Sellan; Xavier Ochu; Jordan Wilson; Jordan Braithwaite; Samuel Maillet; Keevan Veinot; Minwoo Park; Alex Carson; Sascha Kappos; Matt McVeigh; Kendall Saunders; Ben Shoveller; Marley Blommers; Brent Martindale; Shamar Burrows; Matt McVeigh; redshirt Ifesinachi Chiekwe; redshirt Zekun Li; coach Rick Plato; assistant Anton Berry; assistant Michael Barrie; assistant Kevin Veinot; assistant Kevin Bezanson; strength & conditioning Kris Andrews; strength & condition Brett Armstrong; trainer Aaron Shaw; trainer Richard Hache; manager Andrea Plato; student manager Julie Woods; assistant trainer Leanne Marriot; assistant trainer Jordan Larade; assistant trainer Yolie Watungwa; SID Angela Barrett-Jewers
The gold medalist Carleton Ravens: Marcus Anderson; Munis Tutu; Yasiin Joseph; Tajinder Lall; Isiah Osborne; Wazir Latiff; Biniam Ghebrekidan; Ivan Cucak; Elliot Bailey; Stanley Mayambo; Aiden Warnholtz; Connor Vreeken; Lloyd Pandi; Simon Chamberlain; Alain Louis; Cordell Veira; redshirt Joshua Haughton; redshirt Elie Karojo; coach Taffe Charles; assistant Rob Smart Jr; assistant Aaron Blakely; assistant Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie; assistant Richard Anderson; assistant Davy Sanelus; assistant Jamie Campbell; assistant Jafeth Maseruka; assistant Pat Sullivan; therapist Gabrielle Nickoluk; director of operations Dave Smart