| (1) | Brock | 73 | ||||||
| (8) | Saskatchewan | 77 | Saskatchewan | 86 | ||||
| (4) | Dalhousie | 80 | Queen’s | 60 | Saskatchewan | 72 | ||
| (5) | Queen’s | 90 | ||||||
| —–CARLETON | ||||||||
| (2) | Victoria | 77 | ||||||
| (7) | Carleton | 94 | Carleton | 64 | Carleton | 85 | ||
| (3) | Alberta | 85 | Alberta | 63 | ||||
| (6) | McGill | 68 |
SEEDING
1. Brock Badgers (OUA champions: 14-1 regular season / 3-0 playoffs / 21-1 v CIS)
2. Victoria Vikes (Canada West champs: 17-1 regular season / 3-0 playoffs / 22-1 v CIS)
3. Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West runner-up and hosts: 16-0 regular season / 2-1 playoffs / 24-1 v CIS)
4. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champs: 12-2 regular season / 3-0 playoffs / 20-4 v CIS)
5. Queen’s Gaels (OUA runner-up: 9-5 regular season / 3-1 playoffs / 16-6 v CIS)
6. McGill Redbirds (RSEQ champs: 12-0 regular season / 2-0 playoffs / 14-3 v CIS)
7. Carleton Ravens (wildcard and OUA semifinalist) 14-0 regular season / 1-1 playoffs / 21-2 v CIS)
8. Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West bronze) 11-5 regular season / 3-1 playoffs / 19-7 v CIS)
In the quarterfinals, the 8th-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies stunned the top-seeded Brock Badgers 77-73 after leading 22-9, 36-29 and 51-50 at the quarters. Brock took a one-point lead on a pair of free throws from Tajinder Lall but Marquavian Stephens drove the paint for a layup five seconds to play to give the Huskies the lead for good. “The coach called my look,” said the Flint, Michigan product. “And the team believes a lot in me, which does a lot for my confidence. When I came off that screen, I saw an open lane and I took it. I made some big shots that the team needed and we ended up getting the dub. … Brock is a great team. We knew they were going to fight and make a run. We just had to keep doing what we were doing, and keep fighting. And we knew if we stayed in reaching distance in the fourth quarter, we would have a chance. … Unbelievable, I mean coming in, we were looked at as an underdog, but inside the team we knew that we had a good chance of winning this game. We just had to stick to our game. This was an up-and-down game, but this isn’t nothing new. We’ve been here all playoffs — this was a great win.” Badgers coach Willi Manigat said “we never focused on the fact that we were the No. 1 seed, we knew that Saskatchewan is a good basketball team, and in this type of tournament seeding doesn’t matter, you just need to go beat the team in front of you, and unfortunately today we weren’t the better team. … I think everyone in that locker room wants that first half back. If you look at it from the first quarter on we outplayed and outscored them, but you have to play a full 40 minutes of basketball,” Manigat said. “It’s not what we wanted as a group, but we have a lot to hold our heads up.” Stephens was chosen player of the game for the Huskies, while Tajinder Lall earned the laurels for the Badgers. The Huskies toiled with Chad Jacobson at the helm, after coach Barry Rawluk resigned shortly before the Canada West playoffs commenced, with the school’s administration telling CBC that “when Huskie Athletics was made aware of the situation, Coach Rawlyk was put on administrative leave pending investigation.” CBC added that Saskatchewan “did not clarify what it mean by ‘the situation’.” Marquavian Stephens paced the Huskies with 19 on 8-20 from the floor, 2-11 from the arc, 1-3 from the line, 5 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Alexander Dewar added 18 on 6-13 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 4 boards and 3 steals. Nervens Demosthene notched 14 on 5-9 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-6 from the line, 2 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Chan De Ciman scored 9 on 3-8 from the floor and 3-7 from the arc. Maxwell Amoafo scored 4 on 2-2 from the floor, 8 boards and 3 assists. Kessler Bishop added 4 on 2-6 from the floor, 5 boards and 2 blocks. Emmanuel Akintunde scored 3 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 assists. Tyrese Potoma added 2 on 0-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Fisayo Moibi scored 2 on 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Ryker Wuttke added 2 on 1-1 from the floor, while Noah Nickel and Griffin Sharkey were scoreless. The Huskies hit 28-68 (.412) from the floor, 8-30 (.267) from the arc and 13-20 (.650) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 14 assists, 20 turnovers, 3 blocks and 9 steals. Tajinder Lall paced the Badgers with 26 on 7-11 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 10-12 from the line, 5 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals. Kascius Small-Martin added 23 on 9-18 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Godsman Kwakwah notched 6 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Jesse Barnes scored 4 on 2-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the line and 2 boards. Daniel Caldwell added 4 on 2-7 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 5 boards and 2 assists. Jordan Tchuente scored 4 on 1-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 4 blocks. Kwadwo (Asare?) Otchere added 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 3 boards. Emmanuel Owoo-toah scored 2 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 3 boards. While Isaiah Bujdoso was scoreless and nabbed 3 boards. The Badgers hit 26-61 (.426) from the floor, 7-23 (.304) from the arc and 14-19 (.737) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 10 assists, 18 turnovers, 6 blocks and 9 steals. The Badgers (coach Willy Manigat, assistant Brandon Edwards, assistant Rami Arabi, assistant Pat Sullivan, graduate assistant William Gatchalian, operations coordinator Trevor Wakayama) also included William Boyer-Richard, Jevon Brown, Daniel Cayer, Brandon Charles, A.J. Golbourne, Cormac McMahon, Michael Okeke, Tyler Plummer, Malakai Whittaker and Erik Wouters.
The 5th-seeded Queen’s Gaels clipped the 4th-seeded Dalhousie Tigers 90-80. The Gaels led 22-20 after one quarter. The score was knotted at 44 at the half. The Gaels led 68-66 after three quarters after hitting four treys in the frame. They also notched 12 offensive boards in the affair, often leading to easy putbacks, and took command with a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter when the Tigers got in foul trouble. “We expect to beat every team. We expected to be here, and we prepared that way,” Gael Quinton Gray said. “Our coaches worked overtime to get us ready to play. Our scouts have been amazing. … Our conditioning has always been excellent. We run a lot of high minute guys, and I think that energy and fitness factored into the fourth quarter. We knew if we keep fighting, we will be the last one standing.” Quinton Gray was chosen player of the game for the Gaels, while Keevan Veinot earned the laurels for the Tigers. Quinton Gray paced the Gaels with 19 on 7-17 from the floor, 4-10 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Cole Syllas added 18 on 7-16 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 6 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Connor Keefe notched 15 on 7-10 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 10 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Isaac Krueger scored 12 on 3-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 4 boards. Henry Van Herk added 11 on 5-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 7 boards. Cameron Bett scored 9 on 3-6 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Lyka Syllas added 6 on 3-5 from the floor, 9 boards and 4 assists, while Michel-Edouard Jolicoeur was scoreless. The Gaels hit 35-73 (.479) from the floor, 9-21 (.429) from the arc and 11-16 (.688) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 15 fouls, 20 assists, 17 turnovers, 3 blocks and 6 steals. Keevan Veinot paced the Tigers with 21 on 7-20 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc, 5-7 from the line, 3 boards and 6 assists. Alex Carson added 16 on 6-12 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Shamar Burrows notched 12 on 6-9 from the floor, 0-2 from the line, 3 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Adam Sellan scored 12 on 6-7 from the floor, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Nginyu Nagala added 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Alex Ruiz scored 5 on 2-3 from the floor and 1-2 from the arc. Samuel Wade added 4 on 2-2 from the floor and 3 boards. Samuel Maillet scored 4 on 1-3 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 2 assists and 3 blocks, while Malcolm Christie, Ifesinachi Chiekwe, Ben Shoveller and Marley Bloomers were scoreless. Blommers nabbed 4 boards. The Tigers hit 32-63 (.508) from the floor, 6-20 (.300) from the arc and 10-15 from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 20 assists, 13 turnovers, 5 steals and 8 blocks. The Tigers (coach Rick Plato, assistant Michael Barrie, assistant Kevin Veinot, assistant Kevin Bezanson, assistant Murphy Burnatowski, student assistant Alex Petropolis, strength & conditioning Brett Armstrong, manager Andrea Plato) also included Nathan Barton, Jermaine Husbands-Browne, Caleb Sooley, Matthew Smith, Alex Ruiz, Benjamin Gory and Zekun Li.
The 3rd-seeded host Alberta Golden Bears dusted the 6th-seeded McGill Redbirds 85-68 as Canada West player of the year Tyus Jefferson exploded for 31. The Redbirds led 18-15 after one quarter. But the Golden Bears ripped off a 21-0 run to take a 48-26 lead at the half. They led 68-51 after three quarters. The Redbirds rallied no closer than 10. “I just did my best to bring some energy to this team. We came out a little flat and nervous, so I just wanted to do whatever I could to help our guys,” Jefferson said. “It feels great to do this in front of our home crowd, our alumni. How loud it gets here, I love it.” Golden Bears coach Barnaby Craddock said “what an awesome atmosphere here with the crowd getting behind us. And it really gave us some momentum when we decided to calm down in the second quarter,” said Bears head coach Barnaby Craddock. “Credit to McGill, they came out hard and made some 3’s early. Then the crowd got behind us and we got some momentum. … They put a lot of heat on us at the end. We made some mistakes down the stretch too, but we had a cushion built up, so we managed to hold on.” Redbird Jamal Mayali said “I left it all on the floor. It’s my last year, so I didn’t want to have any stones unturned. I gave it my best. We feel like our conference isn’t as respected as it should be, and we wanted to come out and prove something and leave it out on the floor and show that we can compete with these guys.” Tyus Jefferson was chosen player of the game for the Golden Bears, while Jamal Mayali earned the laurels for the Redbirds. Tyus Jefferson paced the Golden Bears with 31 on 12-17 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 7-9 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Adam Paige added 18 on 8-15 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 14 boards. Brandon Meiklejohn notched 10 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-5 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Lars Ishimwe scored 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 steals. Geoffrey James added 6 on 2-12 from the floor, 2-8 from the arc, 11 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Abdullah Shittu scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 8 boards and 2 blocks. Cole Knudsen added 4 on 2-5 from the floor, 4 boards and 4 blocks. Daniel McLaren scored 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 0-2 from the arc. Colton Gibb added 1 on 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards, while Max Russell was scoreless. The Golden Bears hit 32-69 (.464) from the floor, 6-25 (.240) from the arc and 15-19 (.789) from the line, while garnering 54 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 11 fouls, 11 assists, 19 turnovers, 6 blocks and 6 steals. Jamal Mayali paced the Redbirds with 31 on 10-21 from the floor, 5-12 from the arc, 6-6 from the line and 7 boards. Sam Jenkins added 14 on 6-17 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 5 boards and 5 assists. Quarry Whyne notched 8 on 3-13 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards and 5 assists. Sidney Gauthier scored 7 on 3-10 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 3 boards, 2 assists and 8 steals. Cameron Elliot added 5 on 2-6 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 2 boards. Haris Elezovic scored 3 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 assists, while Zachary Lavoie-Toure and Kevin Li were scoreless. The Redbirds hit 25-72 (.347) from the floor, 10-37 (.270) from the arc and 8-10 from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 19 fouls, 13 assists, 13 turnovers, 1 block and 8 steals. The Redbirds (coach Ryan Thorne, assistant Loic Rwigema, skills development John Dangelas, strength & conditioning Larry Hunter, therapist Eve Poisson, physican Penny Baylis) also included Matthew Barg, Robert Petersen, Clement Veysset, Charles Couture, Sean Herscovitch, Sedami-Habib Djossou, Mitchell Bennett, Charles Couture, Joshua Daoust, Leonard De Connick Sidney Gauthier, Anthony Gervais, Charles Hon, Justin Hoyakem, Lens-Harly Louis, Doudley Nepture and Vadime St-Cyr.
In the last quarterfinal, the 7th-seeded wildcard Carleton Ravens clocked the 2nd-seeded Victoria Vikes 94-77. Raven Aiden Warnholtz hit 3-4 from the arc, while Connor Vreeken added a trey with 24 seconds on the clock, as Carleton built a 31-25 lead after one quarter. Carleton closed out the second frame with a 10-4 run, including a driving layup from Alain Louis and a runout off a steal from Diego Maffia, as the Ravens extended their lead to 51-38 heading into the lockers. Although the Vikes notched a late 8-0 run, the Ravens dominated the paint and led 73-64 after three quarters and then opened the final frame with an 8-0 run and then locked-down Victoria defensively down the stretch. USports player of the year Lloyd Pandi said “they are a really tough team, there was a reason they were the No. 2 seed. We knew they have a lot of really good players, and we had to match their intensity. Credit to them. They got some rebounds, and they knocked down some shots.” Alain Louis was chosen player of the game for the Ravens, while Elias Ralph earned the laurels for the Vikes. Aiden Warnholtz paced the Ravens with 17 on 6-8 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Biniam Ghebrekidan added 17 on 8-13 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3 boards and 3 assists. Alain Louis notched 16 on 6-10 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 10 boards, 8 assists and 2 steals. Lloyd Pandi scored 13 on 6-8 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 3 boards. Connor Vreeken added 13 on 5-7 from the floor and 3-5 from the arc. Cordell Veira scored 7 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 5 boards and 2 steals. Grant Shephard added 5 on 1-3 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Nelson Cilen scored 4 on 2-3 from the floor. Ivan Cucak added 2 on 1-2 from the floor, while Wazir Latiff and Elliot Bailey were scoreless. The Ravens hit 38-62 (.613) from the floor, 9-20 (.450) from the arc and 9-12 from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 16 assists, 10 turnovers, 3 blocks and 7 steals. Scott Kellum paced the Vikes with 19 on 7-16 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Diego Maffia added 18 on 6-19 from the floor, 4-16 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Elias Ralph notched 16 on 6-12 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 7 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Aaron Tesfagiorgis scored 12 on 5-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-5 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Matthew Ellis added 6 on 3-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 2 assists. Dominick Oliveri scored 2 on 1-3 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 8 boards and 2 assists. Justin McChesney added 2 on 0-1 from the arc, 2-3 from the line and 2 boards. Trent Monkman scored 1 on 0-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Jason Scully added 1 on 0-2 from the arc and 1-2 from the line, while Sergio Pereira and Ethan Boag were scoreless. The Vikes hit 28-74 (.378) from the floor, 10-38 (.263) from the arc and 11-19 (.579) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 22 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 12 assists, 9 turnovers, 2 blocks and 6 steals. The Vikes (coach Craig Beaucamp, assistant Josh Mullen, assistant Ian Hyde-Lay, assistant Tara Beaucamp, strength & conditioning Gary Peden) also included Jaden Touchie, Levi Timmermans, Christoffer Heggelund and Jakob Neufeld.
In the semis, the 8th-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies crushed the 5th-seeded Queen’s Gaels 86-60. The Gaels led 21-20 after one quarter. The Huskies led 45-31 at the half and 77-39 after three quarters. The Huskies took command with a dominant second quarter and romped to the easy win. “We talked about this all year, and it took a lot of hard work to get here. We had to grind out a lot of tough games, and now to actually be here, it means a lot,” said Huskie Marquavian Stephens. “We wanted to set the tone early tonight, and we did. We brought a lot of energy over from last night too. … This is crazy, we had so many fans who made the trip here to support us. They helped us keep our energy up when we are down.” Marquavian Stephens was chosen player of the game for the Huskies, while Quinton Gray earned the laurels for the Gaels. Marquavian Stephens paced the Huskies with 25 on 9-16 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 5 boards and 7 assists. Alexander Dewar added 14 on 6-13 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 0-1 from the line and 7 boards. Chan De Ciman notched 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Maxwell Amoafo scored 10 on 3-3 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 6 boards. Fisayo Moibi added 6 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Kessler Bishop scored 5 on 1-1 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 9 boards. Nervens Demosthene notched 5 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 5 boards. Tyrese Potoma scored 4 on 1-6 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 4 boards and 4 assists. Emmanuel Akintunde added 3 on 1-2 from the floor and 1-1 from the arc. Ryker Wuttke scored 2 on 1-1 from the floor. Griffin Sharkey added 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 0-2 from the arc, while Noah Nickel was scoreless. The Huskies hit 30-64 (.469) from the floor, 11-28 (.393) from the arc and 15-22 (.682) from the line, while garnering 56 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 25 fouls, 15 assists, 17 turnovers, 2 blocks and 3 steals. Quinton Gray paced the Gaels with 13 on 4-16 from the floor, 0-7 from the arc, 5-5 from the line and 6 boards. Luka Syllas added 12 on 4-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Henry Van Herk notched 9 on 4-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 4 boards. Cole Syllas scored 8 on 3-15 from the floor, 0-7 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 4 boards and 2 blocks. Isaac Kruger added 7 on 2-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Brandon Aultman scored 4 on 2-3 from the floor and 0-2 from the line. Sebastian Campbell added 3 on 1-1 from the arc. Cameron Bett scored 2 on 1-7 from the floor and 0-5 from the arc. Connor Keefe added 1 on 0-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Michel-Edouard Jolicoeur scored 1 on 0-1 from the arc, 1-4 from the line and 2 boards, while Josh Reimer and David Lado were scoreless. The Gaels hit 21-68 (.309) from the floor, 4-29 (.138) from the arc and 14-24 (.583) from the line, while garnerin 31 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 23 fouls, 8 assists, 9 turnovers, 3 blocks and 4 steals.
In the other semi, the 7th-seeded Carleton Ravens edged the 3rd-seeded host Alberta Golden Bears 64-63. The Ravens led 20-9 as Alain Louis effectively attacked off the dribble and Wazir Latiff nailed a pair of treys. Brandon Meiklejohn notched a pair of treys as the Golden Bears exploded for a 17-1 run to knot the score at 27 but Lloyd Pandi ignited a late 10-0 run to give Carleton to a 40-31 lead at the half. The Ravens opened the second half with a 6-0 run, continued to dominate the boards, and led 53-48 after three quarters. But the Ravens got in foul trouble in the final frame and the Golden Bears stormed back, before twice missing chances to take the lead in the final minute of play as Tyus Jefferson missed a pair of free throws with 13.1 seconds to play, while a last-second shot from Geoffrey James bounced off the rim and Carleton escaped with the win. “We were fortunate at the end of the game that the ball didn’t bounce their way. I don’t have too many words to describe that game. It was a gritty ball game, and we came out on top,” Pandi said. “They brought it, we brought it, and it came down to the final possession.” Golden Bears coach Barnaby Craddock said his troops “left it all on the court. Ball bouncing on the rim with a trip to the national final on the line. … Definitely a game of runs, and at the end of the game, there was nothing separating both teams. Once bounce the other way, and it’s a different outcome. Both teams left it all out there, and we are proud with the performance we put out there, but disappointed with the result.” Lloyd Pandi was chosen player of the game for the Ravens, while Geoffrey James earned the laurels for the Golden Bears. Lloyd Pandi paced the Ravens with 14 on 7-14 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 14 boards and 2 assists. Aiden Warnholtz added 11 on 5-13 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 assists. Alain Louis notched 11 on 4-12 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 3 assists. Connor Vreeken scored 10 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Wazir Latiff added 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Grant Shephard scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Biniam Ghebrekidan added 4 on 1-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 9 boards. Cordell Veira scored 2 on 1-6 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 15 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals, while Ivan Cucak and Nelson Cilien were scoreless. The Ravens hit 25-72 (.347) from the floor, 7-27 (.259) from the arc and 7-9 (.778) from the line, while garnerin 59 boards, including 24 on the offensive lass, 20 fouls, 9 assists, 17 turnovers, 3 blocks and 5 steals. Tyus Jefferson paced the Golden Bears with 16 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 9-14 from the line, 2 boards, 2 assists and 4 steals. Geoffrey James added 12 on 4-16 from the floor, 3-10 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Brandon Meiklejohn notched 12 on 4-8 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Adam Paige scored 12 on 4-13 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Lars Ishimwe added 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 4 boards. Abdullah Shittu scored 4 on 1-1 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 blocks. Colton Gibb added 2 on 0-1 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2-2 from the line, while Cole Knudsen and Daniel McLaren were scoreless. Knudsen nabbed 8 boards and blocked 3 shots. The Golden Bears hit 18-57 (.316) from the floor, 10-26 (.385) from the arc and 17-24 (.708) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 14 fouls, 10 assists, 13 turnovers, 7 blocks and 8 steals.
In the bronze medal game, the 3rd-seeded Alberta Golden Bears dispatched the 5th-seeded Queen’s Gaels 95-84. The Golden Bears led 31-20 after one quarter but a late 13-0 run drew the Gaels within 41-39 at the half. The Golden Bears led 65-61 after three quarters and iced the win with six treys in the final frame. Golden Bear Cole Knudsen said it was “not the game we hoped to be playing in, but the guys found a way to bring some energy today, and at the end of the day we just had some fun out there. We just enjoyed the last 40 minutes we had together as a group.” Golden Bears coach Barnaby Craddock said “we will finish the season with a good taste in our mouth after today. We have a character in our group, and the guys played hard. Really impressed with that Queen’s program, they are doing a great job over there.” Brandon Meiklejohn was chosen player of the game for the Golden Bears, while Quinton Gray earned the laurels for the Gaels. Brandon Meiklejohn paced the Golden Bears with 19 on 7-11 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 9 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Adam Paige added 17 on 6-13 from the floor, 4-8 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 11 boards and 2 steals. Geoffrey James notched 16 on 5-18 from the floor, 5-14 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 8 boards and 6 assists. Tyus Jefferson scored 13 on 5-13 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards and 5 assists. Lars Ishmwe added 8 on 4-10 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc and 4 steals. Abdullah Shittu scored 8 on 2-6 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 3 boards. Cole Knudsen added 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 9 boards. Max Russell scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 3 boards. Daniel McLaren added 4 on 0-3 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 4 boards and 2 blocks, while Colton Gibb, Bryce Solis and Ethan Egert were scoreless. The Golden Bears hit 33-86 (.384) from the floor, 14-39 (.359) from the arc and 15-19 (.789) from the line, while garnering 58 boards, including 25 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 16 assists, 14 turnovers, 3 blocks and 12 steals. Quinton Gray paced the Gaels with 38 on 12-18 from the floor, 8-11 from the arc, 6-7 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Brandon Aultman added 15 on 5-10 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Cole Syllas notched 8 on 3-13 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 9 boards and 4 assists. Connor Keefe scored 7 on 2-4 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 7 boards and 2 assists. Luka Syllas added 7 on 2-7 from the floor, 3-6 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Michel-Edouard Jolicoeur scored 6 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 3 boards. Cameron Bett added 3 on 1-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5 boards and 5 assists, while Henry Van Herk, Isaac Krueger, David Lado, Sebastian Campbell and Josh Reimer were scoreless. The Gaels hit 27-64 (.422) from the floor, 16-32 from the arc and 14-21 from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 22 fouls, 18 assists, 18 turnovers, 2 blocks and 5 steals. The Gaels (coach Stephan Barrie, assistant John Curcio, assistant Greg Faulkner, assistant Jacob Yager, assistant Justin Wallace, manager sports medicine Ryan Bennett, strength & conditioning Colin McAuslan, retention coordinator Milana McNamee, recruitment coordinator Breanna Burton) also included Ryan Heim, Caelan Scott, Scott Jenkins, Ayden Adeyanju-Jackson, Adrian Husic, Ian Keefe, Adrian Nowak, Kai Dalen and Michael Kelvin III.
In the final, the 7th-seeded Carleton Ravens clocked the 8th-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies 85-72 to capture their 16th W.P. McGee Trophy in 18 campaigns. The Huskies exploded to an 11-2 lead as Alexander Deward came out hot but Raven point guard and player of the game Aiden Warnholtz promptly took total command, rallying the Ravens to a 22-21 lead after one quarter. Warnholtz hit a pair of treys as Carleton extended its lead to 45-31 at the half. The Ravens opened the second half with an 18-0 run led 65-46 after three quarters, dominated the boards, and coasted to another crown. They led by as many as 32 before a late 20-3 Huskies run made the final score respectable. Ravens guard and tournament MVP Alain Louis told Canadian Press that “this one means more. They ranked [seeded] us No. 7, and that gave us extra fuel. I’m really proud of the guys. We fought hard for this one. We played Carleton basketball. Everybody has a role, and I’m so proud of this group.” Ravens coach Taffe Charles said “it’s been a long haul. Three games in three days, and we spent a lot of energy last night (in the semis). We fell down early and had to battle back. And I think that woke our guys up a bit. The Huskies played a heck of a game, and they battled tonight.” Dewar earned player of the game laurels for the Huskies. Aiden Warnholtz paced the Ravens with 18 on 7-16 from the floor, 4-8 from the arc, 9 boards and 8 assists. Lloyd Pandi added 16 on 7-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 13 boards and 3 assists. Alain Louis notched 15 on 6-15 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Nelson Cilien scored 11 on 4-7 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 4 boards. Grant Shephard added 7 on 3-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 6 boards. Wazir Latiff scored 6 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 1-1 from the line. Biniam Ghebrekidan added 5 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 9 boards and 2 assists. Cordell Veira scored 5 on 2-8 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 0-4 from the line and 5 boards. Connor Vreeken added 2 on 1-4 from the floor and 0-2 from the arc, while Elliot Bailey, Ivan Cucak and Khalifa Koulmallah were scoreless. The Ravens hit 34-74 (.459) from the floor, 10-27 (.370) from the arc and 7-17 (.412) from the line, while garnerin 54 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 19 assists, 11 turnovers, 1 block and 4 steals. Alexander Dewar paced the Huskies with 27 on 10-19 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 4-6 from the line and 2 boards. Marquavian Stephens added 16 on 4-21 from the floor, 4-13 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Maxwell Amoafo notched 10 on 5-6 from the floor, 0-2 from the line and 9 boards. Chan De Ciman scored 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 7 boards and 2 assists. Emmanuel Akintunde added 3 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 6 boards and 3 assists. Tyrese Potoma scored 3 on 1-3 from the arc. Kessley Bishop added 3 on 1-3 from the floor and 1-1 from the line. Nerves Demosthene scored 2 on 0-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals, while Noah Nickel, Fisayo Moibi, Ryker Wuttke and Griffin Sharkey were scoreless. The Huskies hit 25-65 (.385) from the floor, 11-33 from the arc and 11-9 (.579) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 18 fouls, 18 assists, 12 turnovers, 1 block and 5 steals.
The all-tournament team featured MVP Alain Louis (Carleton); Quinton Gray (Queen’s); Tyus Jefferson (Alberta); Marquavian Stephens (Saskatchewan); and Lloyd Pandi (Carleton).
The bronze medalist Alberta Golden Bears: Logan Powell; Lars Ishimwe; Tyus Jefferson; Bryce Solis; Geoffrey James; Brandon Meiklejohn; Jack MacPharson; Owen Weaver; Daniel McLaren; Cole Knudsen; Abdullah Shittu; Ethan Egert; Adam Paige; Max Russell; Colton Gibb; Ephraim Humilde; Fahad Yusuf; coach Barnaby Craddock; assistant Kent Johnson; assistant Ryan Bhalla; assistant Jay Tomlinson; assistant Brandon Brock; strength & conditioning Alex Hague; video coordinator Steve Constantine; therapist Brennan Mahon; student therapist Nicholas Toth; student therapist Ethan West; student therapist Jeremy Pynn; student therapist Tanner Kowal
The silver medalist Saskatchewan Huskies: Noah Nickel; Chan De Ciman; Benjamin Rose; Cameron Wright; Emmanuel Akintunde; Tyrese Potoma; Alexander Dewar; Nervens Demosthene; Marquavian Stephens; Arminas Ilciukas; Fisayo Moibi; Ryker Wuttke; Griffin Sharkey; Kessler Bishop; Seth Jones; Maxwell Amoafo; Dylan Boughen; Agamveer Singh; Coach Barry Rawlyk; assistant Chad Jacobson; assistant Dan Dewar; assistant Brian Carduner
The gold medalist Carleton Ravens: Aiden Warnholtz; Lloyd Pandi; Alain Louis; Grant Shephard; Connor Vreeken; Elliot Bailey; Simon Chamberlain; Nelson Cilien; Ivan Cucak; Biniam Ghebrekidan; Reginald Jean Seraphin; Khalifa Koulamallah; Wazir Latiff; Marjok Okado; Gebreal Samaha; Emmanuel Ugbah; Cordell Veira; coach Taffe Charles; assistant Davy Sanelus; assistant Jamie Campbell; assistant Patrick Sullivan; assistant Eric Parthenais; strength & conditioning Nick Westcott; therapist Gabrielle Nickoluk