REGULAR SEASON

Manitoba 17-1 30-5 Jack Lewis        
  U.B.C. 15-3 22-6 Peter Mullins        
  Alberta 13-5 20-10 Barry Mitchelson        
  Winnipeg 10-8 14-15 Vic Pruden        
  Saskatchewan  9-9 11-13 Don Fry        
  Victoria  8-10   Robert Bell        
  Lethbridge  6-12 11-17 Logan Tait        
  Calgary  5-13   Skip Morgan        
  Brandon  5-13   Gary Howard        
  Regina  1-17  1-19 Gene Rizak        
                 

        Brandon was added to the league. In the one of the league’s most memorable regular season games, Manitoba defeated Brandon 14-13 in a classic stall game. Gary Howard’s Bobcats knew they could not compete with the Bisons squad so they slowed the pace to a standstill and led 11-10 at halftime but Angus Burr scored with three seconds to play.

        Playoff non-qualifiers:

        Brandon Bobcats: Dave Bauman, Bill Moody, Bill Warren, Jan Kreutzer, Mike Vaira, Ryan Smith, Bob Fosker, Frank Lindall, Bob Hill, Garry Burkett, Greg Dinsdale, Jack Mitchell, Don Taylor, Jack Gibson, Kerry Knudson, Harvey Dick, coach Gary Howard; assistant Gordon Haslam; assistant Norman Joss; manager Don Taylor; trainer Al Johnson

        Calgary Dinosaurs: Jim Lathrop, Danny Quance, Clarence Amalung, Gary Elliott, John Powell, Ken Reason, Bob Bailly, Horner, Herdman, Brent Farch, John Wieland, Gary Pruden, Bill Newcombe, Bill Mucklow, coach Skip Morgan, manager Grant Sharp

        Lethbridge Pronghorns: Tim Tollestrup, Doug Kempt, Brian Sanders, Gladstone, Randy Milner, Clark Sloan, Peter Hague, Cam Burr, Ken Peterson, Eric Peterson, Roberts, Peter Kootchin, John Christensen, coach Logan Tait, manager Cal O’Brien

        Regina Cougars: Wes Britton, Neil Jacoby, Jerry Brhelle, Peter McGeady, Bob McGregor, Wayne McKeage, Dick Mowrey, Glenn Szabo, Ray Vass, Brian Ward, Wes Britton, Dan Hill, Tim Leblanc, Jack Miller, John Schepers, Gary Wilkenson, coach Gene Rizak, manager George Miller

        Saskatchewan Huskies: Larry Larson, Jim Herbison, Paul Jacoby, Dave Pickett, Ken Traynor, Wayne Dyck, Doug Forsyth, Brian Eger, Bob Thompson, Jim Kilpatrick, Bill Domres, Peter Bailey, Ken Dishaw, coach Don Fry, manager Greg Luedtke

        Victoria Vikings: Tom Hatcher, Brent Mullins, Tom Holmes, Mike Taafe, Corky Jossul, Tim Rieger, Skip Cronck, Gord Hoshal, Stan Piper, Fergie Andison, Tom Child, coach Gary Taylor, coach Bob Bell

        In the semis, U.B.C. d’d Alberta 82-67; 65-64 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In the opener, Ron Thorsen scored 25, Terry McKay 17 and Derek Sankey 12. The Thunderbirds were ahead 48-38 at the half. The Bears were led by Dick DeKlerk 14, Bob Morris 13 and Larry Nowak 12. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. completed the sweep after shooting 26-40 from the floor. The T’Birds led 35-31 at the half. Alberta shot 25-66 and was led by Dick DeKlerk’s 17 points. Bob Dawson added 14. U.B.C. was paced by Derek Sankey 21, Ron Thorsen 12 and Jack Hoy 12.

        In the other semi, Manitoba dumped Winnipeg 67-53; 90-71 (2g-0). The Bisons opened with a 67-53 victory over Winnipeg after taking a 31-10 lead and then driving to a 35-18 lead at the half. Winnipeg rallied to within 42-33 as Manitoba shot a poor 8-20 in the second half to finish the game 25-60 from the floor. Winnipeg shot .500 (12-24) in the second half to finish 21-50. Manitoba was led by Bob Town 22, Ted Stoesz 16 and Greg Gillies 12. Winnipeg was paced by Wayne Bradshaw 15, Barry King 8 and Bob Allen 8. …………………………………………………… In game two, Manitoba completed the sweep with a 90-71 victory after taking a 42-33 halftime lead. Ted Stoesz finished with 31 points and point guard Jon Gurban 18. Winnipeg was led by Ron Unruh and Bob Allen each 19.  

        In the finals, Manitoba swept U.B.C. 75-66 and 68-65.

In the first contest, U.B.C. prevailed 75-66. The Thunderbirds were ahead 11-4 when Bob Town caught fire and led the Bisons to a 38-32 halftime lead. The Bisons had started the game in a man-to-man defence but after Terry McKay and Derek Sankey dominated the boards early in the first half; Manitoba switched to a zone and shut down the T’Birds. Town scored 16 points in the first half en route to a 28-point night. Jon Gurban added 15, Angus Burr 15, Ted Stoesz 12 and Ross Wedlake five as the Manitoba starters played the entire contest. The Bisons shot .544 (31-57) from the floor and 10-13 (.769) from the line while outrebounding U.B.C. 24-18. The T’Birds shot .491 from the floor and .700 from the line. They were paced by Jack Hoy 23, Derek Sankey 18, despite playing with four fouls after twelve minutes of the first half, Terry McKay 13, Ron Thorsen 10 and Stan Callegari 2.

The second game, a 68-65 Manitoba victory, featured 13 lead changes. U.B.C. opened the game with a 6-0 run and then saw Manitoba rally to an 18-17 lead with 9:06 to go before taking a 32-28 lead at the half. But Manitoba’s Ross Wedlake hit a three point play at 4:30 of the second half to tie the game. Three minutes later he was hit with his fourth foul but substitute Greg Gillies went 3-3 from the floor, grabbed two boards and made one block in replacing Wedlake. Manitoba took a 59-56 lead and then went into a stall, hitting their free throws down the stretch to seal the win. First Burr hit two free throws, then Wedlake hit two and then Burr hit another on a Sankey technical to give the Bisons a 65-56 lead with 3:50 to go. Wedlake finished with 19, along with 12 boards, Burr 16 and Stoesz 11 for the Bisons, while the Thunderbirds were paced by Terry MacKay 21, Derek Sankey 13 and Ron Thorsen 11. The Bisons were coached by Jack Lewis and assistant coach Hank Tatarchuk, manager John Brown.

        In April/71, 25-year-old Frank Evans was named coach of the Winnipeg Wesmen. The U.S.-born Evans, formerly coach of Cal St. Humboldt from 1968-69 and Eastern Illinois in 1969-70, where he finished with a 16-2 record, before becoming head coach of Assumption College in North Dakota in 1970-71, where he finished 15-14 on the season.

        After the season, the WCIAA votes to re-constitute itself in two divisions, with Alberta and British Columbia schools in one division, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba schools in the other. The plan is to play a partially interlocking schedule (which does not seem to have materialized).

        After the season, Winnipeg coach Vic Pruden announced his retirement.

The co-bronze medalist Winnipeg Wesmen: Ron Uhruh; Bob Allen; Craig Parker; Barry King; Joe Dudar; Bruce Peters; Wayne Bradshaw; Richard Stefanshyn; Terry Sellen; Willie Reimer; Walter Barg; Bernie Nikolai; Mike Buchan; coach Vic Pruden; assistant Bruce Enns; manager Grant Bjornson; assistant manager Darryl Barker

        The co-bronze medalist Alberta Golden Bears: Dick DeKlerk; Bob Dawson; Bob Bain; Larry Nowak; Bob Morris; Gary Campbell; Owen Cameron; Greg Stewart; Walter Dick; Wally Tollestrup; Jerry Spotowski; Jack Schwartzberg; coach Barry Mitchelson; assistant Andy Skujins; manager John Milligan; manager John Schubert

        The runner-up University of British Columbia Thunderbirds: Ron Thorsen; Terry McKay; Derek Sankey; Jack Hoy; Stan Callegari; Bob Dickson; Darryl Gjernes; Peter Herd; Rod Matheson; John Mills; John Hawkins; coach Peter Mullins; manager Bob Clayton

        The champion Manitoba Bisons: Jon Gurban; Ted Stoesz; Angus Burr; Bob Town; Gordie Puttaert; Greg Gillies; John Loewen; Darryl Rumsey; Rick Watts; Ron Unruh; Bob Larose; Bill Irwin; Ross Wedlake; Don Lamont; Frank Cooney; coach Jack Lewis; assistant coach Hank Tatarchuk; assistant manager John Restivo; manager John Brown; trainer Jamie Spack