2009-10 OUA – men

REGULAR SEASON

	EAST				WEST
	Carleton	20-2	30-3	Dave Smart	Windsor	17-5	22-9	Chris Oliver
	Ottawa	18-4	26-10	David DeAveiro	Lakehead	17-5	23-9	Scott Morrison
	Toronto	12-10	18-11	Mike Katz	McMaster	14-8	21-8	Joe Raso
	Queen’s	11-11	15-13	Rob Smart	Western	12-10	13-13	Brad Campbell
	Ryerson	10-12	10-16	Roy Rana	Laurier	10-12	15-19	Peter Campbell
	York	6-16	6-22	Bob Bain	Waterloo	9-13	14-19	Tom Kieswetter
	Laurentian	6-16	11-21	Shawn Swords	Brock	8-14	11-19	Ken Murray
	RMC	0-22	0-31	Scott James	Guelph	6-16	8-17	Chris O’Rourke

Playoff non-qualifiers:

Brock Badgers: Clinton Springer-Williams, Adam Bonzi-Simpson, Joel Whitty, Didi Mukendi, Phil Ramirez, Andrew Ferguson, Mike Cruickshank, Brian Nahimana, Nathan Samuel, Anto Raic, Jay Fleming, Vaughn Williams, Jordan Johnson, Riley Halpin, Andrew Cicuttini, Mark Gibson, coach Ken Murray

Guelph Gryphons: Dan McCarthy, Michael Petrella, Adrian Achonwa, Sheriff Wiredu, Grace Lokole, Drew Morris, Jay Mott, Matthew Howlett, Jonathan Moscatelli, Nick Walters, Colton Hood, Cory Shody, John Brutto, Adam Bering, Evans Otchere, Aurelio Cunha, coach Chris O’Rourke, assistant Chris Dooley, assistant Togger Treiguts, assistant Nick Pankerichan, trainer Meaghan Maynard

Laurentian Voyageurs: Justin Serresse, Mark Ramalho, Ian Morse, Isiah Pasquale, Matas Tirilis, Jamie Campbell, Manny Pasquale, Robert McMurray, Jamie Weldon, Paul Kovacs, Andrew Kay, Andrew Lalonde, Stephen Williams, Georges Serresse, David Otterbein, coach Shawn Swords

RMC Paladins: Liam Wright, Jonathon Wilson, Matthew Wookey, Nicolas Cooke, Gavin Viray-Cox, Mathieu LeClair, James Byun, Christopher Nicholson, Justin Hill, Simon Dakin, Andre Cyr, Michael Buss, coach Scott James

In the West quarterfinals, the 6th-seeded Waterloo Warriors stunned the 3rd-seeded host McMaster Marauders 66-63. The Warriors held the lead most of the game, and after faltering early in the final quarter, rebounded to upset the Marauders. McMaster scored the first five points of the game, but the Warriors quickly responded with 12 of the next 16 points, to open up a 12-9 lead. At the end of the first quarter, Waterloo held a 19-15 advantage. Trailing 27-17 early in the second quarter, the Maroon and Grey finally found their rhythm, scoring nine straight points to come to within 27-26, midway through the period. The Marauders pulled even, but Waterloo headed to the locker room up 40-33. Trailing 45-37 early in the second half, freshman guard Victor Raso hit a couple of shots from beyond the three-point arc, and combined with six points from Vernon, Mac pulled to within 48-47. With 10 minutes to play, Waterloo led 53-52. Vernon’s jumper in the first possession of the final quarter gave the Maroon and Grey their first lead since the opening minutes of the game. Just when it appeared the Marauders might start to pull away, leading 58-53, the visitors turned their game up another notch, and fought back to tie, and then re-take the lead. Waterloo made their shots down the stretch, and held a 64-60 lead, with only 8 seconds to play. Raso hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 64-63. After a Waterloo time-out, Cam McIntyre was fouled with 3.7 second left. He made both free throws, and Raso’s desperation shot at the buzzer didn’t fall. Warriors coach Tom Kieswetter told the Hamilton Spectator that “we made some shots when it counted. We hadn’t been doing that, but we did tonight. Matt Hayes was amazing. … such a warrior.” David Burnett paced Waterloo with 18 on 6-7 from the floor, 4-5 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 4 boards and 5 assists. Matt Hayes added 13 on 6-12 from the floor, 1-3 from the line, 9 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Cam McIntyre added 11 on 3-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Ben Frisby added 6 on 3-10 from the floor, 8 boards and 3 assists. Alan Goodhoofd scored 6 on 3-5 from the floor and 4 boards. Luke Kieswetter added 4 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 assists. Jesse Tipping scored 3 on 1-8 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc and 3 boards. Tim Rossey scored 3 on 1-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 3 boards. Wayne Bridge added 2 on 1-4 from the floor and 3 boards. The Warriors hit 26-68 (.382) from the floor, 7-21 from the arc and 7-12 (583) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 20 fouls, 16 assists, 16 turnovers, 2 blocks and 8 steals. Tyrell Vernon paced McMaster with 23 on 9-15 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Victor Raso added 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 3 boards and 5 assists. Matthew Wilusz notched 8 on 4-6 from the floor and 8 boards. Geoff McLaughlin scored 6 on 1-2 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 6 boards. Cam Michaud scored 5 on 1-9 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-6 from the line and 5 boards. Scott Laws added 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-4 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Jermaine De Costa added 3, while Paul Hart, Brett Day and Jordan Tew were scoreless. Marauders coach Joe Raso said “Waterloo has a pile of fourth and fifth year guys who looked at tonight as being their last game. And they had guys playing hurt. They came out and played real hard. We played well in spurts. But we kept beating ourselves up … Hunger won. They came out ready to play.” McMaster (coached by Joe Raso, assisted by Justin Gunter) also included Sean McGrattan, Keenan Jeppesen, Anthony Bishop, Geoff Noble and Ryan Christie. The Marauders hit 23-51 (.451) from the floor, 5-13 (.385) from the arc and 12-22 (.545) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 2 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 12 assists, 13 turnovers, 2 blocks and 11 steals.

In the other West quarterfinal, the 5th-seeded Wilfrid Laurier Hawks upset the 4th-seeded host Western Ontario Mustangs 89-70. “It was awesome to win our first playoff game,” said Hawks point guard Travis Berry. The last time the Golden Hawks won a playoff game was on March 17th, 2006 against the York Lions at the CIS Final 10. Laurier came on out fire in the first quarter, with Kale Harrison scoring 10 as they build a 24-15 lead after one quarter and then extended it to 49-28 at the half on the shooting of Jesse MacDonald. Western kept pace with the visitors in the third, with each squad scoring 17. “Defensive intensity and communication was the difference in this game,” said Laurier’s Conor Meschino. ”Our big guys really played hard down low.” Laurier coach Peter Campbell said “they were a good team and the boys played really well. We shot the ball better and played with more confidence than the previous two times we played them.” Western led briefly in the opening quarter 6-2, but a 12-point Golden Hawks run over two minutes changed the tide for good. Laurier led by as much as 24. Kale Harrison paced Wilfrid Laurier with 21 on 9-19 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards and 3 assists. Jesse MacDonald added 19 on 7-16 from the floor, 5-9 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 assists. Maxwell Allin added 17 on 4-10 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 6-7 from the line and 9 boards. Travis Berry added 14 on 2-8 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 9-10 from the line, 3 boards, 14 assists and 2 steals. Conor Meschino added 8 on 4-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the line and 8 boards. Matthew Buckley scored 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 14 boards. Sharif Wanas added 2, Andrew Pennycook 2, along with 5 boards, and Evan Schwantz 2, while Osman Omar, Matt Donnelly and Kyle Enright were scoreless. The Hawks hit 31-68 (.456) from the floor, 11-26 (.423) from the arc and 16-20 (.800) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 22 assists, 7 steals, 1 block, 15 turnovers and 24 fouls. Ryan Barbeau paced Western with 22 on 6-20 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 9-10 from the line, 3 boards and 8 assists. Andrew Wedemire added 22 on 9-13 from the floor, 4-6 from the line, 9 boards and 2 assists. Marcus Barnett scored 11 on 2-11 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Garrett Olexiuk scored 7 on 2-6 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 8 boards. Jason Milliquet scored 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 3 assists. Greg Edelsward added 2, while Zack Angus, Brett Lawrence, David Harder and Dillon Hamilton were scoreless. Western (coached by Brad Campbell, assisted by John Curcio and Matt Tweedie) also included Joshua Windsor and Joshua Robertson. The Mustangs hit 22-60 (.367) from the floor, 3-17 (.176) from the arc and 23-28 (.821) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 4 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 14 turnovers and 21 fouls.
       In the West semis, the 2nd-seeded Lakehead Thunderwolves rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat the 6th-seeded Waterloo Warriors 64-59. The Thunderwolves outscored the Warriors 16-7 in the final quarter. The win was Lakehead’s first in the postseason since 2005. A ball-hawking defence and an imposing Thunderdome crowd made the second half a nightmare for Waterloo. The Thunderwolves got their offensive game together early in the third as a 16-2 run tied the game up at 45-45. From there, the veteran Warriors restored their lead with a 7-0 spurt of their own before a conventional three-point play from Carter brought Lakehead back within four points at the start of the fourth. Lakehead eventually took a 58-57 lead on a pull-up jumper by Carter, with Joe Jones added a free throw later for a three-point lead. Cam McIntyre’s game-tying free throws with under two minutes left were the last points for Waterloo as Yoosrie Salhia scored the winning basketball on a tough inside finish. The game was official out of reach when Lakehead came up with a loose ball in their own end before Andrew Hackner found senior guard Jamie Searle for a big layup that sent the sold-out crowd into a frenzy. “I am proud of our team for stepping up in the second half and especially in the fourth quarter on the defensive end,” said Thunderwolves coach Scott Morrison. “Waterloo played a strong defensive game in the first half and their experienced players were not affected by the sell-out crowd. We had to really be perfect in the second half with our defensive fundamentals. Credit goes out to both teams for playing playoff basketball tonight and to our guys for hanging in there and taking it one possession at a time in the second half.” Waterloo led 19-13 after one quarter and 40-29 at the half. Ryan Thomson paced Lakehead with 20 on 8-13 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Yoosrie Salhia added 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 10 boards and 3 assists. Greg Carter added 11 on 5-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 5 boards and 3 steals. Sebastian Kaiuk notched 8 on 3-6 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 4 boards. Jamie Searle notched 6 on 2-9 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards and 6 assists. Cameron Hornby added 3, Brendan King 2 and Joseph Jones 1, while Matthew Nagy and Andrew Hackner were scoreless. The Timberwolves hit 25-61 (.410) from the floor, 6-18 (.333) from the arc and 8-12 (.667) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, 18 turnovers and 13 fouls. Matt Hayes paced Waterloo with 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 5 boards and 3 blocks. David Burnett added 11 on 4-9 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Wayne Bridge added 9 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2 boards. Cam McIntyre notched 7 on 1-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 2 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Luke Kieswetter scored 7 on 2-4 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 3 boards. Ben Frisby added 4 on 2-10 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 5 boards. Jesse Tipping added 3 on 1-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Tim Rossy scored 3 on 1-3 from the arc and 4 boards. Alan Goodhoofd added 2, while Harrison Mair and Brendan Smith were scoreless. Waterloo (coached by Tom Kieswetter) also included Jordan Hannah, Mark Peterson and Matt Glibota. The Warriors hit 21-64 (.328) from the floor, 6-17 (.353) from the arc and 11-18 (.611) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 7 steals, 5 blocks, 9 turnovers and 13 fouls.

In the other West semi, the top-seeded Windsor Lancers dumped the 5th-seeded Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 87-79. The score was knotted at 21 after one quarter and at 45 at the half. The Lancers led 66-59 after three quarters. Isaac Kuon paced Windsor with 22 on 10-16 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 5 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Nigel Johnson-Tyghter added 16 on 6-9 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 11 boards. Andre Smyth added 13 on 6-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3 boards and 3 blocks. Enrico Di Loreto added 12 on 4-8 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Josh Collins scored 10 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 3 boards and 3 assists. Corey Boswell added 7 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Justin Wiltshire added 4, Monty Hardware 2 and Lien Phillip 1, while Matt Handsor was scoreless. The Lancers hit 34-61 (.557) from the floor, 5-14 (.357) from the arc and 14-15 (.933) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 7 steals, 6 blocks, 11 turnovers and 14 fouls. Travis Berry paced Wilfrid Laurier with 18 on 7-20 from the floor, 4-11 from the arc, 3 boards and 5 assists. Kale Harrison added 16 on 6-18 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 9 boards, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Matthew Buckley scored 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 assists. Jesse MacDonald notched 11 on 4-12 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 6 assists and 2 steals. Kyle Enright added 9 on 3-7 from the arc and 3 boards. Conor Meschino scored 5 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals. Maxwell Allin added 3 on 1-1 from the arc, 5 boards and 4 assists. Sharif Wanas added 2 and Evan Schwantz 2, along with 3 boards and 2 assists. Andrew Pennycook was scoreless. Laurier (coached by Peter Campbell, assisted by Jamie Lockington, Andrew MacKay and Alex Urosevic, managers Julie Gatis and Laura Sedgwick, student trainer Jenna Paddock) also included Osman Omar, Scott Attwood, Matt Donnelly and Philip Blumel. The Golden Hawks hit 29-86 (.337) from the floor, 17-36 (.472) from the arc and 4-6 from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 23 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, 7 turnovers and 15 fouls.

In the West final, the top-seeded host Windsor Lancers dusted the 2nd-seeded Lakehead Thunderwolves 87-66. Windsor led 18-12, 47-30 and 71-41 at the quarters. “We just kept defending and rebounding, and we knew if we did that, they wouldn’t be able to stay with us for too long,” said Nigel Johnson-Tyghter. Lancers coach Chris Oliver said “a lot of ball movement led to some really open shots and obviously, we’re happy with that. … We haven’t always been the best team in terms of our performance, but it’s all been that process to get to play our best basketball by the end of the year, and you have to say we are playing some of our best basketball at the end of the year for sure. I can’t ask anymore. I trust this team.” Isaac Kuon paced Windsor with 23 on 7-20 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 7-7 from the line, 3 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Josh Collins added 13 on 5-8 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 4 boards, 3 assists and 4 steals. Lien Phillip added 13 on 6-8 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 7 boards. Nigel Johnson-Tyghter added 11 on 5-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the line and 7 boards. Matt Handsor scored 11 on 4-7 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 3 assists. Andre Smyth added 9 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Enrico Di Loreto added 6 on 2-8 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 1-2 from the line. Justin Wiltshire scored 1, while John Woldu, Monty Hardware, R.J. Wells and Corey Boswell were scoreless. The Lancers hit 33-76 (.434) from the floor, 11-30 (.367) from the arc and 10-15 from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 24 assists, 10 steals, 5 blocks, 9 turnovers and 17 fouls. Cameron Hornby paced Lakehead with 15 on 5-11 from the floor, 5-10 from the arc and 2 boards. Jamie Searle added 13 on 5-15 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Yoosrie Salhia scored 10 on 2-6 from the floor, 6-7 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Joseph Jones added 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 assists. Brendan King scored 8 on 4-6 from the floor. Greg Carter added 4 on 1-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Ryan Thomson added 4, Sebastian Kasiuk 2 and Matthew Nagy 2, while Andrew Hackner was scoreless, while nabbing 3 boards. Lakehead (coached by Scott Morrison) also included Anthony McIntosh, Andrew Quirion, Karl Rom, Matthew Schmidt, Aaron Jackson, Nate Wainwright and Michael Jarvis. The Thunderwolves hit 24-59 (.407) from the floor, 9-22 (.409) from the arc and 9-10 from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 4 steals, 8 blocks, 16 turnovers and 14 fouls.

In the East quarterfinals, the 4th-seeded Queen’s Golden Gaels nipped the 5th-seeded Ryerson Rams 79-76 in overtime as Mitch Leger scored 35. Queen’s overcame a 14-point deficit en route to a 29-point fourth quarter and a tie 65-65 game entering overtime. In the deciding frame with Ryerson’s top scoring threat, Boris Bakovic of Toronto, having fouled out, the Gaels edged the Rams 14-11. Down 62-65 with six seconds left in the game, a double-teamed Leger found Ryan Hairsine in the back corner for the game tying three-pointer. Ryerson failed to convert on their last possession which sent the game to an extra frame. In the overtime, Leger scored 10 points. Queen’s led 9-7 after one quarter. Ryerson led 32-20 at the half and 40-36 after three quarters. Mitch Leger paced Queen’s with 35 on 13-21 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 7-10 from the line, 12 boards, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Ryan Hairsine added 16 on 5-14 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 5-8 from the line and 2 boards. Dan Bannister scored 7 on 1-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 6 boards and 2 assists. Baris Ondul scored 6 on 2-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Chris Barrett added 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 9 assists. Kurtis Lawes added 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 0-4 from the line. Bernard Burgesson scored 2, while nabbing 4 boards. Jordan Kirchberger added 2 and Ozren Opacic 1, while Timothy Boyle was scoreless. The Gaels hit 27-67 (.403) from the floor, 7-24 (.292) from the arc and 18-30 (.600) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 4 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 7 steals, 3 blocks, 12 turnovers and 23 fouls. Boris Bakovic paced Ryerson with 28 on 10-20 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 7-11 from the line, 15 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Ryan McNeilly added 21 on 8-22 from the floor, 5-12 from the arc, 7 boards and 5 assists. Scott Wheler added 9 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 7-8 from the line and 8 boards. Kris Montague added 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Joey Imbrogno notched 6 on 3-4 from the floor, 8 boards and 2 steals. Ricardo Dunkley added 3 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Luke Staniscia added 2, while Dylan Churchill was scoreless. Ryerson (coached by Roy Rana) also included William Campbell, Chris Blouin, Matthew Lapointe, Steve Williams, Josh Budd, Evan Clavir and Arsalan Jamil. The Rams hit 26-71 (.366) from the floor, 6-23 (.261) from the arc and 18-27 (.667) from the line, while garnering 58 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 6 steals, 6 blocks, 21 turnovers and 23 fouls.

In the other East quarterfinal, the 6th-seeded York Lions stunned the 3rd-seeded Toronto Varsity Blues 86-79. The Lions led 24-14, 36-32 and 55-54 at the quarters. David Tyndale paced York with 25 on 9-21 from the floor, 5-13 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 9 boards and 7 assists. Dejan Kravic added 17 on 8-12 from the floor, 1-1 from the line, 12 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. John Lafontaine scored 14 on 5-9 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Ostap Choliy added 14 on 5-15 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Stefan Haynes added 12 on 4-6 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 5 boards. Rene-Pierre Mathieu added 3 and Kenneth Buchanan 1, while Mercurius Diaz, Vadim Razenberg, Justin Bell, Tyler Anderson and David Boyce were scoreless. The Lions hit 32-68 (.471) from the floor, 11-27 (.407) from the arc and 11-15 (.733) from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 3 steals, 6 blocks, 12 turnovers and 17 fouls. Nick Snow paced Toronto with 21 on 8-13 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 6 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Nick Magalas added 14 on 5-17 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 8 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Patrick Sewell added 12 on 4-10 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Rob Paris added 12 on 4-15 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards and 5 assists. Drazen Glisic added 11 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the line, 6 boards and 3 assists. Anthony DeGiorgio notched 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3 assists and 2 steals. Benjamin Garvin added 2 and Justin Holmes 2, while Andrew Wasik was scoreless. Toronto (coached by Mike Katz, assisted by Rick Dilena, Ben Katz and Chris Aim, strength & conditioning Michael Quan) also included Patrick Moskal, Dakota Laurin, Arun Kumar, Evaristus Toby, Andrew Wasik, redshirt Steven-Michael Ambrose, redshift Saska Malic and redshirt Colin Van Schoor. The Blues hit 30-80 (.375) from the floor, 8-29 (.276) from the arc and 11-19 (.579) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 22 assists, 10 steals, 3 blocks, 6 turnovers and 14 fouls.

       In the East semis, Carleton coach Dave Smart proved that he is nothing if not a master motivator. Smart gave his Ravens a simple choice Saturday at the Raven’s Nest: beat York or face a cranky coach for three weeks of “nothing but practices” before nationals. The Ravens wisely opted for the former and eventually dusted the Lions 78-65 largely by dominating the boards in the second half. Avoiding extra practices “was certainly an incentive to win this game,” said Ravens forward Aaron Chapman. “York really beat on the boards when we played them in Toronto. We didn’t do a great job in the first half but in the second half, we came out and really battled hard.” Three weeks of practice, with coach Smart cracking the whip, “is definitely not as much fun as playing games,” added Cole Hobin.       “The more games we get to play before nationals, the better, and the less practice the better,” quipped Kevin McCleery. The Ravens broke to an early 19-9 lead as McCleery repeatedly posted up in the blocks but the Lions began draining tough shots from the perimeter, often with a defender in their face, and slowly clawed back to within 43-39 at the half. Smart rotated Hobin over to defend Lion gunner Ostap Choliy in the second half, while Chapman, Hobin and Kyle Smendziuk began aggressively crashed the offensive glass in the second half. The Ravens quickly stretched their lead to double digits as they began to collect putback rebounds and Elliott Thompson began attacking with the penetration dribble and drawing fouls. Although Choliy and David Tyndale briefly gunned York back within six, Carleton responded with nine unanswered points to put the outcome out of reach. Smart said the Ravens did an excellent job with their defensive rotations and box-outs, particularly in the second half. “They dominated us on the boards the last time we played them, so we made it a focus. We said it wasn’t going to happen again and we didn’t let that happen.” Kevin McCleery paced Carleton with 22 on 10-16 from the floor, 2-3 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Elliot Thompson added 12 on 4-11 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 4-7 from the line, 2 boards and 3 steals. Cole Hobin added 11 on 4-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Willy Manigat notched 9 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 6 boards, 2 assists and 4 steals. Kyle Smendziuk scored 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 7 boards. Aaron Chapman scored 8 on 3-9 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards and 3 steals. Mike Kenny added 3 on 1-2 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 assists. Tyson Hinz added 3 and Anthony Ashe 2, while Greg Faulkner was scoreless. Ostap Choliy paced York with 19 on 8-18 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 4 boards and 4 steals. David Tyndale added 10 on 4-11 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc and 2 boards. Stefan Haynes added 9 on 3-6 from the floor, 3-3 from the line and 4 boards. Justin Bell added 8 on 4-7 from the floor and 3 boards. Dejan Kravic added 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 8 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. John Lafontaine added 6 on 3-7 from the floor and 2 boards. Malik Diaz-Mercurius added 3 and Kenneth Buchanan 2, while Rene-Pierre Mathieu, David Boyce, Tyler Anderson and Vadim Razenberg were scoreless. York (coached by Bob Bain, assisted by Tom Oliveri, Nate Philippe and Chris Cheng) also included Rohan Brown, Rieko Ruach, Kevin Haynes, Kenneth Buchanan, Christian Coldea and Dalton Olinoski. The Lions hit 27-65 (.415) from the floor, 6-21 (.286) from the arc and 5-5 from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 3 assists, 5 steals, 4 blocks, 16 turnovers and 15 fouls.

       In the other East semi, the 2nd-seeded uOttawa Gee-Gees clipped the 4th-seeded Queen’s Golden Gaels 77-61. The Gee-Gees secured a comfortable lead from the start, leading 26-13 at the end of the first quarter after second-year guard Warren Ward (London, Ont.) sank a three-point buzzer beater. The Gaels rallied to within 10 at the half but never seriously threatened. “We had a good game plan coming into the game, and we came on, executed and played hard,” said guard Joshua Gibson-Bascombe. Coach David DeAveiro was pleased with the team’s defensive effort: “The defence was good. We made them work for every point … We had a major contribution from the bench tonight.” Joshua Gibson-Bascombe paced Ottawa with 25 on 9-16 from the floor, 6-9 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Warren Ward added 20 on 8-14 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Donnie Gibson added 14 on 6-13 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 steals. Matt Riendeau added 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 3 boards. Nemanja Baletic notched 4 on 2-3 from the floor and 3 boards. Max Clarkson scored 4 on 1-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Matt Michaud added 2, Louis Gauthier 2 and Ryan Malcolm-Campbell 2, while Kemeish Edwards, Stefan Okuka and Akeem Gardner were scoreless. The Gee-Gees hit 30-65 (.462) from the floor, 9-25 (.360) from the arc and 8-9 (.889) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 8 steals, 7 blocks, 10 turnovers and 14 fouls. Mitch Leger paced Queen’s with 23 on 10-19 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-5 from the line and 10 boards. Ryan Hairsine added 14 on 5-9 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 4 boards and 3 assists. Ozren Opacic added 9 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards and 2 assists. Chris Barrett scored 6 on 3-6 from the floor and 3 assists. Baris Ondul added 6 on 2-8 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 4 boards and 5 assists. Bernard Burgesson added 1 on 1-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Dan Bannister scored 1, while Jordan Kirchberger was scoreless. Queen’s (coached by Rob Smart, assisted by Duncan Cowan and Grant Campbell) also included Cory Houde-Shulman, Jason Dhaliwal, Jerome Josz, James Asefa, Ryan Hairsine, Timothy Boyle, Kurtis Lawes, Zack Lukosius and Andrew Rasmussen. The Gaels hit 25-60 (.417) from the floor, 7-23 (.304) from the arc and 4-9 (.444) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 12 turnovers and 17 fouls.

       In the East final, it was safe to say that the Carleton men’s Ravens have an extraordinary capacity to get into the heads of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. For the better part of a decade, the Ravens have won all the games that mattered against their archrivals: four of the past five Ontario University Athletics East division title bouts, and a pair of OUA semis before that. Quarterfinal and semifinal wins over the Gee-Gees in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships. Not since 1992, when the Gee-Gees nipped Carleton in the OUA East semis, have the Ravens lost one of those proverbial big games to the boys from the other end of the Rideau Canal. Carleton did it again, popping the Gee-Gees 78-64 to capture their fourth consecutive OUA East postseason crown. They’ve now won eight of the last 10 east titles. “It never gets old,” said defensive stopper Cole Hobin, who scored 25. “And when you do it properly, it feels great.” The Gee-Gees broke to an early quick 8-2 lead on treys by Josh Gibson-Bascombe and Donnie Gibson but Carleton countered by taking command of the defensive boards. With Ottawa collapsing its defence on post Kevin McCleery, the perimeter opened up for Hobin, who began knocking down jumpers to rally Carleton to 19-17 lead. Carleton box-outs continued to be stellar and Hobin shut down Gibson-Bascombe as they extended their lead to 32-23 at the half. With McCleery and Kyle Smendziuk aggressively crashing the offensive boards, Carleton ripped off a 9-0 run and appeared to be in total control as they extended their lead to 21. But Gibson-Bascombe nailed a pair of treys and Donnie Gibson added a third as Ottawa rallied within 62-54 off a 13-2 run. The Ravens had the answers though. Hobin nailed a trey. Willy Manigat pilfered the ball for a transition layup. Mike Kenny added a trey and set up McCleery in the blocks as Carleton restored a comfortable digit lead and iced the win at the free throw line. Smendziuk said the Ravens struggled on the boards in recent games and were determined to redress that against Ottawa. As for winning another OUA East title, “that’s not really our goal. It’s nice but nationals are the focus for us.” Ravens coach Dave Smart said his troops boardwork proved the difference. “It obviously saved us early,” he said, adding that Hobin “did a great job. He got a little sloppy with a couple of fouls that we can’t afford him having. But he made things difficult for, not just Josh, but on switches. He kept the ball out of the paint. He’s kind obviously our go-to-defender but I thought he did a good job just covering straight up today.” Ottawa coach David DeAveiro was impressed with Carleton’s work ethic. “They killed us on the glass. It was 42-26 and to me, that’s an example of them imposing their will and effort on us.” Cole Hobin paced Carleton with 25 on 8-12 from the floor, 4-4 from the arc, 5-5 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Kevin McCleery added 20 on 8-17 from the floor, 408 from the line, 11 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Michael Kenny added 8 on 2-7 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 3 assists. Kyle Smendziuk scored 8 on 3-6 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Willy Manigat added 6 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 4 boards. Tyson Hinz scored 6 on 3-6 from the floor and 6 boards. Elliot Thompson added 3 on 1-9 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 3 assists. Aaron Chapman scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 3 boards. Anthony Ashe and Greg Faulkner were scoreless. The Ravens hit 28-64 (.438) from the floor, 6-15 (.400) from the arc and 16-23 (.696) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 12 turnovers and 22 fouls. Warren Ward paced Ottawa with 20 on 7-15 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 5-10 from the line, 5 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Josh Gibson-Bascombe added 17 on 4-12 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 6-10 from the line and 5 boards. Donnie Gibson added 11 on 4-7 from the floor and 3-4 from the arc. Max Clarkson scored 7 on 3-4 from the floor and 1-1 from the arc. Nemanja Baletic added 4 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc and 3 boards. Ryan Malcolm-Campbell added 2 and Louis Gauthier 2, along with 4 boards, while Matt Riendeau, Matt Michaud, Idris Said-Madjid and Kemeish Edwards were scoreless. Ottawa (coached by David DeAveiro) also included Akeem Gardner, Jordan Vig, Stefan Okuka, Matt Valiquette, as well as redshirts Bojan Dodik and Troy Harmon-Potter. The Gee-Gees hit 21-55 (.382) from the floor, 8-17 (.471) from the arc and 14-24 (.583) from the line, while garnering 26 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 5 steals, 7 blocks, 12 turnovers and 21 fouls.

       In the Ontario bronze medal match for the league’s third berth at nationals, it was tempting to think the University of Ottawa men’s basketball Gee-Gees are all from California. They’re so casual and laid-back that you half expect them to show up on the hardcourt in sunglasses and beachwear. That lack of urgency proved their undoing as Lakehead edged the Gee-Gees 78-73 to earn the Thunderwolves their first berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships since 1977. After that decades-long drought, “they’ll be partying in Thunder Bay,” forecast Lakehead coach Scott Morrison. “All week, we said if we can keep it close in the fourth, it was going to be our game. Maybe that wasn’t going to be the case. But we believed it. … I think that throughout the year our fourth quarter comebacks were viewed more as a weakness early in the game but tonight we had the confidence knowing that we could win after going down early.” Indeed, the Thunderwolves belief, along with the defensive intensity of St. Patrick’s High products Greg Carter and Andrew McIntosh, proved the Gee-Gees undoing down the stretch as the Thunderwolves rallied from a 12-point second half deficit and took command with a decisive 15-0 run. Carter expressed little remorse for returning to Ottawa to knock a local squad out of CIS contention. “Well, maybe I feel a little guilty but it still feels good. We shut them down in the second half.” Although the Gee-Gees were lacklustre early, they managed to build a 53-41 lead on timely shooting by big guns Warren Ward, Donnie Gibson and Josh Gibson-Bascombe. But they soon shifted into California-mode and the Thunderwolves began pounding the ball inside to Yoosrie Salhia. They took the lead on a driving bucket by McIntosh, extended the margin to 63-58 on a trey by Carter and pulled ahead 73-61 on a putback rebound by McIntosh with two minutes to play. Although Ottawa briefly awoke from its slumber as Ward hit a pair of treys and Gibson added another to trim the margin to 76-73, it was too little, too late. “We came in with the mentality that we can’t lose and that carried us,” said Salhia. Ottawa coach David DeAveiro was confounded. “They were physical with us and our lack of a post game hurt us. And we had so many defensive breakdowns because of our inexperience. … It wasn’t our best game today. We struggled as a group today. We had defensive breakdowns [and] turned the ball over way too many times.” Jamie Searle paced Lakehead with 18 on 5-8 from the floor, 5-7 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Yoosrie Salhia added 16 on 8-14 from the floor, 0-2 from the line, 11 boards and 2 steals. Greg Carter added 11 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 0-4 from the line, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Andrew Hackner added 10 on 4-6 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 2 boards. Anthony McIntosh added 8 on 4-8 from the floor and 2 assists. Ryan Thomson added 6 on 2-7 from the floor, 2-3 from the line and 2 boards. Joseph Jones added 6 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 1-1 from the line. Matthew Nagy added 3, while Cameron Hornby, Brendan King and Sebastian Kasiuk were scoreless. The Thunderwolves hit 31-57 (.544) from the floor, 10-19 (.526) from the arc and 6-15 (.400) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, 23 turnovers and 19 fouls. Warren Ward paced Ottawa with 29 on 9-22 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Josh Gibson-Bascombe added 16 on 6-14 from the floor, 1-7 from the arc, 3-6 from the line, 10 boards and 4 steals. Donnie Gibson added 16 on 6-11 from the floor, 4-4 from the arc, 2 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Louis Gauthier added 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 2 boards. Matt Riendeau added 2, Ryan Malcolm-Campbell 2, Nemanja Baletic 2, along with 4 boards, and Max Clarkson 2. Ottawa also included Akeem Gardner, Kemeish Edwards, Matt Michaud, Stefan Okuka, Idris Said Madjid and Jordan Vig. The Gee-Gees hit 26-60 (.433) from the floor, 9-20 (.450) from the arc, and 12-18 (.667) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 10 steals, 7 blocks, 20 turnovers and 18 fouls.

       For years, coaches have argued the Wilson Cup is an anachronism, if not an unnecessary distraction in the run-up to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s basketball championships. Yet, they’re all but leaping out of their leather loafers once the action starts, so it’s hard to conclude the Ontario University Athletics interdivisional title bout is entirely meaningless. There is, after all, a banner on the line. The final proved no exception as the Carleton Ravens dusted the Windsor Lancers 71-52 at the Raven’s Nest to capture their sixth OUA crown in eight seasons. The antics on the sidelines were as intense as the Ravens were on the boards while outrebounding Windsor 47-17. Raven post Kevin McCleery, who was all but unstoppable in the paint, said the Ravens were determined to notch another banner. “And no one wants to lose going into nationals,” he added. Cole Hobin said the Ravens defended and rebounded with urgency. “You got a chance to win. Someone’s got to lose and I’d rather it wasn’t us. I like that. Another banner up there.” Elliott Thompson said the Ravens “knew we had to get bodies on them and get the boards. We just stuck to the game plan.” The Ravens built an early 24-11 lead as they dominated the defensive boards and McCleery repeatedly worked free in the blocks. But Windsor rallied within 37-32 after McCleery was forced to the bench with foul trouble and their crisp ball movement generated three-pointers by Monty Hardware, Lien Phillip, Andre Smyth and Isaac Kuon over the final minutes of the first half. McCleery, though, went back to work in the paint in the second half and the Ravens outhustled the Lancers for rebounds on both ends of the floor as they took command and romped. Carleton coach Dave Smart said his troops played fundamental basketball in the absence of starting point guard Mike Kenny (strained knee). “A lot of our guards had to step up and they did.” Windsor coach Chris Oliver said his troops “just got killed. It was awful. We didn’t compete on the boards. We didn’t compete in the game. It’s OK to lose to Carleton. It’s just disappointing how we lost.” Kevin McCleery paced Carleton with 24 on 10-16 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 10 boards and 2 steals. Cole Hobin added 20 on 8-10 from the floor, 4-5 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 steals. Tyson Hinz notched 9 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Elliot Thompson added 7 on 2-10 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 3-6 from the line and 18 boards. Willy Manigat scored 4 on 1-6 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards and 6 assists. Aaron Chapman added 4 on 1-3 from the floor and 2-4 from the line. Anthony Ashe added 2 and Kyle Smendziuk 1 on 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Luke Chapman, Derek McConnery and Greg Faulkner were scoreless. The ravens hit 25-53 (.472) from the floor, 7-17 (.412) from the arc and 14.22 (.636) from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 11 turnovers and 20 fouls. Isaac Kuon paced Windsor with 14 on 5-16 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 assists. Andre Smyth added 10 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Nigel Johnson-Tyghter notched 8 on 4-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the line and 5 boards. Lien Phillip added 6 on 2-9 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Enrico Di Loreto added 3, Monty Hardware 3, Corey Boswell 3, John Woldu 3 and Justin Wiltshire 2, while Josh Collins, R.J. Wells and Matt Handsor were scoreless. Collins dished 3 assists. The Lancers hit 19-59 (.322) from the floor, 7-20 (.350) from the arc and 7-16 (.438) from the line, while garnering 17 boards, including 2 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 4 steals, 9 turnovers and 22 fouls.

       After the season, the OUA announces that it will move to a Final Four format for the Wilson Cup, with the two semi-finalists from each division qualifying for the draw. Both winners will advance to the nationals. The final four concept was apparently the recommendation of a basketball marketing group established by the OUA. The committee, chaired by RMC athletic director Darren Cates, included Mark Wacyk at cishoops.ca, Howard Bloom, publisher of Sports Business News and Carleton coach Dave Smart, OUA executive director Ward Dilse, Paul Jones of the Fan 590 and Raptors TV, Jonathon Chang, manager of marketing partnerships with NBA Canada; Michele O’Keefe, executive director of Basketball Ontario, Christine Stapleton, assistant athletic director of Waterloo Warriors; Mark Alfano, manager of facilities and events with the McMaster Marauders; and
Shawn Whiteley, sports information and marketing with the Brock Badgers.
       McMaster stunned the hoops community by releasing 18-year coach Joe Raso. Recently-minted athletic director Jeff Giles said “we wanted to take the program in a different direction and we felt that we needed a new coach to ensure that we got there. It’s simply a basketball decision and a desire to take our program to the next level. The past couple of years haven’t been his best years.” Raso, who was a part-time coach, also teaching at a Hamilton high school, led the Marauders to 12 CIS Nationals, finishing 2nd 4 times. His Mac teams won 4 OUA titles. Speculation suggested Giles wanted a full-time coach; a different personality than Raso, who some describe as abrasive; and a younger mentor. “I got the corporate handshake,” Raso said. “Eighteen minutes for 18 years. I was stunned … they never ever told me I was in a trouble, I never had a performance appraisal during the season. I never had any reason to worry. … I never got anything other than, ‘we’re going in a new direction.” Raso noted he was at a loss to comprehend how he could have a personality conflict with McMaster athletic director Jeff Giles, saying the two never talked enough to develop any kind of relationship, good or bad. In the job posting, Giles said the new coach “must also embrace a culture that ensures the academic success of all student-athletes.” Although there was widespread speculation that Windsor coach Chris Oliver would return to McMaster, where he was once an assistant, various reports indicated that he could not reach a contract agreement with McMaster. Giles subsequently hired Amos Connolly, a former assistant with the Marauders. Giles cited Connolly’s innovative basketball strategies, ties to Hamilton’s strong basketball community and commitment to student athletes as the reasons for his hiring. “We had tremendous interest in the position from across the country and even from the U.S.,” said Giles. “It gave the selection committee a great slate of candidates from which to choose and we believe we’ve found a coach with the best combination of experience, commitment to player and team development, and a plan to take the Marauders to a national championship. Amos brings a wealth of experience to the position having coached for the past fifteen years in the Hamilton community, including seven years as an assistant coach at McMaster where he helped guide both the women’s and men’s teams to provincial OUA championships. He’s a McMaster graduate and is the director of the Basketball Academy in the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. Connolly called it a “dream job. Hamilton is my community and it’s a real honour to have the opportunity to help McMaster continue to develop its players and its outstanding basketball program.”

       In an equally stunning coaching change, Ottawa coach David DeAveiro bailed for McGill after nine seasons with the Gee-Gees, in which he mustered 202 wins. “Today may be one of the most difficult days in my life,” said DeAveiro. “Leaving uOttawa, the amazing people that have embraced me and my family, all the players who sacrificed to turn our program into one of the elite in the country is heartbreaking. I want to thank everyone for their friendship and support.” DeAveiro was named the OUA East coach of the year in 2010 after guiding the Gee-Gees to an 18-4 record during the regular season. He won the same award in 2006 and 2007. Inadequate institutional support for the men’s basketball program at the University of Ottawa lay at the heart of a decision to bolt for McGill University after nine seasons at the helm of the Gee-Gees, David DeAveiro says.        The three-time Ontario University Athletics East division coach of the year says he decided to leave his alma mater because “I’m at a point now where I can’t just keep coaching and hoping things will get better.” Considered one of the top coaches in the country after transforming the Gee-Gees into a perennial powerhouse and leading them to three Canadian Interuniversity Sport tournament appearances, DeAveiro added that he found fundraising requirements time-consuming and onerous. “I just kept hoping that at some point, the school would put more money into our program and invest a little bit more in my future, in terms of having me stay here and wanting me here. I just feel that right now we’re not thinking the same way. But I’m grateful because they gave me my opportunity and I don’t want to sound like I’m slamming the university because that’s not what I’m doing. I just got a better offer.” DeAveiro declined to discuss specifics. But he is the third coach to leave a flagship Gee-Gee program in the past year, joining former football coach Denis Piche and former women’s hockey coach Shelley Coolidge, who left for Carleton. The current parameters of university support for athletic programs require that coaches fundraise monies to cover costs related to all exhibition games, travel to preseason tournaments and honorariums for assistant coaches, who generally receive $1500 or less for time and effort expended during a season. Individual programs must also pay for facilities and support staff required for ancillary events like the annual Clint Dunning Invitational Tournament. Many members of the Gee-Gees coaching fraternity have privately complained that the financial arrangement puts them at a competitive disadvantage but Director of Sport Services Luc Gelineau rejects that proposition. The level of financial support provided to all programs “is very comparable” to that of other institutions, Gelineau says. While coaches have to fundraise for some activities, they don’t have to fundraise for athletic awards, unlike other institutions, he added. “I don’t think it’s unrealistic.” DeAveiro interviewed for several coaching positions across the country in recent years and was offered the job at Ryerson last summer but decided to remain in Ottawa because his wife, Caretta Williams-DeAveiro, was reluctant to leave her position as vice-principal at D. Aubrey Moodie Intermediate School in Nepean. DeAveiro says Montreal’s proximity allows her to retain the job and the couple to commute. Although it’s long been believed DeAveiro was tired of living in the shadow of the CIS powerhouse Carleton Ravens, desired a more competitive salary and wanted to live in a larger city like Toronto or Montreal, he says those weren’t factors in his decision to accept McGill’s offer. “It just provides a few more resources and an opportunity to do some great things. And it’s a challenge. To be honest, I don’t know if there’s anything left for me do here but win a national championship, I guess.” DeAveiro was replaced by UBC assistant James Derouin, 34, who was on staff with DeAveiro in 2005-06 and ’06-07. He was captain of the Gee-Gees men’s basketball team for both the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons and, in his final year, played under DeAveiro. Prior to his time on the court with the garnet and grey, he played three years at Langara College in British Columbia under current UBC head coach Kevin Hansen. “We are very pleased to have an Ottawa native and former Gee-Gee take the lead of the men’s basketball program at the University of Ottawa, said uOttawa athletic director Luc Gélineau. His national championship experience and contribution as an assistant coach to the success of two of Canada’s best programs is a great asset.” After graduating with a bachelor of arts with a concentration in history from uOttawa in 2004, Derouin dedicated an additional six years to the Gee-Gees men’s basketball team, serving as assistant coach from 2002 to 2008. During this time, the program grew to one of the top men’s basketball programs in the country and the team saw two national championship appearances (2005, 2007). His two years with the UBC Thunderbirds program were also highly successful, as they went on to the national finals the past two consecutive years. Derouin could not be any more pleased after receiving word of his selection. “It’s a dream come true, really. I’ve been working towards this for a long time. It’s amazing.” Fluent in both English and French, Derouin also has a strong coaching experience in juvenile basketball within the nation’s capital. He served as head coach of the Gloucester Wolverines men’s juvenile team from 2003 to 2005, assistant coach of the midget boys Ontario provincial team in 2005, and head coach of the men’s juvenile Next Level Basketball Academy from 2005 to 2007. “I look forward to building on the current success of the Gee-Gees program, added Derouin. With the loss of two strong players [Josh Gibson-Bascombe and Donnie Gibson], we will look to fill those holes as much as possible and continue to strive for excellence.”

       Two years away from winning a national title, Brock coach Ken Murray announced that he was stepping aside at Brock. Murray had been accused of “verbally and mentally abusing his players” during the previous season. They’d petitioned the school administration to replace him. Murray has made an indelible mark on Brock basketball both behind the bench and on the court. As a player (1972-77) he was Most Valuable Player in all five of his seasons, and is the number two all-time OUA scorer with 1,209 points. He was Brock Male Athlete of the Year in 1975, and a four-time conference all-star. During his 20 seasons as head coach, Murray led the Badgers to their first-ever Canadian title in 1992, then to another national crown in 2008. At 521 wins, he has the most victories of any coach in Brock history, in a career during which he was twice named CIAU Coach of the Year. He is also a two-time St. Catharines Sportsman of the Year, one of just two individuals to receive that award more than once. “His record speaks for itself,” said Brock athletic director x Adams. “Ken has been one of the most successful coaches in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. He should be very proud of that record, and of what he has done for Brock University basketball. I’m going to miss him as a colleague, and we wish him well in the future.” Adams said an interim coach will be named to take over the men’s team as of July 1, and a search will be initiated to find a full-time replacement. Murray expected it to be assistant coach Brad Rootes. “I would be shocked if he’s not. I’m surprised they didn’t put anything in the press release.” Rootes has been a CIS assistant coach for two seasons, along with coaching Ontario provincial teams, since wrapping up a decorated playing career with that ’08 national title. Rootes was subsequently named interim coach. He won a CIS title for Murray as a 5th year point guard, and was a Brock assistant for 2 seasons as well as coaching Ontario U15 and U17 provincial teams. At 25 years old, he was the youngest head coach in CIS.

       York coach Bob Bain retired after 38 years after amassing nearly 700 victories over the course of his 37-year career. He is a two-time Canadian Interuniversity Sport Coach of the Year award winner and a nine-time Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Coach of the Year award winner. Under the guidance of Bain, York captured 11 OUA East Division championships and six OUA championships. Bain was also instrumental in the creation of the technical curriculum for the national coaching certification program. He was replaced by assistant Tom Oliveri, who’d been at Bain’s side for 12 seasons. Oliveri was head coach of the Lions when Bain was on sabbatical in 2005. “We are thrilled that Tom is taking over as head coach of the York men’s basketball team,” said Jennifer Myers, director, Sport & Recreation. “He is a tremendous leader with significant basketball knowledge and he is well-respected by his players and his peers. Tom’s 13 years of experience with the Lions will create a smooth transition for the student-athletes this season and ensures the values and life lessons taught by Bob will continue to live on as part of York’s men’s basketball program.” In addition to his work with the Lions, Oliveri is currently the head coach (Ontario Central Region) for Canada Basketball’s Centre for Performance. He is also the head coach of basketball development for the York South Silver Knights basketball club and is a certified teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board. A former York University student at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, Oliveri holds a master’s degree in kinesiology in coaching. Before coming to work with the Lions, he coached and taught for eight years at Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School, where his teams won seven TDCAA championships, an OFSAA bronze medal and two end-of-season top 10 national rankings. As a head coach of the under-17 Ontario men’s provincial team, Oliveri led Ontario to back-to-back gold medals at the Canadian Juvenile National Championship in 2002 and 2003. A certified Master Course Conductor/Master Learning Facilitator and Level 4/5 certified, he holds the formal designation of a Chartered Professional Coach. ”After being part of the York University men’s basketball family for the last 13 years, it is an exciting opportunity to build on the legacy of Bob Bain and the accomplishments of the program,” said Oliveri. “It is an honour to have coached with someone who has devoted the last 37 years of his professional career as a teacher on and off the court to the enhancement of the student-athlete experience at York and I am looking forward to the upcoming season and the opportunities ahead.”

       The bronze medalist Lakehead Thunderwolves: Jamie Searle; Yoosrie Salhia; Greg Carter; Andrew Hackner; Anthony McIntosh; Ryan Thomson; Joseph Jones; Matthew Nagy; Cameron Hornby; Brendan King; Sebastian Kasiuk; Andrew Quirion; Matthew Schmidt; Nate Wainwright; Karl Rom; coach Scott Morrison

       The runner-up Windsor Lancers: Isaac Kuon; Josh Collins; Nigel Johnson-Tyghter; Matt Handsor; Andre Smyth; Enrico Diloreto; Monty Hardware; Michael Godfrey; Corey Boswell; Jameel Williamson; Johannes Woldu; R.J. Wells; Lien Phillip; Justin Wiltshire; coach Chris Oliver; assistant Barry Amlin; assistant Matt Burkhart; assistant Geoff Stead; assistant Ryan Steer; assistant Cedric Benn; therapist Dave Stoute; student therapist Lamar Green; athletic director Gord Grace; assistant AD Mike Havey; SID Elisa Mitton

       The champion Carleton Ravens: Kevin McCleery; Cole Hobin; Michael Kenny; Elliot Thompson; Kyle Smendziuk; Tyson Hinz; Willy Manigat; Aaron Chapman; Greg Faulkner; Anthony Ashe; Luke Chapman; Derek McConnery; Scott Ring; Kevin Churchill; Dan Penner; Thomas Scrubb; coach Dave Smart; assistant Rob Smart Jr.; assistant Dean Petridis; assistant Shawn McCleery; strength and conditioning Andy Stewart; therapist Bruce Marshall; manager Kyle Vezzaro; nutritionist Harinder Ghuman; athletic director Jennifer Brenning; manager intercollegiate program Bob Rumsheidt; sports information Christina Atallah