In the quarterfinals, the Bathurst Phantoms whipped the Oromocto Blues 85-63. The Blues included John Ryer, Mitch McCoy, Bradley Hovey.
The Moncton Bernice McNaughton Highlanders dumped the host Fredericton Black Kats 76-69. Caleb Dow paced the Highlanders with 24. Kyle McConnell added 13, Jamie Hicks 13, Dave Adams 13 and Mac Ingils 10. Kyle Arsenault led the Black Kats with 24. Andrew Pitrie added 13, Tyler Daley 12 and Justin Kearney 11. The Black Kats led 43-35 at the half despite missing two players, Peter Esson (strep throat) and Weston Durling (knee). But coach Phil Wright said the injuries were not the difference. “They outhustled us, getting points when they needed to take this win. We had a 12-point lead and stopped scoring. They got us out of our rhythm and we couldn’t respond. You’re always confronted with the possibility of players not being able to play and you have to find ways to cope. I feel badly especially for our senior players.”
The Quispamsis Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders clipped the Riverview Royals 86-69. The teams were tied 44-44 at the half. Adam Spurrell paced the Crusaders with 20. Jarred Crawford added 19. Matt Sears led Riverview with 22. Chris Murray added 19. The Royals (coached by x, assisted by Mike MacDougall) also included John Bulloch, Jesse Balser, Stephen Ethelston, Casey Glenen, Brandon Hynes, Josh King, Tyler Nickerson, Brandon Pettipas, Ryan Sleever.
In the last quarterfinal, the Fredericton Leo Hayes Nashwaaksis Y Lions stomped the Moncton Harrison Trimble Trojans 90-47 after leading 42-28 at the half. Josh LaFleur led the Lions with 16. Sean Nugent added 15. The Trojans included Dave Boulay.
In the semis, the Bathurst Phantoms stomped the Moncton Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders 99-67 after leading 61-38 at the half. Matt Daley paced the Phantoms with 30. Brad States added 21 and Greg Doucet 17. Morgan MacIsaac led the Highlanders with 13. James Hicks added 13 and Evan Smith 10. “We’ve got a lot of team speed,” coach Paul Daley said. “When our offence is able to run the floor, we’re pretty hard to stop. We’ve averaged 95 points per game this year so our offence has been strong all season long. “For the last two or three weeks, our defence has come a long way, too. Our guys are starting to value rebounds as much as points. It’s a work in progress, but the guys are playing very well and they’re putting a complete game together.” The Phantoms went on the attack early against the Highlanders, but several players got into foul trouble. “Our depth was tested,” coach Daley said. “We’ve got a lot more depth on the team than we first thought back in November. The guys came off the bench and did a great job. Everyone on this team knows his role and everyone’s playing well. We’re looking forward to a great final on Saturday.”
In the other semi, the Fredericton Leo Hayes Nashwaaksis Y Lions dispatched the Quispamsis Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders 91-79. The Lions dominated the third quarter. “We play team basketball,” said Richie Wilkins. “We have a different leading scorer just about every night. It doesn’t matter who scores. The most important thing is we win.” Crusaders coach Dennis Rollins said “I think John (coach Hickey) was playing a few more people than I was playing. All of a sudden, it seemed our shots were coming up short. We were second to the ball and getting stuck in transition. There were a few tired legs out there at the end.” Sean Nugent gave the Lions a defensive lift. During one offensive attempt by the Crusaders, he blocked two consecutive shots and proceeded to pass the ball downcourt, leading his team to another basket. “He’s been big for us all season,” Richie Wilkins said. “He’s starting to play in his prime right now and he’s always been our defensive stopper.” The Lions were in control right from the get-go, leading 44-41 at the half and 70-55 at the end of three quarters. Crusaders coach Rollins said “in all you can’t fault our effort, we got beat by a good team today.” Richie Wilkins paced the Lions with 24. Sean Nugent added 16, Josh Lafleur 15 and Sam Goucher 11. Adam Spurrell paced the Crusaders with 22. Also scoring in double figures were J.D. Kent, Jared Crawford, Ryan Foster and Zac Chambers.
In the final, the Bathurst Phantoms defeated the Fredericton Leo Hayes Lions 98-89. Leo Hayes led 25-23 after one quarter and 48-47 at the half. The Phantoms led 76-68 after three quarters. Brad States paced the Phantoms with 35 points, 12 boards, 12-13 from the line and 3 blocks. Matt Daley added 33 and Mathieu Nowlan 13. Richie Wilkins led the Lions with 26. Sam Goucher added 17, Sean Nugent 16 and Josh Lafleur 10. Brad States was chosen player of the game for the Phantoms, while Richie Wilkins earned the laurels for the Lions. Brad States told the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal that he was elated to hoist the championship trophy. “I’m going to keep it. I’m going to sleep with it tonight. It feels great. Senior year, this was my dream.” States willed Bathurst to victory over a gutsy Lions team that had handed the Phantoms their only two setbacks of the season. With just a little more than six minutes remaining and his team holding a seven-point lead, States was forced to the bench with a cut over his left eyebrow, sustained after he banged heads with a Lions’ player. He had the trainer wrap white tape around his head and exchanged his bloodied #21 for a #10 jersey and returned to the court a minute later. “I just told them ‘wrap it up, wrap it. I gotta get back out there.” After a fast break layup by Richie Wilkins cut the Phantoms lead to 80-76 with 5:50 to go, States responded with two consecutive baskets to extend the Bathurst lead to eight. With a 1:38 left, he crashed hard to the floor after converting a tough layup and barely made it to the bench. He returned to the court a minute later, helping run out the clock. The Lions got off to a fast start, taking a 17-9 lead but the Phantoms stormed back and tied the game at 23 on a Daley three-point play before a LaFleur layup gave the Lions a two-point lead heading into the second stanza. A Curtis Johnson basket gave Bathurst its first lead of the game, 33-31, at the 6:42 mark of the second quarter. However, a Ryan Grice three-ball with under a minute to go staked the Lions to a 48-47 halftime lead. “We knew that if we ran, penetrated and got into the paint we could pick up fouls,” said Phantoms coach Alan Doucet “That’s what we told them at halftime. Just keep on running and doing the good things we’re doing and it will work out.” A physical third quarter saw both teams in the bonus by the five-minute mark. Consecutive turnovers by the Lions at the midway point of the quarter led to a pair of Mathieu Nowlan runout baskets and enabled the Phantoms to stretch their lead to 69-59 with three and a half minutes left in the period. The Lions shaved the lead to five with less than a minute to play before a States’ three-pointer staked Bathurst to a 76-68 margin at the end of three stanzas. Two quick Leo Hayes baskets to start the final quarter trimmed the lead to 76-72. They got within four again at 80-76 with 5:50 to go and States on the bench getting his tape job. But he returned to score four straight points and extend the lead to eight. From there the Phantoms controlled the game from the foul line to earn the 10-point victory. “We didn’t take care of the ball as well as we should have at times in the game,” said Lions coach Peter Hickey, whose team turned it over 31 times to Bathurst’s 21. “That being said our guys were great and we’re so proud of the way they played tonight. … Even though we lost it’s still a proud moment for our guys.” When Bathurst won the AA title in 2009, Doucet was on leave, recovering from a heart attack. So being on the bench was a thrill. “This time, I was actually there. When I arrived for the game Saturday, my brother joked with me, saying, ‘It’s about time you showed up for one of these’,” he told the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. “Overall, I was surprised at how calm I was. For the most part, I just tried to enjoy myself and take everything in.” The Phantoms finished 39-2 on the season. States and Daley dominated the floor. “My cheeks hurt because I am smiling so much,” said Doucet. “It was a magical season. … Phantom ball, rebound and run. We try to keep everything up-pace and everything flying through. We thought if we did that if would be OK and it was.” Daley said “we practised foul shots on this floor yesterday, so I guess it paid off. As a team, we’re like a brotherhood. We’re really close and it’s nice to bring a championship home.” States and Daley had played together since elementary school. “We’ve played together all our (basketball) lives,” States said, “so we have great chemistry. I know where he’s going to be on the court and he knows where to find me. This was our time to shine.” Hickey said the discrepancy in fouls was too large to overcome. “Bathurst played well. But our guys worked their tails off too. It seemed like we had everybody in foul trouble.”
The co-bronze medalist Quispamsis Kennebecasis Valley Crusaders: Adam Spurrell; J.D. Kent; Jared Crawford; Ryan Foster; Zack Chambers; Steve Flanagan; Casey Estey; coach Dennis Rollins
The co-bronze medalist Moncton Bernice MacNaughton Highlanders: Morgan MacIsaac; James Hicks; Evan Smith; Matt Smith; Morgan Tatlock; Caleb Dow;
The silver medalist Fredericton Leo Hayes Nashwaaksis Y Lions: Richie Wilkins; Sam Goucher; Sean Nugent; Josh Lafleur; Ryan Grice; Felix Zhou; Josh Whalen; Mike Gallagher; Brett Dickie; Connor MacPherson; Alex Fredericks; coach John Hickey; assistant Peter Hickey; assistant Ryan Chase; assistant Garth Wade
The gold medalist Bathurst Phantoms: Brad States; Matt Daley; Mathieu Nowlan; Greg Doucet; Curtis Johnson; Noah Quinn; Jeremie Shabani; Cameron Ashe; Andrew Robichaud; Nathan MacDonald; Tyler Hovey; Adam Chapman; coach Alan Doucet; assistant Paul Daley; assistant Brad McLellan; assistant Mike Parkhill