REGULAR SEASON
| U.B.C. | 9-3 | 15-13 | Peter Mullins | |||||
| Calgary | 10-6 | Don Newton | ||||||
| Alberta | 10-6 | 11-6 | Gerry Glassford | |||||
| Saskatchewan | 6-8 | 14-21 | Bob Mirwald | |||||
| Manitoba | 1-13 | 1-19 | Lloyd Hyshka | |||||
U.B.C. returns to the league after a two-year absence and wins the regular season with a 9-3 record. Thunderbird games against Saskatchewan and Manitoba count as four-pointers.
In November, 1966, CanWest announces that the University of Winnipeg and the University of Regina will become members and eligible for play in 68-69.
Assistant coach Gerry Glassford, working on his doctorate, steps up to coach the Bears. Glassford had spent two years coaching in British Columbia. The Bears were 7-1 on Friday nights, 3-5 on Saturdays. Alberta and Calgary finish tied for second place.
Non-medalist rosters:
Manitoba Bisons: Terry Ball, Greg Gillies, Ross Wedlake, Eric Bartz, Jim (Jeff?) Konchak, Bruce Dobbin, Dave Goulding, John Smith, Bill Wedlake, Tim Ruppel, Dick Henderson, Bob Williamson, George Burnett, coach Lloyd Hyschka, coach Wayne Ruff
Saskatchewan Huskies: Tom Gosse, Jim Sekulich, Bill Hook, Dale Galan, Doug Kester, Pat Foster, Doug Dodd, Ralph Schoenfeld, Hal Herbison, Bill Harris, Dave Hardy, coach Bob Mirwald
Alberta opened the season with a 72-70 home court win over Calgary but then fell 76-43. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta pulled out a 72-70 win. The Bears started quickly on a tip-in by Nestor Korchinsky but Calgary shifted to a press and built a 21-12 lead. Alberta rallied to within 39-33 at the half on tip-ins by Warren Champion. They began to control the defensive boards and generate runout buckets in the second half and took lead on a great feed from Don Melnychuk to Ed Bloot. The Bears built a 70-67 lead and held on for the win as Calgary missed several open layups. Darwin Semotiuk hit four long bombs down the stretch. “I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn door in the first half,” he noted. Coach Gerry Glassford said “the difference was that we just had more power on the boards.” Ed Blott and Warren Champion each scored 16 to pace the Bears. Nestor Korchinsky added 13. Robin Fry led Calgary with 23. Bill Mucklow added 20. …………………………………………………… In game two, Calgary romped 76-43. The Dinos took a 22-11 lead but the Bears closed to within 35-27 at the half. Calgary ran the Bears into the floor in the second half. “The guys got discouraged in the second half when the ball wouldn’t go in,” Ed Blott told The Gateway. Robin Fry paced Calgary with 27. Ken Shields added 19 and Wayne Thomas 10. Ed Blott led Alberta with 13. Warren Champion added 11.
Alberta twice defeated Manitoba 85-80 and 69-55. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta held on for an 85-80 win. The Bears took an early 15 point lead but then fell behind by five as they succumbed to Manitoba’s pressure. Alberta led 39-38 at the half. They took a 69-63 lead midway through the second half and held on for the win. “If the coach really wanted to, we could have beaten them by 30 points,” said guard Bruce Blummell. Warren Champion said “we went up and down like a jack-in-the-box.” Darwin Semotiuk paced the Bears with 23. Champion added 19 and Ed Blott 14. Eric Bartz led the Bisons with 18. Jim Konchak added 17. …………………………………………………… In game two, Alberta rolled 69-55. The Bears led 25-6 after one quarter and 35-20 at the half. Coach Gerry Glassford went deep into his bench and rookie Cecil Blackburn scored his first two buckets of the season, while Gordon Volkman saw his first minutes. Darwin Semotiuk paced the Bears with 14. Bruce Blummell added 11. Jim Konchak led the Bisons with 17.
Alberta travelled to UBC and split with the Thunderbirds in the Vancouver school’s return to the WCIAA. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta prevailed 85-77 in double overtime. The Bears forced overtime with two buckets in the final minute and then duplicated the feat in the first overtime to knot the score at 77. The Bears held UBC scoreless in the second session. Neil Murray led the Thunderbirds with 18. Phil Langley added 17, Ian Dixon 11, Morris Douglas 10, Dave Rice 9, Bob Molinski 8, R Blumenscheit 3 and Ken Kern 2, while Vic Rahn was scoreless. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. clipped Alberta 72-59 as Neil Murray scored 17, Ian Dixon 14, Morris Douglas 13, Bob Molinski 13, Phil Langley 8, Dave Rice 4, R Blumenscheit 2 and Vic Rahn 1, while Ken Kern was scoreless.
UBC ventured to Calgary and lost 73-72 after missing a shot at the buzzer and then defeated Calgary 62-59 to take over first place. …………………………………………………… In game one, the Dinosaurs prevailed 73-72. Ian Dixon led the Thunderbirds with 18. Phil Langley added 16. Thunderbirds coach Peter Mullins told the Ubyssey that “with the score this close, it’s the bounce of the ball that determines the outcome.”
Host U.B.C. pounded Saskatchewan 92-63 and 104-60. …………………………………………………… In game one, U.B.C. whipped Saskatchewan 92-63 as Neil Murray scored 23. Ralph Schoenfield and Bill Harris each scored 23 to lead the Huskies. …………………………………………………… In game two, the Thunderbirds stomped the Huskies 104-60 as Ian Dixon scored 21 and Neil Murray 20. Bill Harris led the Huskies with 18. Huskies coach Bob Mirwald told The Sheaf that his troops “played the worst basketball that they have all year. … I don’t know what happened.”
Host Alberta split with UBC, winning 63-49 and then losing 81-52. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta prevailed 63-49. UBC took an early 12-5 lead by befuddling the Bears with a zone press. But the Bears resolved it and rallied to a 24-17 lead. They controlled the boards and both ends of the floor and point guard Don Melnychuk dictated the tempo. “We won that game through sheer hustle,” said post Nestor Korchinsky, who ripped down 17 boards. Ed Blott nabbed 12 boards. Rookie forward Warren Champion scored 20. Darwin Semotiuk added 13 and Korchinsky 12. Champion held UBC star Neil Murray to 4 points. …………………………………………………… In game two, UBC stomped Alberta 81-52. “I think the press really hurt them,” said UBC coach Peter Mullins. The score was knotted at 18 but the Birds took a 36-33 lead at the half. They shifted to a full-court press to start the second half and romped. “Terrible, UBC deserved to win. All of a sudden we started throwing the ball away,” said coach Gerry Glassford, who was also puzzled that his troops lost their third consecutive Saturday night match. “I don’t know what it is. If I did, I would correct it.” Neil Murray paced UBC with 20 and held Warren Champion to 5. Bill Langley added 14, Ian Dixon 12 and Maurice Douglas 12. Darwin Semotiuk led the Bears with 16. Bruce Blummell added 12.
Host UBC swept Saskatchewan 92-63 and 104-60. …………………………………………………… In game one, U.B.C. stomped Saskatchewan 92-63 as Neil Murray scored 23, Dave Rice 12 and Ken Kern 12. Bill Harris and Ralph Schoenfeld each notched 13 to lead the Huskies. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. reached triple digits for the first time during the season while whacking Saskatchewan 104-60 as Ian Dixon scored 21, Neil Murray 20 and Phil Langley 16. Bill Harris led the Huskies with 18. “I don’t know what happened,” Huskies coach Bob Mirwald told The Sheaf.
Alberta then ventured to Calgary and lost 81-77 in overtime and 94-71. …………………………………………………… In game one, Calgary won 81-77 in overtime. Calgary built an 11-6 lead on their press but Don Melnychuk and Nestor Korchinsky closed the gap to 17-13. The Bears began to battle on the boards and were within 39-35 at the half. The score repeatedly changed hands in the second half as Ed Blott and good perimeter shooting by Bruce Blumell kept the Bears within range. They took a 69-65 lead on a tip in by Korchinsky and went into a stall but coughed up the ball twice as Calgary forced overtime. The Dinos won it at the line in the extra session. Ken Shields paced Calgary with 24. Robin Fry added 14 and Wayne Thomas 14. Ed Blott led Alberta with 23. Bruce Blummell added 19 and Nestor Korchinsky 18. …………………………………………………… In game two, Calgary romped to a 94-71 win as Alberta quickly found itself in foul trouble and constantly claimed they were the victims of home-cooking. Calgary led 36-32 at the half. Seven consecutive fouls to start the second half ended any Bears hopes. Nestor Korchinsky quickly fouled out and Calgary coasted. Robin Fry led the Dinos with 22. Bill Mucklow added 17 and Hans Schamp 16. Warren Champion paced the Bears with 19. Ed Blott added 14 and Darwin Semotiuk 16.
Host Saskatchewan stunned Calgary 75-74 and 79-73. …………………………………………………… Saskatchewan edged Calgary 75-74 after leading 45-38 at the half. Bill Hook paced the Huskies with 17. Dale Galan added 12 and Bill Harris 9. Robin Fry led Calgary with 25. Ken Shields added 22. …………………………………………………… Saskatchewan clipped Calgary 79-73 as Bill Harris scored 18, Tom Gosse 16 and Ralph Schoenfeld 13. Robin Fry led the Dinosaurs with 18.
Host Calgary defeated Saskatchewan 74-52 and 86-58. …………………………………………………… In game one, Calgary dusted Saskatchewan 74-52. The Dinosaurs broke to a 14-2 lead and extended the margin to 40-27 at the half. Robin Fry led the Dinosaurs with 27 before fouling out. Wayne Thomas added 14 and Ken Shields 14. Pat Foster led the Huskies with 14. Bill Hook added 10. …………………………………………………… In game two, Calgary clubbed Saskatchewa 86-58 as Robin Fry scored 17, Ken Shields 16 and Wayne Thomas 14. Doug Kester led the Huskies with 14.
Host Calgary defeated U.B.C. 79-52.
Saskatchewan defeated Manitoba 89-80 and 70-67.
Saskatchewan defeated Manitoba 90-70 and 77-59. …………………………………………………… Saskatchewan whipped Manitoba 90-70 as Bill Harris scored 20, Ralph Schoenfeld 16 and Bill Hook 15. Terry Ball led the Bisons with 29. …………………………………………………… Saskatchewan clubbed Manitoba 77-59 as Tom Gosse scored 19, Bill Harris 15, Bill Hook 10 and Ralph Schoenfeld 10. Huskies coach Bob Mirwald told The Sheaf that his troops “played the best defence they have all year.”
UBC trounced host Manitoba 106-48 and 91-49. …………………………………………………… In game one, U.B.C. thrashed Manitoba 106-48 as Ian Dixon scored 18. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. whipped Manitoba 91-49 as Dave Rice scored 16.
The Bears traveled to Manitoba and won 87-80 before losing 82-73. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta prevailed 87-80 as Darwin Semotiuk scored 33, including 21 in the second half and 8-9 from the line. Manitoba led 40-39 at the half but the Bears opened with 10-0 run in the second half. Manitoba rallied to take the lead but the Bears began dominating the boards and then stalled to hang on for the win, largely because of three offensive tip-ins by Nester Korchinsky. Warren Champion led Alberta with 19. Korchinsky added 10 and nabbed 26 boards to set a new WCIAA record. Terry Ball paced Manitoba with 22. …………………………………………………… In game two, Manitoba garnered its first win of the season. The Bisons led 42-40 at the half and then took command of the paint in the second half, extending their lead to seven late with two minutes ago when Warren Champion took a technical for complaining about the officiating. The Bisons then stalled for the win, icing it on bucket by Eric Bartz. Terry Ball led Manitoba with 24. Tom Gillies added 19 and Ross Wedlake 14. Darwin Semotiuk paced the Bears with 23. Nestor Korchinsky added 15 and Ed Blott 12.
Alberta closed out its home schedule with 74-70 and 78-70 wins over Saskatchewan. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta prevailed 74-70. The Bears took a quick 10-2 lead by controlling the boards and running Saskatchewan into the ground. But the Huskies rallied to knot the score at 19 before Ed Blott notched a series of putback rebounds to give Alberta a 39-31 lead at the half. Bruce Brummell kept attacking the hoop for layups as Alberta stretched its lead and then stalled to hold on to the win on savvy ballhandling by Don Melnychuk and a stellar defensive stop by Ed Blott on a 3-on-1 Huskie break. “I thought we were going to blow it there,” said guard Darwin Semotiuk, who scored 18. Warren Champion added 18 and Ed Blott 14. Tom Gosse paced Saskatchewan with 14. Bill Hook added 12. Nestor Korchinsky fouled out in the post but Cecil Blackburn stepped in and held his own. …………………………………………………… In game two, Alberta won 78-70. Saskatchewan built an dearly 21-19 lead but Alberta shifted to a press and knotted the score at 33 at the half. The Bears press pushed their lead to 67-55 in the second and they promptly went into a stall and romped. Still, coach Gerry Glassford was disappointed. “We just can’t control the ball,” he said. Warren Champion paced Alberta with 25. Darwin Semotiuk added 20. Bill Harris led the Huskies with 14. Bill Hook added 12.
Alberta closed out its season by foraying to Saskatchewan with a chance to tie the Dinosaurs for second-place and won 64-57 and 93-70. …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta prevailed 64-57. Saskatchewan led 16-13 after one quarter but Bears coach Gerry Glassford sent in his reserves and they rallied Alberta to a 28-26 lead at the half. Ed Blott scored six unanswered points as Alberta took a 43-35 lead before the Huskies went into a press and regained a 46-45 edge. The Bears hit a series of free throws to take a 60-55 lead and held on for the win by going into a stall. Warren Champion led Alberta with 19. Ed Blott added 18. Dale Galan led the Huskies with 17. …………………………………………………… In game two, Alberta stomped Saskatchewan 93-70. The Huskies took an early 7-3 lead but Darwin Semotiuk hit 20 and 25 foot jumpers as Alberta took a 44-32 lead at the half. Saskatchewan trimmed the margin to 48-46 but then Ed Blott and Alberta lowered the boom. Darwin Semotiuk paced Alberta with 27. Ed Blott added 24, Warren Champion 12, Bill Buxton 8 and Gerry Korub 8. Tom Gosse led Saskatchewan with 13. Jim Sekulich added 11, Bill Hook 11 and Dale Galan 9. “We didn’t play as well at the end of the season as we did at the beginning,” Huskies coach Bob Mirwald told The Sheaf.
U.B.C won the title by clipping visiting Calgary 90-73 and 69-67 on the final weekend of the season. …………………………………………………… In game one, U.B.C. prevailed 90-73 as Ian Dixon scored 25, Neil Murray 21, Bob Molinski 14, Phil Langley 12, Maurice Douglas 9, Ken Kern 3, Vic Rahn 2, R Blumenscheit 2 and Dave Rice 2. Ken Shields led the Dinos with 21. Robin Fry added 19, Hans Schamp 11, Wayne Thomas 10, Weiland 5, Bill Mucklow 4, Danny Quance 2 and Clyde Ogilvie 1, while Thompson and Kettles were scoreless. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. prevailed 69-67 as Ian Dixon hit two free throws with 22 seconds to play. Neil Murray paced the Thunderbirds with 17. Ken Shields led the Dinosaurs with 15.
The co-runner-up Calgary Dinosaurs: Ken Shields; Robin Fry; Hans Schamp; Wayne Thomas; John Weiland; Bill Mucklow; Danny Quance; Clyde Ogilvie; Wayne Thompson; Al Kettles; Terry Mogck; coach Don Newton
The co-runner-up Alberta Golden Bears: Darwin Semotiuk; Ed Blott; Warren Champion; Bill Buxton; Gerry Korub; Murray Shapiro; Don Melnychuk; Bruce Blumell; Nestor Korchinski; Gord Volkman; Rob Lougheed; Randy Spencer; Cecil Blackburn; coach Gerry Glassford; assistant Alex Carre; manager Stu Mowat; manager Willie Littlechild
The champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds: Ian Dixon; Neil Murray; Phil Langley; Bob Molinski; Maurice Douglas; Vic Rahn; Reinhard Blumenscheit; Dave Rice; Ken Kern; Jack Turpin; coach Peter Mullins; manager Brian Griffiths