DINOS HOOPS NEWS Canada West Men’s Basketball ... Editor

DINOS HOOPS NEWS

Canada West Men’s Basketball ... Editor - Wayne Thomas

Alberta Nips Fraser Valley For the Gold

Bears Grind Out Win With the Trey

#7 Alberta Golden Bears 72 - #4 Fraser Valley Cascades 71

The 4th seeded Golden Bears nipped the 3rd seed, the Fraser Valley Cascades on the backs of their 2 Canada West all-stars, Daniel Ferguson and Jordan Baker. Overtaking the Cascades in the 3rd quarter, the Bears had a slim 54-52 edge going into the 4th, and after UFV had seized a 67-61 lead with 2:25 left, it was Ferguson who hit a pair of treys, the last with 41 seconds remaining as the Prairie squad won a tense battle down the stretch.

Ferguson was 6/11 from outside the arc and totalled 25 for the game, while Baker scored 21 and had 6 rebounds, and Todd Bergen-Henengouwen grabbed 9 boards. Fraser Valley lost their shooting guard, Sam Freeman, with a leg injury late in the 1st half, but they hung tough with a balanced scoring effort from forwards Kyle Grewal, who posted a double-double of 13 pts./10 boards, Mike james, the 5th year transfer post, who came off the bench for 14 and 6, and jasper Moedt, with 12 points and 8 rebounds. UFV was 41.5% from the floor, and Alberta was 40%. The Bears edge was the 10/25 shooting from outside, with Ferguson a threat for the whole contest.

<<< UFV guard Sam Freeman was injured, and missed the 2nd half on Saturday.

Neither team was necessarily expected to win Friday against the #1 Pacific team, Victoria, or the Prairie #1, Saskatchewan, but a desperate last 2 minutes for UFV against the Vikes preserved a 1 point win, and the Bears defense clogged up the works for the Huskies to give us this unlikely final. Where it looked like it was going to be 3 Canada West teams in the Final 8 before Friday games, it is now the Cascades, in just their 6th season in Canada West, and the under-rated Bears, going in as Canada West champs, who will carry the torch for the League.

These 2 squads will now await the word of the CIS seeding committee and the draw for the CIS Final 8 Championship to be played in Halifax starting next Friday, March 9, with the championship match on Sunday, the 11th.

#3 Saskatchewan Huskies 90 #5 Victoria Vikes 85 -

Saskatchewan’s Duncan Jones had the game of his career, and the one he wished he had on Friday in the semi-final, as he struck for 40 points, propelled by an other-worldly 9/10 from 3 point range ! Jones’ effort was an indicator for U of S, as they returned to their usual free-wheeling style,

and shot a sharp 52% as a team on the night. This was an entertaining game, despite the fact that it was of no consequence in regards to any wildcard chance for Nationals. The seniors for both teams, including Jones, played their final CIS contest tonight.

5th year guard, Duncan Jones, has fantastic final game for U of S >>>

It was 67-58 Huskies at 3/4s, and the home team was able to conserve the win despite a 27 point Vikes effort in the 4th. Ryan McKinnon, the 5th year scoring leader for UVic, had 24 in his last game, including 5/11 from 3 point range, and he also added 5 assists. Michael Acheampong added 15 pts. , and Terrell Evans had 12.

For the Huskies it was a bitter-sweet ending to a great season, which saw them post a 16-4 record in League play, tops in Canada West. They hosted the CW Final 4 for the 1st time in their program’s history, and expectations were high for another title to follow on the heels of their 2010 crown. The loss to Alberta Friday burst the bubble, and a Lakehead loss in the OUA semi made the Thunderwolves the prime candidate for the CIS wildcard berth. After Jones’ heroics, the home team got 18 points and 16 rebounds from 5th year post Michael Lieffers, whose double-double performances have been a staple of the ‘Dogs diet in 2012.

Ontario and Atlantic Results -

In the OUA -

In the Wilson Cup Final - #1 Carleton Ravens 82 Ryerson Rams 39

The Ravens turned it on in the 3rd quarter, building on a 9 pt. lead at the half, and got 17 points and 11 rebounds from Cole Hobin.

In the Quebec League Final

Concordia 77 UQAM 47 - the Stingers get the title and the spot at the CIS Final 8 behind a team effort showing 11players hitting the score sheet.

In the AUS Tournament in Halifax - Quarter-Finals

Acadia 96 St. Mary’s 87 - the Axemen qualify for Nationals behind 31 from Anthony Sears, who returned from an injury.

St. FX 92 Cape Breton 77 - The X-Men are back to Nationals. Jeremy Dunn scored 32 for X.

AUS Final will be Sunday at 2 pm AST Live Video

The 7 teams in the Nationals at this point - #1 Carleton, #4 Fraser Valley, #6 St. FX, #7 Alberta, #9 Concordia, Ryerson, and Acadia.

The wildcard choice will be announced Sunday afternoon by the CIS seeding committee.

Notes -

• There was a great crowd at the OUA Tournament Saturday, and the Wilson Cup format change seems a success. Notable with their gold t-shirts , were the Ryerson fans, and they were much appreciated by the Rams, (Roy Rana) The third-year coach also gave some credit to Ryerson's five buses' worth of supporters, who helped to fill out Waterloo's large Physical Activities Complex, and might have numbered more than Kerr Hall Gym could seat. "We've never had a crowd like that, that was unbelievable. It was a home game for us tonight. They lifted our spirits and they're a big reason for this win." (from the CIS Blog - Rob Pettapiece and Brian Decker in CIS Blog)
• Martin Timmerman of U. Waterloo, on his fantastic CIS stats site, breaks down the wildcard situation, which indicates a 3rd team for the OUA, as Lakehead, losers to Ryerson in the Wilson Cup semi-final on Friday, have the edge on Saskatchewan, who went down at home to Alberta in the Canada West Final 4.
• A couple of Manitoba Bisons standouts are quoted in a nice article on Philipino League Basketball in the - Winnipeg W Free Press

Saturday, March 3, 2012

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Daniel Ferguson made 6 treys and scored 25 points , leading the Alberta Golden Bears to the Canada West Championship in a tight 72-71 game with the Fraser Valley Cascades Saturday in Saskatoon.