Dinos Hoops News Editor - Wayne Thomas

Vikes and T-Birds Vie For First in Pacific

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 07:58:47 -0700

Traditional Rivals Tip-Off at War Memorial

The UBC T-Birds have had an unusual season, for them. They are not in 1st place at the moment. They lost back to back games to Fraser Valley last week, their 1st - ever losses to the Cascades. The ‘Birds lost 2 straight in Southern Alberta, to Lethbridge, then Calgary. After posting a winning record of 98-13 over the past 5 seasons, and winning the Canada West Championship in 3 of those 5 years, they appear to be struggling as playoff time approaches.

Coach Kevin Hanson, on the ‘Birds bench for the last 12 seasons passed his 300 wins milestone a few weeks back, and he is a 2- time winner of the CIS’ Coach of the Year Award. Coach Hanson has built a consistent contender and a championship program at Point Grey, but he has a few goals yet to achieve; chief among them is a CIS title, which has been an elusive target for his teams, despite UBC’s playing in the CIS Finals 8 times under his guidance.

<<< ‘ B.C. Ferries For First Series’ sees game 1 this Friday in Vancouver

This next week will go a long way in determining whether or not this year’s T-Birds can collect some hardware, or will they go away empty-handed ? UVic, haven’t been in a Canada West Final 4 since 2007, or to a CIS Final 8 since they were Finalists in 2006, losing to Carleton 73-67. In the CW Final 4 that season of 2005-06 the Vikes won their last CW title, beating UBC in Vancouver 82-74 in the final. The Vikes started this season with an 8-0 record prior to the Christmas break, but having a rougher ride at 5-3 since then. The target for Coach Craig Beaucamp, in his 8th year on the UVic bench and himself a Canada West Coach of the Year in both 2003-04 and 2005-06, is in “ having a solid week of practice and being fundamentally sound Friday night. Our preparation is the same every week no matter who we play. We need to be solid in all areas to have success against UBC. There is no magic formula at this time of the year. “

The Vikes can get to 15-3 with a sweep of this series, and that would garner them the best regular season record in the League, and a chance to host the Final 4 if they won the Quarter-Final series against the 4th place Prairie team (we think that will be the Calgary Dinos). But the 2011-12 season has not been a cakewalk for top teams; no team has escaped the ‘upset loss’, as there appears to be more parity, and perhaps more teams with a realistic shot at a championship than when Canada West had the powerhouse teams of recent years.

Our expectations are for this game at War Memorial to feature a more physical UBC team, trying to get an edge on the inside, running the break, and putting a big defensive focus on Ryan McKinnon, Zac Andrus, and Michael Acheampong, the Victoria leaders. We see UVic slowing down the UBC attack, and forcing Nathan Yu to play against a lot of help. The Vikes will have a team rebounding plan to cope with the rugged UBC forwards like Kamar Burke, and their big rebounding guards, Tommy Nixon and Doug Plumb.

Other Canada West Games - Feb. 9-11

Thursday - Fraser Valley Cascades (12-5) at Trinity Western Spartans ( 10-7 ) - the Spartans get a chance to avenge their only loss in their last 8 games, as they host the Cascades in the 2nd game of their ‘Valley Feud’. Trinity will, according to team sources, have their high scorer, 5th year forward, Kyle Coston, back on the court after a 5 game absence due to injury. In his absence, TWU has had some other players emerge as team leaders, including Calvin Westbrook, Sean Peter, Tristan Smith, and Kurtis Osborne. UFV will be primed to follow up their 88-72 game 1 win from January 28, as they have a chance to catch UBC for 2nd spot and home court for a Quarter-Final. Coming off an historic sweep of UBC last week in Abbotsford, the Cascades can further their title hopes with a win over their Valley rivals. Michael james has worked his way back to playing form, and should help with depth up front.

Friday/Saturday -

Winnipeg Wesmen ( 4-14) at Calgary Dinos (8-10) - in order to complete their drive for a playoff spot, the Dinos have to avoid their propensity to lose games to the Wesmen (see last season and 2008), even when the Dinos have gone in as a big favourite. Winnipeg hasn’t won many, but they have beaten both Alberta and Victoria, both ranked in the CIS’ Top 10.
More on this series on Thursday.

Regina Cougars (5-11) at Lethbridge Pronghorns (9-9) - the mathematical possibility that Regina makes the playoffs can be summarily dismissed. Too many highly unlikely upsets to get us there. Lethbridge needs to get their pack of Pronghorns back on the trail, after dropping a pair to the Bobcats in Brandon’s old Gym last week. ‘Horns’ Nation’ is much more intimidating in the friendly confines of their home arena (7-1) vs taking their show on the road (2-8). They get good crowds, softer rims, and, some ‘outsiders’ suggest, a couple of welcome calls at opportune times in close games. Regina will want to end this difficult season on a positive note, with well-played games here and at Saskatchewan the following week. It will be interesting to see the match-up in the post with rookie vets Paul Gareau and Connor Burns joining forces with rookie Vule Gujic for the ‘Cats against the sterling combo of Dom Coward and Derek Waldner for Lethbridge .

Manitoba Bisons (8-10) at Saskatchewan Huskies (13-4) - the Herd are in a playoff fight with Calgary, but the schedule - makers have thrown them a high, hard one in having them finishing up against the hot Huskies, winners of 7 straight, and playing like the # 3 ranked team in the CIS. Manitoba dropped a pair at home to Calgary last week, and their confidence cannot be high as they contemplate the damage possible at the hands of Jamelle Barrett, Michael Lieffers, and the rest of the Sled Dogs. The Bisons will need a super effort from Stephen Walton, and some better discipline from his perimeter teammates Jonar Huertas, Kurtis Sansregret, and Keith Omoerah. A huge challenge for Manitoba is to neutralize the Huskies power inside; Chris Unsworth is playing his best ball at just the right time for U of S. Kevin Oliver and Braeden Speer need some help in the paint.

Brandon Bobcats (7-11) at Alberta Golden Bears (12-6) - with their heroic efforts in finishing their tenure at the old BU Gym with 2 wins over Lethbridge last week, the Bobcats have a glimmer of hope for a playoff life. The maturation of floor leader Ilarion Bonhomme, a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, has his veteran teammates like Donovan Gayle and Kyle Vince playing with more belief and purpose. Another bright 1st year star is Ali Mounir, the ‘Cats most consistent rebounder, and he will appreciate all the help he can get against the Bears. Alberta has not been totally convincing this season, and , despite 2 wins over Saskatchewan, they find themselves in 2nd, with questions about their ability to beat good teams. Jordan baker and daniel Ferguson can and have carried this team, and U of A was solid at Regina last week. The new home court has seen only victory for the Bruins (8-0), and their defense can stifle the Bobcats to send Alberta into the playoffs with a bit of momentum.

Saturday/Sunday -

Thompson Rivers (5-11) vs UBC-Okanagan (2-14) - they should be playing the North-South Okanagan home and home series for an old peach basket in this fruit-growing region. The 2 teams will wrap up their seasons on Sunday in Kelowna after a Saturday tilt in Kamloops, with neither squad reaching the playoffs. UBC-O has had an eye-opening 1st season in CIS competition, and their record indicates how far they have to go to be on par with the more established schools.
Yassine Ghomari has been their undisputed scoring leader, and he has had teammates Bret McDonald, a 1st year guard, and Simon Pelland, a 5th year forward, providing more help as the season has progressed. TRU, under the capable tutelage of Coach Scott Clark, looked like a threat for playoff contention, but a lack of depth beyond Chas Kok , Justin King, and Kevin Pribilsky has left the ‘Pack looking to next year. The Orange should have the offensive power to win “The Old Peach Basket” this season, and both coaches will be hitting the recruiting trail with a vengeance.

2011-12 Men's Basketball Top 10

February 7 - record/votes/previous rank
1. Carleton (18-0) / 516 pts (44) / (1)
2. Lakehead (16-2) / 473 / (2)
3. Saskatchewan (13-4) / 429 / (4)
4. Victoria (13-3) / 352 / (7)
5. Fraser Valley (12-5) / 315 / (8)
6. Wilfrid Laurier (15-3) / 298 / (5)
7. UBC (12-4) / 277 / (3)
8. StFX (10-4) / 200 / (6)
9. Concordia (10-1) / 185 / (9)
10. Alberta (12-6) / 106 / (10)

Other teams receiving votes: UPEI (63), McMaster (48).

Notes -

• "The last few years we have kind of been in the race," said Fraser Valley star guard Joel Friesen, in The Province article from Howard Tsumura. "But we haven't been able to finish off games against UBC. So for all of our guys to be able to step up, all the way from our starters to everyone on the bench, it's been a huge confidence booster for us."

• Saturday night is Seniors Night at the Jack Simpson Gym, as the Dinos honour their 5th year grads, Dustin Reding, Keenan Milburn, Tyler Fidler and Boris Bakovic.

• ‘Proud to Be a Dino’ is a new campaign from the UC Athletic Department, and there are some great messages here from Dinos athletes and supporters from various sports http://www.youtube.com/ucdinos

• Moment No. 96: Banana Splits ( We live for each and every one of these Sled Dog Stories ! ) Everyone on the U of S basketball team was treated to a free banana split after the Huskies beat the first-place UBC Thunderbirds in a home game in 1963. Spero Leakos, a fan of the Huskies who ran the Commodore Restaurant downtown, said the team would get dessert if they won. The Huskies did, as guard Bob Mirwald scored 15 points as Saskatchewan defeated UBC for the first time ever. Editor’s note - Spero Leakos, with his wonderful wife Georgia, now lives in Calgary, and, except when his beloved Huskies are in town, they can be seen at the UC Gym cheering on the Dinos.

• The Mount Royal U. Cougars will move to Canada West competition next fall, but, before they do that, they will finish out their last regular season schedule in the Alberta Colleges League with a game on Feb. 17 against their cross-town rival SAIT Trojans. MRU is 14-3 and 1st in the South Division of the ACAC, while SAIt are balling for their playoff lives at 5-10, in 4th place.

It All Comes Down to This

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 15:58:50 -0700

Final Games Decide Playoff Positions

The next 2 weeks will finalize the regular season standings, and set us up for Canada West Quarter-Finals, scheduled for Feb. 24-26. We have a full slate of games this week, starting with Act 2 of the Valley Feud between Trinity and Fraser Valley on Thursday in Langley. Another even more significant single game is the Friday UBC - UVic match-up in Vancouver, as the 2 Pacific powers play game 1 in their ‘B.C. Ferries Fight for First”. The 2nd game in that series, so as to stretch out the drama of the situation, isn’t until Friday, the 17th, back on the Island.

This week in Canada West -

Thursday, Feb. 9 - Fraser Valley at Trinity Western
Friday, Feb. 10 - UVic at UBC, Winnipeg at Calgary , Regina at Lethbridge, Manitoba at Saskatchewan , Brandon at Alberta
Saturday, Feb. 11 - UBC-Okanagan at Thompson Rivers, Winnipeg at Calgary , Regina at Lethbridge, Manitoba at Saskatchewan , Brandon at Alberta
Sunday, Feb. 12 - TRU at Okanagan

The final couple games will be the following week -

Friday, Feb. 17 - UBC at Victoria
Saturday, Feb. 18 - Regina at Saskatchewan

There are a lot of mathematical possibilities in regards to playoff positions, but some are so remote that even the coaches are scoffing at their own team’s chances in some situations. We don’t think either Regina or Brandon will be playing beyond the regular season, even though they will ‘play hard’ against Lethbridge and Alberta. Manitoba, who have suffered through a disheartening late season melt-down ( 6 Ls in a row, and counting) for the 2nd year in a row, don’t figure to rise up and defeat the hungry Huskies in Saskatoon this week either.

Calgary is a team on a mission, as they’ve won 4 straight to trump the Herd, and they will be ready to play against Winnipeg, getting the 2 wins guaranteeing their spot in the playoffs. Trinity and Fraser Valley are, we think, going to play their game with great enthusiasm, and for UFV it may be a chance to nip UBC for 2nd. If UBC a game vs UVic, and the Cascades beat the Spartans, UFV would fly over the Birds for 2nd, and would host a first-round playoff series. So all eyes could be turned to the far West as Victoria and UBC doing battle, with a necessity for either team to sweep the 2 game set in order to prevent Saskatchewan from hosting the Final 4.

Yes, that’s Huskie drool you see there. The prospect of having Canada West’s Big Dance at the PAC out there on the Prairie has the Huskies in full howl. Saskatchewan has won 7 straight (since a loss at Calgary on Friday, january 13th) and they should run that streak to 10 by full -time in the regular season. So, how do we see things playing out over the final 2 weeks ? Following is our fanciful forecast :

On the Prairies - Saskatchewan wins 2 over Manitoba and the return bout with Regina, Alberta sweeps Brandon, Lethbridge sweeps Regina, Calgary sweeps Winnipeg.

On the Coast - UVic and UBC split, UFV beat TWU, Thompson Rivers sweeps UBC-O

CW League Standings - February 5

Prairie Division Finish? Pacific Division Finish?
Sask. 13-4 man/2, reg 16-4 UVic 13-3 ubc/2 14-4
U of A 12-6 bran/2 14-6 UBC 12-4 uvic/2 13-5
Leth. 9-9 reg/2 11-9 UFV 12-5 @twu 13-5
Calgary 8-10 winn/2 10-10 TWU 10-7 ufv 10-8
Man. 8-10 @sask/2 8-12 TRU 5-11 ok/2 7-11
Brndn 7-11 @alb/2 7-13 UBC-O 2-14 tru/2 2-16
Reg. 5-12 @leth/2, @sask 6-14
Winn. 4-14 @cal/2 4-16

Then, based on these predicted finishes, we think the playoffs will be -

Quarter-Finals, Feb. 24-26 :
at Saskatchewan (East #1) vs Trinity Western (Wildcard)
at U of A (East #2) vs UBC (West #3)
at UVic (West #1) vs Calgary (East #4)
at Fraser Valley (West #2) vs Lethbridge (East #3)
(By our calculations, UFV beats UBC in a tie-breaker, and Saskatchewan would host the Final 4, if they beat TWU, with the best Canada West League record. If UVic manages a sweep of their “Schwartz Bay to Tsawwassen Series”, then they would host the Final 4.

Final 4 - March 2-3 - the 2 winners on the Friday go to the CIS Final 8 - Halifax- March 9-11. Canada West may get another wildcard spot in Nationals.

Notes -

• How many brothers can enjoy an experience like the one being shared by Henry and Ross Bekkering, who are playing, and starting, for the Nijmagen Magixx of the Dutch Pro League? The Magixx are solidly in 4th spot in the 8 team league, and, in their latest game, a 91- 85 win over 6th place Leeuwarden, here are their numbers - Henry (right) - 32 minutes, 15 points, 8/9 free throws, 5 rebounds, 4 fouls. Ross (left) - 32 minutes, 16 points, 3/5 from 3 pt. range, 9 boards, 3 assists, 4 fouls.

• ‘Proud to Be a Dino’ is a new campaign from the UC Athletic Department, and there are some great messages here from Dinos athletes and supporters from various sports http://www.youtube.com/ucdinos

• There’s nothing quite as special as a coach having to explain why his team didn’t win the big game or didn’t make the playoffs. “We played well at home,” said Regina Coach, James Hillis. “But if you’re going to win in this league, you have to win games on the road. We won one.” They get a shot another win or 2 as they travel to play Alberta this weekend.

• The Brothers Bozinovic, 6-10 twins in their 1st year at Thompson Rivers, commenting in the Kamloops Daily News on the jump from single A high school competition to Canada West. “I was a little surprised at how fast it is and how strong the other big guys in the league are,” offered Ivan. “The physical play, the bodies down low,” agreed Blaz. “You have to be angry out there . . . you have to hate everyone.”

• Calgary’s Boris Bakovic added 21 and 22 points in back-to-back wins over the Manitoba Bisons on Thursday and Friday as the record total has hit 2,242 points. His total is pulling farther ahead of the former mark of 2,182 set by Andrew Spagrud of the Saskatchewan Huskies from 2003-08.

Bobcats Give Their House a Big Send-off

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:43:43 -0700

Young ‘Cats Win One For History

at Brandon Bobcats 87 Lethbridge Pronghorns 75 - For their team, the assembled full-house of fans, and for the 47 years of basketball tradition and history of the Brandon Bobcats in their old Gym, this Brandon team played as good a weekend of ‘ball as they could muster. The ‘Cats may have surprised the 3rd place Lethbridge Pronghorns on Friday, with their committed effort, downing U of L 92-87 in a tight game, but this final contest in the old BU Gym showed the real spirit of Brandon Basketball. There was a decisive turning point mid-way in the 4th quarter, with the score bouncing back and forth, as Brandon seized control of this game, which was so significant for the school.

The Bobcats 1st year guard Ilarion Bonhomme took the game on his shoulders, ripped into the Pronghorn defense, and refused to allow his ‘Cats to be beaten on this emotional night. Bonhomme, who finished with 25 points and 10 assists, dished to his shooter, Kyle Vince, for scores, he dumped it to Jordan Reaves in close, and he hit a stunning fall away 3 as the 24 sec. clock expired to give Brandon a lead they never surrendered. Shortly thereafter, a thunderous breakaway dunk from 5th year forward Donovan Gayle punctuated the rally, and Brandon finished by making free throws against a shell-shocked Lethbridge crew.

<<< Brandon’s Ali Mounir gets a double-double of 12 pts/10 boards

Against the momentum that Lethbridge had built for 2 weeks, and against the tide of disappointment of recent losses for the home team, this group of players gave Coach Gil Cheung a tremendous team effort. Brandon wins both games on a weekend when every Bobcat supporter felt the spirit of championships past, and wanted to relive those glory days through the inspired play of this team. This was a great way to honour the memories in this Gym, and it even gave the Bobcats some hope for a playoff chance with a couple of games remaining. But tonight was the night. Brandon cheered for their Bobcats as they win again in the ‘Cat Box’.

5 Brandon players were in double figures including Bonhomme, Vince (16), Reaves (14), Ali Mounir (12 plus 10 boards), and Gayle with 11 and 7 rebs. Lethbridge who fall to 9-9 , played well to stay even with Brandon through 35 minutes, but they were swept away by the charged-up ‘Cats in the final minutes. Daryl Cooper scored 22 for the ‘Horns, Dom Coward scored 13 and nabbed 11 boards, and Derek Waldner also had 13 points plus 7 rebs.
Box Score

Canada West on Saturday, Feb. 4 -

at Fraser Valley Cascades 94 UBC T-Birds 83 - a huge affirmation game for UFV, as they record their 2nd straight and 2nd - ever win over the T-Birds with a 70-50 blitz in the 1st 3 quarters, as they sliced through the vaunted UBC defense. UBC stormed back with 33 in the final frame, but it was just too much ground to make up against the ambitious Cascades, who now find themselves breathing down the necks of the ‘Birds for 2nd. UFV solidly outplayed UBC on the night, in shooting 53% to just 395 for the T-Birds, in claiming 44 boards to 30 for the visitors, and in shutting down the UBC outside shooting at 2/20, while the home team hit 11/23 for 48%. This game puts UFV at 12-5 and UBC 12-4, and it may signal a bit of a changing of the guard in Pacific Basketball. UFV, now with the bit firmly in their teeth will go into the upcoming playoffs with increased confidence. Fraser Valley got 23 from Joel Friesen, 19 from Sam Freeman, 16 by rookie Jordan Blackman, and 14 from Kyle Grewal. UBC was led by a game-high 27 from Nathan Yu. Box Score

Alberta Golden Bears 89 at Regina Cougars 60 - the Golden Bears were all business on Saturday, as they got out early against regina, establishing a 45-29 half-time margin, then built on that through the 2nd half to earn the sweep. daniel Ferguson was carving up the Cougars with his sweet stroke from outside as he finished with 27 including a lethal 7/10 from 3 pt. range. Jordan baker scored 15 and Todd Bergen-Henegouwen grabbed 10 boards as Alberta climbed to 12-6, clinching at least 2nd spot in the East. Regina was ice cold from the floor (26%), and never mounted any threat. 15 points and 14 rebounds was the highlight for the home team , who are now 5-12 Box Score

Saskatchewan Huskies 95 at Winnipeg Wesmen 74 - the Saskatchewan Huskies (13-4) could be hosting the Canada West Final 4 in a month’s time, as they are rolling over opponents and looking like running the table in the final weeks of regular season play. On the road at Winnipeg, the ‘Dogs had little trouble either night, and Saturday’s game saw them deliver the knock-out punch with a 32 point 4th quarter, as jamelle Barrett poured in 25, Michael Lieffers scored 12 and grabbed a game high 13 boards, and Peter Lomuro completed a strong weekend at his old stomping grounds with 19. Mark McNee had another good outing for the Wesmen (4-14) with 24 points, but, as a team, the Ws hit just 36% from the floor.
Box Score

Victoria Vikes 68 at UBC-Okanagan Heat 39 - well, we guess the Vikes were working on their defense for the stretch run, and they threw it at the last place Okanagan Heat with a vengeance right off the top as the hosts scored just 4 in the opening stanza. The Heat shot just 25%, were out-rebounded 58 - 34. This was a wood-shed job by UVic (13-3) , who reclaim top spot in the West tonight, by leap-frogging UBC, who dropped their 2nd straight at Fraser Valley. Victoria got 19 from Ryan McKinnon, and 18 from Michael Acheampong, while UBC-O (2-14) Box Score

at Trinity Western Spartans 97 Thompson Rivers Wolfpack 92 - two free-wheeling offensive teams went at it tonight in Langley, and he Spartans claimed their 2nd straight over the visiting TRU Wolfpack (5-11), as a 53-46 lead withstood a determined 2nd half run by the ‘Pack. A deadly duo night of 28 pts./ 10 rebounds night from TRU’s Chas Kok, and 29 and 10 by Justin King was not enough to beat the 5 men in double figures of the Spartans. TWU (10-7) had Sean Peter with 27 points of his own and 7 rebounds as well. Calvin Westbrook scored 19, Kurtis Osborne and Tristan 17 each, and Niko Monachini had 10. TWU was 56% from the floor to TRU’s 45%. Trinity’s10 wins will earn them a wildcard playoff spot Box Score

Saturday Return After Series Sweep

The Calgary Dinos returned home from a road trip a day earlier than usual, and much happier as well. A 2 game sweep over the Manitoba Bisons in a rare Thursday-Friday schedule has the Dinos on the play-off doorstep, and their 25 minute + players will be delighted to wake up at home on Sunday. The pure length of the Canada West season takes it out of a players legs, but when you’re Jarred Ogunbemi-Jackson, on the court for 38 minutes in the Saturday game; Tyler Fidler, 35 minutes, Boris Bakovic 36 minutes, and Keenan Milburn, 32 minutes. the big minutes take a toll, and coaches know how important it is to help players stay fresh at this point in the year.

it becomes an even bigger factor as the 8 playoff teams anticipate the best of 3 Quarter-finals, with a more physical style in post season, and the tendency for coaches to shorten the bench, and not spreading minutes much beyond 7-9 players. There may be a danger for the Dinos to ‘let all their air out’ after their 2 wins at Manitoba, but, as the veterans are aware, there are no guarantees in this league, and teams like Winnipeg can spoil your fun in a hurry. After returning home, Fidler said, “The body is sore after all the 2nd half games, but the guys are pumped about our comeback. It was almost depressing as we lost games early on, but we’re proud of our effort to come back strong.”

Tyler Fidler’s strong effort propelled Calgary to a Saturday sweep of Manitoba >>>

The Calgary team are to be congratulated for their overcoming all the difficulties this season has presented, and, even now, they are without starting post man, Matt Letkeman, who is cautiously dealing with a rare virus, and missing all the fun of playing these last months’ games. This week is one to re-group, and keep your eye on the ball, so there can be no disappointment vs the Wesmen. Calgary will celebrate the four 5th-year seniors on Saturday, and the whole team wants to be continuing play into the playoffs. :We’re not taking anything for granted”, suggested Fidler. “We respect Winnipeg, and we want to be ready to play hard against them.”

CIS Scores on Saturday -

#2 Lakehead 84 Waterloo 72
#8 Fraser Valley 94 #3 UBC 83
#4 Saskatchewan 95 Winnipeg 74
McMaster 92 #5 Laurier 82
#6 St FX 76 UNB 72
#7 Victoria 68 UBC-Okanagan 39
#9 Concordia 73 UQAM 62
#10 Alberta 89 Regina 60

UPEI 97 Dalhousie 73
McGill 75 Laval 66
Windsor 78 Guelph 72
Queens 72 RMC 41
Western 85 Brock 61

Notes -

• “Somebody goin’ to get a hurt, real bad.” The Carleton Ravens next games in the OUA-East will be next weekend in Kingston where they ‘play’ (dismantle and grind into dust) Royal Military College Paladins (RMC) 0-17 and Queen's Golden Gaels1-17 . Cruel and unusual.

• Dinos grad Tony McDougall from Italy - “Great job Dinos!! One of these days I'm going to manage to stay up and watch this live streaming.” Not likely live Tony, but you can see a replay ‘on demand’.

• Calgary head coach Dan Vanhooren after the sweep of Manitoba, "I was really impressed with our composure this weekend. We got pushed a few times, but I though we executed pretty well throughout the whole weekend. Tonight we did a good job limiting our turnovers and upping our assists. I don't remember ever winning a game where the other team hit 17 threes, and Manitoba definitely wasn't there to lose - but our guys held in it and stemmed their runs. “

• Our thanks to UC Dinos photographer David Moll, whose photos we use on a regular basis. David has taken so many great action shots and done such wonderful portraits, that his work is very widely known, and appreciated.

Dinos Sweep Bisons to Tie For 4th

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 12:29:02 -0700

Groundhog Game as Calgary Repeats over Herd

Calgary Dinos 98 at Manitoba Bisons 89 - The Calgary Dinos got the job done in strangely familiar fashion on Friday at Manitoba, as their 98-89 win had a script remarkably similar to Thursday’s game. Again, the Dinos dominated for much of the game, with 5th year forward Tyler Fidler ringing up 27 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Leading by as much as 15 in the 4th quarter the Dinos faced a desperate Bisons press, which caused some Calgary turnovers and let the home team make a run.

Manitoba ran out of 3 point shots, and Calgary finally controlled the ball to salt the match away and seize control of the 4th and final playoff position in the Prairie Division. Now tied with UM at 8-10 with 2 games left for each team, Calgary returns to the friendly confines of the Jack Simpson Gym to host the last place Winnipeg Wesmen next weekend, while the Herd visit the 1st place Huskies in Saskatchewan. A happy Coach Dan Vanhooren said from a raucous post game locker room, “We wanted to go in deep with the ball to Tyler, because we felt he had a real mismatch down low, and he had a great game tonight. Manitoba was chucking 3s in from everywhere, but we managed to hold them off.”

Once again tonight, the long-ball played a big role in the game, with Calgary’s Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson hitting 4 for 7, but the Bisons’ Stephen Walton responded by raining down 7 of 10 to make the Dinos flinch. Boris Bakovic, also working the low post to good effect for Calgary, chalked up 22 points to go with 21 from Thursday. JOJ counted 21, and had 9 boards, while Keenan Milburn (photo) fired in 16 on 7/10 shooting and had 4 helpers.

Manitoba hit 17 of 37 treys for 46% to Calgary’s 6/19 - 32%, but the Dinos used points in the paint to post a 50% field goal night, to 40% for the Bisons, and Calgary shooters went to the line 26 times, making good on 20, while Manitoba was just 6 of 9. The Dinos out-boarded the Bisons 47-41, and had 5 blocked shots to 1 for Manitoba.

Manitoba were led by Walton, who finished with 25 points, and 15 each from Kevin Oliver and Xavier Smith. Oliver and Keith Omoerah both claimed 9 rebounds for the home team, who have now dropped 6 straight. Calgary have won 4 in a row, and seem to have found their groove just in time to get a chance at a post season berth after having suffered through such a tough start.

Other Canada West Games on Friday, Feb. 3 -

at Brandon Bobcats 92 Lethbridge Pronghorns 87 - an inspired Brandon team put up 32 points to grab the 9 point lead going into the 4th period, and led by as many as 14 late in the game, but the ‘Horns made a run with a fierce press, and some shaky Bobcat ball-handling. The 2 impressive ‘Cats rookies, Ilarion Bonhomme and Ali Mounir led the home team to a win, however, with 21 and 24 points respectively. With a lot of emotion in the 46 year old gym, the Bobcats’ Kyle Vince (16 pts) made 3 clutch free throws to seal it. Lethbridge had Daryl Cooper scoring 22 and their 2 post men, Dom Coward and Derek Waldner had 18 pts and 12 boards apiece.

Alberta Golden Bears 81 at Regina Cougars 69- the 10th ranked Bears got back on track with a win on the road over a stubborn Regina team. Alberta steadily wore down the Cougars, and allowed the home team just 12 points in the 4th quarter. Jordan Baker (21 pts./17 rebs) and Daniel Ferguson (26 points / 4 assists) paced the visitors, while Connor Burns continued his fine play for Regina with 23 points and 13 boards. Grady Childerhose and Paul Gareau both scored 11, and Gareau had 12 rebounds.

Saskatchewan Huskies 91 at Winnipeg Wesmen 61 - everyone was playing nicely together until the start of the 2nd quarter, when Saskatchewan rudely shut down the Wesmen attack to a puny 9 points, and, putting up 28 points of their own, had the Ws down 55-28 at the half. Game ! U of S is 55% from the floor and 48 rebounds, while an over-matched Winnipeg shot 33% and had only 27 boards. 4 Huskies were in double figures - Peter Lomuro led with 18, Jamelle Barrett scored 16, Michael Lieffers 12, and Matthew Forbes 11. Lieffers snared a whopping 15 rebounds for his double-double. Winnipeg’s Travis Krahn had 15, including 4/9 from 3 pt. range.

Victoria Vikes 76 at UBC-Okanagan Heat 49 - the Vikes defense smothered the over-matched Heat, and Ryan McKinnon scored 21 to lead Vicoria’s scorers, helping them to a 12-3 mark, and, once again, right back in UBC’s face in the run for 1st place in the Pacific. Terrell Evans scored 13 pts and added 8 rebounds for Vic, and Pierce Anderson scored 13. Both Yassine Ghomari and Steve Morrison had 10 points for UBC-O, who are now 2-13.

at Trinity Western Spartans 89 Thompson Rivers Wolfpack 77 - Sean Peter ripped into the Wolfpack for 28 points, getting to the hole time and again on slashing drives, and Calvin Westbrook hit from outside for 20 as the Spartans pulled away from TRU in a 53 point 2nd half.
Trinity started slowly and were tied at 36 at the half, but their offense clicked in , as the ‘Pack’s big 3 of Kok, King, and Pribilsky, all of whom were well over 30 minutes, appeared to tire. Chas Kok scored 22, Akeem Pierre 16, and Justin King had 16 and 10 rebounds for TRU who fall back to 5-10, and are losing sight of TWU who climb to 9-7.

at Fraser Valley Cascades 77 UBC T-Birds 72 - down 25-9 in the 1st quarter, the Cascades (11-5) held their composure and roared back to finally get a win over the mighty T-Birds in Canada West play. It was UBC by 36-34 at the half, then UFV 53-52 at the 3/4 mark, and the teams played within 1 until the 3 minute mark and Fraser Valley took a 7 point advantage. Nathan Yu fouled out late for UBC after scoring a game-high 24 , and UFV stopped the T-Bird fast break with a nice defensive plan. Joel Friesen scored 18 points and Jasper Moedt claimed 17 rebounds, adding 10 pts. for UFV, while Jordan Blackmon (12), Sam Freeman (12), and Kyle Grewal with 13 were also in double figures. Doug Plumb contributed 15 for UBC, who are now 12-3.

Canada West Tie-Breaking Procedure

2 teams tied - Let’s say, Calgary and Manitoba !

1. Won/loss, head to head - Dinos win 2 !
2. Winning % in Prairie Div. games -
3. Won/loss vs #1 team from Pacific -
4. Points difference in head to head -
5. Points dif. using all Prairie Div. games -
6. Points diff. for all CW games -
7. Coin flip -

S-o-o-o-o , Dinos have the big upper hand.
CIS Scores on Friday -

#1 Carleton 86 Ottawa 57
#2 Lakehead 84 Waterloo 74
#8 Fraser Valley 77 #3 UBC 72
#4 Saskatchewan 91 Winnipeg 61
#6 UNB 67 St FX 66
#7 Victoria 76 UBC-Okanagan 49
#9 Concordia 80 Laval 59
#10 Alberta 81 Regina 69

McGill 61 Bishops 44
Ryerson 89 Toronto 85
Laurentian 108 York 78

Notes -

• Canada West TV is a wonderful new initiative for this season. Every league game, and you can retrieve them after the live broadcast to catch highlights. (Many times it’s Coach Crook or Coach Hemmings explaining why “that guy would be coming out of the game, if it were up to me.” ) We can’t help but notice the big qualitative differences in the production from 1 site to the other. Manitoba, like several others around Canada West, has the bare - bones operation with 1 camera, and 1 voice, with no graphic display of score and time, and no minimal attempt to swing to the score clock. What do you fans think are the best and worst telecasts, and why ? maybe we’ll have post season awards - All-star camera work, MVP play by play, Outstanding Colour Man. Nominations ?

• UFV Coach Barnaby Craddock of Joel Friesen, last season selected a Canada West all-star. “I think he is among the top defenders in our conference, and he has games where he shows his ability to rebound above the rim. So when you put that together with his playmaking ability, and the fact that he can really score the basketball, he is one of those guys that can do a little bit of everything. That’s what makes him special.”
from a story by Howard Tsumura , in The Province

• Coach Craddock again, referring to Coach Kevin Hanson and his UBC T-Birds record against UFV - “It’s really not much of a rivalry when he beats you all the time.”

• Jordan Baker in the Edmonton Sun - “I think we were a little bit high on ourselves coming into that weekend (vs Calgary), and now, reality check, we’re not God’s gift to basketball. We need to put in a bit more work and come in with a more hungry mentality.”

• “We have had some very competitive practices to the point of almost getting into fights,’’ UVic point guard, Zac Andrus. “At this point of the season, it always come down to defensive play. Our goal is to be perfect the rest of the way.’’

• The play by play announcer for UM is young John Gaudes, a Red River College student in the Creative Communications program. He hosts VarCity Sports, a Winnipeg college and professional sports radio show, on a local Winnipeg station. John is reasonably smooth, but could use a colour man, and a couple of more camera guys. (Oops, the game is silent, and, now it’s gone ! Panic for the viewers !) Once again, a great example is the team-work between Tyler Crayston and Coach Jerry Hemmings, his colour analyst in Brandon. Great job guys.

Outside Shot Nets Win for Calgary

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 22:04:50 -0700

Dinos Close to Within One Game of Bisons

Calgary Dinos 87 Manitoba Bisons 79 - With an opening 3 point barrage and dominance in the paint, the Calgary Dinos were able to carve out a win against the Manitoba Bisons, the team they are chasing in the race for the 4th playoff spot in the Prairie Division of Canada West. With 2 minutes remaining, the Dinos, who led all night on the Bisons home turf, had a 14 point lead, but a series of turnovers led to several easy UM hoops, and a hand-wringing finish.

After hitting 4 straight treys to start proceedings, Calgary expanded their lead to 20-6 before the home team finished the 1st at 29-17. Calgary had some foul trouble, however, as Tyler Fidler sat out most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters with 2 then 3 fouls. Manitoba closed the margin to 46-39 at the half, and brought it to within 2 in the 3rd but the Herd could not mount a consistent charge, with the Dinos benefitting from some great relief shooting from Josh Wolfram as Fidler sat, and from great hustle to the ball from jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, who chased down 11 rebounds on the night.

The 3 point shot gave Calgary a big advantage with 11/24 for 46% vs Manitoba’s 5/21 and just 24%. JOJ was 4/6 from beyond the arc to spark the Dinos scoring streak in the 2nd half. Calgary had 20/26 free throws for 77% and the Bisons were good on 14/19 and 74%. Calgary, with superior size and JOJ’s quickness won the rebounding battle 49 - 42. Key baskets in the 4th quarter came from a Boris Bakovic fall-back 3 pointer to re-establish a 7 point lead, then free throws by Fidler in the final 2 minutes. Manitoba had the ball with 16 seconds left, down 3, but could not get a shot as the ball was deflected by the long arm of Tyler Fidler, then cradled by Ogungbemi-Jackson, and 4 ensuing Calgary foul shots made the score an 8 point spread. Bakovic led the Dinos scoring with 21, while Ogungbemi-Jackson hit 18, Fidler 14, and Josh Owen-Thomas 13. Manitoba had 18 from Kurtis Sansregret, 13 from Xavier Smith, and an 11 pt./12 rebound double double from Kevin Oliver.

At times the pace of the game seemed to suit Manitoba better than the Dinos, but the clutch, deep shots were able to fend off a late charge. Calgary’s size was a factor in the middle frames particularly, as they snared a number of offensive boards from Bakovic, Wolfram, and JOJ on the perimeter. Without the late collapse, Calgary looked to be in full control as the clock wound down, but Manitoba pressed and made it tight at the end.

The win tonight gives Calgary a very good shot at the 4th spot, and a repeat on Friday will put Manitoba in water well over their heads. Realistically, the Friday game is must win for UM, since they are on the road at 1st place Saskatchewan for 2 games next week, while Calgary has 2 at home against last-place Winnipeg. The Friday game Dinos - Bisons is live on Canada West TV at 7 pm MST

Other Canada West Games on Friday -

Lethbridge at Brandon
Alberta at Regina
Saskatchewan at Winnipeg
Victoria at UBC-Okanagan
Thompson Rivers at Trinity Western
UbC at Fraser Valley