All-Tournament MVP: David Kapinga (5'11''-PG-95) of Calgary Player of the Year: Kadre Gray (6'1''-G) of Laurentian Rookie of the Year: Nikita Kasongo (6'4''-G) of St.Mary's Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Anderson (6'3''-G) of Carleton Student-Athlete of the Year: Sven Stammberger (6'6''-F) of Dalhousie Coach of the Year: Dave Smart of Carleton
Gold: Calgary wins first-ever national men's basketball title - Mar 12, 2018
The Calgary Dinos are national champions. Tied at 77 with just nine seconds on the clock, head coach Dan Vanhooren drew up a play for all-star Mambi Diawara (195-G/F-94, college: Lamar St.CC) and he didn't disappoint. 'I told the guys we're not going to overtime,' said Diawara. 'Coach drew a play and then I told him to give me the ball, I'll make the play.' And he did. The fourth-year guard from Montreal drove left to the basket and laid it in for the game-winning shot, as the Dinos captured U SPORTS gold in a 79-77 thriller against the Ryerson Rams. 'It still feels unreal. I can't believe we won it,' he said. 'We worked hard all year. No one saw us winning, but we pulled out the Canada West (title) and now we just made history.' The big man from Germany, Lars Schlueter (203-F-95), got Calgary off to a strong start with 10 consecutive points to give them a 10-4 lead midway through the first. Ryerson's Jean-Victor Mukama (203-G) matched Schlueter's production and helped trim the deficit to 21-18 after 10 minutes of action. 'I told (Sportsnet's) Tim Micallef before the game started one of the key things that needs to happen for us to have success is that Lars needs to hit some shots. And if he does, we're pretty tough,' said Calgary head coach Dan Vanhooren . 'The floor opens up and we can play at another level. With a championship on the line, the defensive intensity was high. Both teams were crouched in their stance and nothing came easy. But the Dinos' defence was just a little bit better in the second quarter as they stifled the high-powered Rams and held them to just 12 points on 37.5 per cent shooting. Fourth-year point guard Kapinga carried his team through the gritty frame, putting up seven of his 14 first-half points to give Calgary a 39-30 advantage at the break. Kapinga finished with a team-high 25 points, while adding eight rebounds and six assists. 'Mambi was carrying us the whole season, then playoffs came and coach told me to turn it up,' Kapinga said. 'I just wanted to make a point that I'm here too and Mambi told me 'to be aggressive, I need you to be aggressive.'' After a quiet first half, Ryerson's Ammanuel Diressa (193-G-93) was a man on a mission. In five minutes, the all-star scored eight of his 12 third-quarter points to pull his team within four, 46-42. The opponents traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter before Kapinga pulled up for a fadeaway jumper in the paint to give Calgary a slim 57-51 lead heading into the fourth. Diressa continued where he left off and scored five-straight points, including an old-fashioned three-point effort, to give Ryerson their first lead of the game 59-57 with 7:13 to left in the game. From that point on there were several lead changes. Basket for a basket, three for a three, the championship contenders fought until the bitter end. Tied at 68 with 3:16 remaining, Schlueter drilled a trey and followed it up with a thunderous dunk in traffic for two of his 18 points, giving the Dinos a 73-70 edge. With ice water in his veins, guard Lucas Mannes, drained another three to put them up 76-70 with 59 seconds to go. The Rams looked down and out, but after Kapinga split a pair of free throws, Diressa raced down the floor and tied the game with a pull up three, bringing his point total to 28 for the game. Following a timeout, the Dinos top player throughout the year, Diawara, drove it to the hole and laid it in for the gold-clinching deuce.
Courtesy of USports.ca
Third time is the charm for Carleton in Wilson Cup winning effort over Ryerson - Mar 13, 2018
There was no denying the Ravens on this night, as Carleton turned in a dynamic performance on both ends of the floor to avenge their last two Wilson Cup defeats, toppling the two-time reigning champion Ryerson Rams, 84-58, in the 2017-18 championship game. It's no surprise that the Ravens would be looking to right the Wilson Cup ship after back-to-back defeats in the provincial finale, and they were able to do just that on Saturday night at the Ravens' Nest. On both the offensive and defensive ends, the undefeated Carleton squad came out of the gates quick; a formula they would use to find success all game long en route to their lopsided victory. Right from the tip-off, the Ravens jumped out to an 11-3 lead, backed by a pair of three balls from Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Anderson (190-G). Anderson wasn't doing it alone; however, as the team's leading scorers from the regular season - Eddie Ekiyor (206-F-97) and Yasiin Joseph (185-G) - chipped in with a few baskets of their own in the early going. As has been the case in this storied rivalry, however, Ryerson was ready to put up a fight against their fellow perennial powerhouse, and responded with an 11-2 run to close the quarter and earn an 18-18 tie heading into the second frame. Leading the way for the Rams in the early going was a collection of players, including First-Team All-Star Ammanuel Diressa (193-G-93), whose back-to-back triples were key to Ryerson's electric end to the quarter. Flipping the script back in their favour, however, the Ravens jumped out to another quick start to kick off the second quarter and quickly make that tie game a thing of the past. A pair of threes from Stanley Mayambo (185-G) sparked the home team's push, as did an additional deep ball from Emmanuel Owootoah (180-PG, college: Fresno St.), but the offense extended to the paint as well. Mitchell Wood (193-G) and Cam Smythe etched their names onto the score sheet with some prominent work inside, all of which culminated in an eight-point lead at the half. True to form, meanwhile, the nation's number one seed was able to find another gear coming out of the break, and it proved to be too much for the Rams to overcome. Not only did the Ravens pour in a quick 16 points in the first five minutes of the half, but they were perhaps even more impressive on the other end; shutting out the high-octane Ryerson offense - which averaged 81.6 PPG in the regular season - for the first seven minutes of the quarter. During this dominant run, which was sparked by the defensive play of Anderson and Ekiyor - both of whom were limited in the first half due to foul trouble - the Ravens built their lead to upwards of 20 points, closing out the quarter with a 65-43 cushion. From there, it was business as usual for Carleton, who used a true team effort to close out the final frame; dethroning the reigning champions and continuing their undefeated campaign in the process. A booming bench performance from Mayambo, wherein he poured in a game-high 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, earned the third-year guard the Kitch MacPherson Player of the Game award, but another trio of double-digit scorers - Smythe (12), Joseph (11), and Anderson (10) - all played a role to close out the OUA schedule on a winning note. Joseph also chipped in with team-leading marks of 10 assists and seven rebounds. While Carleton was finding terrific success on the offensive end - shooting an electric 49.2% from the field and otherworldly 48.1% from downtown - it was a different story for the Rams against the relentless Ravens defense. Ryerson was held to just 33.3% shooting for the game, which included a 7-for-34 showing from beyond the arc (20.6%), showing once and for all why Carleton is the top-ranked defense in the country. For the OUA silver medallists, who couldn't quite manage to turn the trifecta over the Ravens in Wilson Cup play, they were led by the likes of Diressa, who scored 10 for the game, along with rookie Tanor Ngom, whose double-digit performance on the province's biggest stage continue to show a bright future for the youngster from Senegal.
Player of the Year: Kadre Gray (6'1''-G) of Laurentian Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Anderson (6'3''-G) of Carleton Rookie of the Year: Ali Sow (6'0''-G) of Laurier Ken Shields Award: Mike Rocca (5'10''-PG-94) of Windsor Coach of the Year: Dave Smart of Carleton
Dinos upset Golden Bears to win 6th Canada West title - Mar 13, 2018
David Kapinga (180-PG-95, college: Union, KY) scored a game-high 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, leading the No. 2 Calgary Dinos to their 6th Canada West Championship with an 84-77 win over the No. 1. Alberta Golden Bears, Saturday night at Saville Community Sports Centre in the conference title game. Calgary, who's now won seven conference overall, outscored Alberta 45-36 in the second half, upsetting the top-ranked Golden Bears in the conference championship game. The conference title for Calgary is also their second in three seasons, after also winning in 2016. "I'm so proud of our guys," Vanhooren told Canada West TV after the game. "They worked really hard at our game plan, they battled for every rebound. We just beat a really good basketball team, by doing what we were supposed to do. David had a tremendous basketball game tonight, and it showed why he was on the FISU national team with us and such a leader for us. Our perimeter created so many turnovers, which has been our M.O. all year." Along with Kapinga, Connor Foreman (198-F) was also big for the Dinos, posting 15 points, while Jhony Verrone (183-PG) dropped in 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. "Coming back after getting swept for the first time in three years during the season (against Alberta). To come back and win on their gym. It's incredible," said Foreman. "It's another step. We have three more games next week, and we have to be ready for those. We are gonna come out, and give it our all." Fourth-year guard Austin Waddoups (188-G, college: Salt Lake CC) led Alberta with 16 points, while fellow conference all-stars Mamadou Gueye (198-F-93) and Brody Clarke (206-F-96) chipped in with 15 and 13, respectivley. In an uncharacteristically sloppy performance, however, Alberta committed 27 turnovers, with Calgary winning the points off turnovers battle getting 34-7. The Golden Bears, who defeated Calgary twice in conference play earlier in the season, raced out to a 24-19 lead after the opening quarter, thanks to an absurd 69 per cent shooting performance. Waddoups scored six of his 16 in the opening quarter, while Kapinga kept Calgary within reach with 10 of his 30 in the first. Kapinga continued to score with ease in the second quarter, adding another eight points, as Calgary chipped into Alberta's lead. Both rivals also cleaned up defensivley in the second, shooting a combined 38 per cent in the second, compared to 58 per cent in the first. Depsite cooling off considerably on offence, Alberta still held a 41-40 half-time lead. Calgary regained the lead early in the third quarter, as a pair of quick threes pushed the Dinos up 47-44. Kapinga, having an incredibly efficient night, added another seven in the third, as the Dinos took a 63-61 advantage over Alberta into the fourth quarter. The final frame was arbuably the Dinos best, as they held Alberta to just 16 points, scoring another 21, en route to the seven-point win. Both teams went back-and-forth throughout the fourth, however the Bears were unable to regain the lead. A made layup and a freethrow from Foreman sealed the win for Calgary late in the fourth.
Courtesy of Canadawest.org
Canada West Tournament Final: Calgary - Alberta 84-77 Canada West Tournament Semifinals: Calgary - UBC 87-84 Alberta - Lethbridge 103-91
All-Canada West Awards 2018 - Mar 13, 2018
All-Canada West 1st Team 2018
Alleyne
Burdeaux
Clarke
Diawara
Morgan
Player of the Year: Conor Morgan (6'8''-F-94) of UBC Defensive Player of the Year: Jhony Verrone (6'0''-PG) of Calgary Rookie of the Year: Grant Shephard (6'10''-F-99) of UBC Ken Shields Award: Brody Clarke (6'9''-F-96) of Alberta Coach of the Year: Barnaby Craddock of Alberta
Redmen cruise past Concordia to capture fifth Quebec hoops crown in six years - Mar 13, 2018
Avery Cadogan (190-G) of Winnipeg, Man., came off the bench to score 19 points and was one of four teammates in double digits as the fifth-ranked McGill University men's basketball team toppled Concordia 98-79, Saturday, to capture the RSEQ championship, presented by Laits Go Sport, before 622 at Love Competition Hall. The Redmen, who extended their win streak to nine, earned a third consecutive conference title -- their fifth in six years -- and a berth at the U SPORTS Final 8 national championship, hosted by Acadia University in Halifax from March 8-11. The game ended just minutes after the McGill Martlets captured the women's RSEQ basketball title over Laval in Quebec City, marking the fifth time in six years that the two teams have swept the provincial crowns. "When people expect you to win, those are the hardest wins to come by, because the pressure is clearly solely on us to do well," said McGill bench boss David DeAveiro , the conference coach of the year who has now guided his troops to five appearances in eight years at the national Final Eight tourney, an impressive 95-33 record in league play and an 11-3 mark in the RSEQ playoffs. "So the credit goes to the players. To play under that kind of pressure and those kinds of expectations and to deliver the way they did is a great credit to them." The archrivals were tied 21-21 after the first quarter but the Redmen jumped ahead 44-33 at halftime and 73-50 after three before holding off a late push from the Stingers, who won the final stanza 29-25. Cadogan, a 6-foot-4, 171-pound senior guard, shot 7-for-11 from the field, including a 5-for-7 mark from three-point range. He pulled down five defensive rebounds and also had two steals, all in just 20 minutes off the bench. "We struggled early, we didn't get into a flow," DeAveiro explained. "Then Avery came in and made some big shots for us. That got us going a little bit. We built some confidence and then in the second half we just got back to what we've been doing all year: moving the ball and getting good shots." Senior Dele Ogundokun (188-G) of Hamilton, Ont., followed with 16 points and seven rebounds. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound guard shot 7-for-10 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, stole one ball and had four assists. Francois Bourque (198-F) of Terrebonne, Que., tallied 15 points, courtesy of 7-for-10 shooting from the floor and a 1-for-4 record from the charity stripe. He also grabbed nine rebounds and had two assists. Sebastian Beckett (198-C) of Georgetown, Ont., rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound centre shot 5-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-5 from downtown, grabbed a half-dozen rebounds and had an assist and a block. "Our bench has played extremely well throughout the whole year and we wouldn't be here without our bench," DeAveiro said of the team's depth, which produced 26 points from the subs on this day. "I've said it before: I think any of these guys could play at any other school, perhaps even start at other schools." The Stingers were led by Ricardo Monge, who matched Cadogan's 19-point output. McGill shot a stellar 57.8 per cent from the field (37/64), 54.2 from beyond the arc (13/24), and was 11-for-19 on free throws (57.9 per cent). Concordia shot 42.2 per cent from the field (27/64), 41.7 per cent from downtown (10/24), and went 15-for-20 from the charity stripe. The Redmen had a 39-25 rebounding advantage while their guests had an 11-16 margin in turnovers allowed. Both teams had seven steals and neither was credited with any blocks. "I have a good feeling about our team, the way we play and how we support each other and play for each other," said DeAveiro, looking ahead to Nationals. "When you go out there -- these are the best teams, there's no easy games -- we have to be at our best and be prepared to play. I know these kids will do that. So if we're lucky enough to come home as champions, it will be because they've earned that. But we're going to give it our best and try to bring it home."
UNB Varsity Reds capture first AUS men's basketball title since 1967 - Mar 5, 2018
Two AUS most valuable players, both in their final year, went at it Sunday with only one trip to the men's basketball nationals available. Behind 28 points from three-time MVP Javon Masters (183-G), the U Sports all-time scoring leader, the UNB Varsity Reds claimed the AUS men's title with an 84-81 win over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men before 3,500 fans at Scotiabank Centre. It is the first conference championship for UNB, coached by former X-Men player Brent Baker, since 1967. St. F.X.'s Kevin Bercy (201-F-94), last year's MVP, scored 33 points and added 12 rebounds in his final conference game. The X-Men forced a change of possession with 18 seconds left down by two points, but Bercy missed at the rim. Masters made two foul shots at the other end. Davonte Provo (185-PG) raced down for a quick three, but the X-Men fouled on the inbounds and Jesse Kendall made both of his free throws to close it out. Tyrell Leotaud, with 13, and Ibrahima Doumbouya (198-F), with 10, were the only other UNB players in double figures. Provo had 18, Julius Antoine (190-G) 11 and Jaydan Smith (185-G) 10 for the X-Men. "It is so much hard work and time and effort that we, as a team, have put in," Masters said in victory. "We were down early to a phenomenal St. F.X. team and Coach Baker told us to never quit. The game is 40 minutes. It looked like the fatigue of three games in three days caught up to them. We just attacked. It was a gritty win." UNB was fully aware of past failures at Scotiabank Centre and that the team hadn't won since Canada's centennial year. "I just think it was our mentality," said Masters. "We roll as a wolf pack. We run one through 12. We're just trying to outwork teams - get them into the fourth quarter and have our fitness and depth take care of it. That's what happened tonight." The Varsity Reds will join the host Acadia Axemen in the U SPORTS Final 8 tournament beginning Thursday at Scotiabank Centre. The X-Men, helped by 10 turnovers, led 46-39 at the half after leading by as much as 12. St. F.X. had a 16-3 run in the first quarter for a 25-14 lead. Masters got going midway through the quarter, firing a long three to close the gap to 35-27. Bercy had something to say in response, completing a three-point play, and scoring in transition, to restore the double-digit margin. He finished with 19 points in the half on eight-of-11 from the floor. UNB clawed back in the third quarter with Kendall's trey making it 53-48. Pitcher did the same to close the gap to three. Doumbouya's three-point play with 15 seconds left in the quarter made it 62-61. Will Legere's three gave UNB the lead on their first shot of the fourth quarter. Masters and Kendall added triples for a two-point lead with six minutes to play. It marked the 40th AUS championship appearance for Konchalski in his 43rd year with the team. The X-Men remain without a banner since 2006. Leotaud was player of the game and Doumbouya the top defensive player. All-star selections went to Bercy, Doumbouya, Provo, Leotaud and Masters, who was also chosen tournament MVP. St. F.X., 9-11 in the regular season, entered the tournament as the fifth seed, ousting Acadia on Friday before ending Dalhousie's chase for a fourth straight title. UNB, the second seed after a 16-4 campaign, toppled Memorial to get to the final.
Courtesy of: aus.prestosports.com
AUS Tournament Final: UNB - StFX 84-81
AUS Tournament Semifinals:
UNB - Memorial 96-83
StFX - Dalhousie 81-76
All-AUS Awards 2018 - Mar 13, 2018
All-AUS 1st Team 2018
Masters
Stammberger
Nissen
Alleyne
Carson
: of All-Tournament MVP: Javon Masters (6'0''-G) of UNB Player of the Year: Javon Masters (6'0''-G) of UNB Defensive Player of the Year: Erik Nissen (6'9''-F-95) of Acadia Rookie of the Year: Nikita Kasongo (6'4''-G) of St.Mary's Coach of the Year: Brent Baker of UNB
Vanhooren
