March 19, 2007
2007 CIS MEN'S BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS, RAVENS MAKE IT FIVE IN A ROW
Windsor 64, Brandon 81 - Quarter-Final Match Up
The No.4 Brandon Bobcats outscored the No. 5 Windsor Lancers 41-26 in the second half en route to an 81-64 win in their quarter-final of the 2007 men's basketball Final 8 at the Metro Centre in Halifax, on Friday afternoon. Ahead 40-38 at the half, Brandon extended its lead to 66-59 with 7:29 remaining in the contest, and then went on an 11-0 run in the next 4:52 to seal the victory. The Bobcats shot 46.4 percent from the floor compared to 38.7 percent for their OUA rivals. The Lancers were shooting well in the first half, at a 44.4 rate, but struggled in the final period converting only 30.8 percent of their attempts. Windsor also struggled from beyond the arc, going only 4-for-25 (16%), while Brandon drained eight of 16 three-point attempts.
"We didn't play well on defense, we just defended poorly," remarked Windsor bench boss Chris Oliver. "Credit Brandon, they gave it to us today. It's disappointing because we're a better team than what we showed today. We're usually a pretty good team on defense."
Kloostra (Chatham, Ontario), a fourth-year forward named to the first OUA West all-star team this season, was held to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting, including 0-for-5 from downtown. Fourth-year guard Ryan Steer (Windsor, Ontario) paced the Lancers with 21 points, while six-foot-eight forward Greg Surmacz (Peterborough, Ontario) had 14 in the loss.
Ottawa 92, UBC 85 - Quarter-Final Match Up
Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Ottawa, Ontario) scored 23 points and the No.7 Ottawa Gee-Gees buried 11 three-point shots on their way to a 92-85 win over the No. 2 UBC Thundrbirds in ther quarter-finals match up of the CIS men’s basketball championship. The wild and entertaining tilt between Ottawa and UBC saw the Gee-Gees go on an early 17-0 run to build a 17-2 advantage, in the opening half that included another 9-0 Gee-Gee run and sequences of 10-0, 9-0 and 7-0 by the 'Birds.
Ottawa drained four three-pointers during its 17-0 run, including one by Gibson-Bascombe, who finished the day 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. UBC climbed all the way back from the early deficit and took a 35-34 lead with 43.7 seconds left in the first 20-minute period, before heading to the locker room ahead 37-35 thanks to a Casey Archibald lay-up at the buzzer. The Gee-Gees regained the lead, at 49-48, 3:05 into the second half and would not relinquish it. Ten straight points by Ottawa opened a 70-57 gap at the midway point of the frame but the 'Birds would once again come back, this time with a 14-2 run, to make it a one-point affair, at 72-71, with 7:24 on the clock. UBC was down by one again, 78-77, with 4:58 remaining, but this is as close as they would get.
"We knew they (UBC) could score and go on runs, they are a very explosive team," said sophomore point guard Gibson-Bascombe, named player of the game after leading the field with seven assists and five steals to go with his 23 points. "But the coaches had a great game plan and we stuck with it. We stayed mentally strong."
A trio of fifth-year seniors were also difference makers for the veteran-laden Gee-Gees. Forward Jermaine Campbell (Calgary, Alberta) tallied 20 points and nine rebounds, while guard Alex McLeod (Lindsay, Ontario), with 14 points, and forward Curtis Shakespeare (Alliston, Ontario), with 12, also scored in double figures.
Carleton 86, Acadia 38 - Quarter-Final Match Up
The No.3 Carleton Ravens moved one step closer to capturing their fifth consecutive W.P. McGee Trophy as CIS men's basketball champions this past Friday night with a dominating 86-38 win over the No. 6 Acadia Axemen in quarter-final action. The 48-point margin of victory was the second largest in history at the Nationals. Assumption beat Loyola by 59 points, 103-44, in the original tournament in 1963. The 38 points scored by Acadia are the third lowest total all-time. The record for lowest offensive input was also set in 1963 when UBC managed only 36 points in a loss to Acadia (55-36). Bishop’s lost 64-37 against Laurier in 1967.
"When we went up big in the first half, we didn't want to slow down, didn't want to give them any chance of getting back in the game," said centre Kevin McLeery (Nepean, Ontario), whose team was ahead 38-17 heading into the locker room. "In the second half, it was a matter of staying focused, making sure we were going into the semis on a roll. That's why it was important to keep the level of intensity as high as possible."
The Ravens were ahead 15-10 when they opened the floodgates, scoring 10 straight points on their way to the 19-point cushion at the break. Carleton dominated in every aspect of the game, holding a 42-28 advantage on the boards, and out-shooting their AUS opponents 46.3 percent to 25.0 from the floor, 31.8 percent to 22.2 from beyond the arc and 85.0 percent to 69.6 from the free-throw line. Third-year forward Aaron Doornekamp (Odessa, Ontario) collected 14 points and six boards for the winning side, while four-time CIS final MVP Osvaldo Jeanty (Gloucester, Ontario), looking to become one of the few five-time national champions, had 13 points.
Carleton 80, Ottawa 58 – Semi Final Match Up
The No.3 Ravens outscored the No. 7 Ottawa Gee-Gees 43-29 in the second half of the second semi-final of the 2007 CIS Final 8 Saturday night on their way to a convincing 80-58 victory. With the Ravens ahead 37-29 at the intermission, six-foot-seven forward Aaron Doornekamp (Odessa, Ontario) opened the second period with a three-point bucket, two-time reigning CIS player of the year Osvaldo Jeanty (Gloucester, Ontario) followed with a smooth lay-up, and a pair of Kevin McLeery (Nepean, Ontario) baskets later, it was all of a sudden 46-33 Carleton.
Three-pointers from Rob Saunders (Kingston, Ontario) and Doornekamp 70 seconds apart made it 63-39 at the midway mark of the frame, and another Doornekamp long-range shot increased the gap to 29 points (68-39) with 7:10 remaining. The Ravens would lead by as much as 31. "I wanted the game tonight so I can keep my promise to Dave (Smart) and the team," said Jeanty, the only Raven who could claim a fifth CIS ring on Sunday.
"I promised myself and the team in my first season that we would play in five championship games in five years."
The Ravens shot 55.3 percent for the game, including an astounding 68.2% in the second half (15-of-22), and 47.8% from beyond the arc. Jeanty led all scorers in the contest with 21 points, while Doornekamp, who missed last year's national tournament with a broken ankle, was named player of the match following a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. The result was surprising to most, as seven of the last eight head-to-head meetings between the Ravens and Gee-Gees had come down to the last few possessions. This season, Ottawa edged Carleton by two and six points in a pair of conference wins, while the reigning champions took the OUA East final 65-63. A trio of Ottawa-born guards scored in double figures for the Gee-Gees. Josh Gibson-Bascombe and Sean Peter tallied 12 points apiece, while Willy Manigat had 11 in the loss.
Carleton 52, Brandon 49 CIS Championship Final
The Carleton University Ravens and two-time CIS player of the year Osvaldo Jeanty (Gloucester, Ontario) have won five straight W.P. McGee Trophies. In the lowest-scoring CIS final ever, No.3 Carleton defeated the No. 4 Brandon Bobcats 52-49 Sunday afternoon at the Halifax Metro Centre to move to within two of the all-time record of seven straight McGee Trophies set by the Victoria Vikes from 1980-86. Carleton's five national titles are also second on the all-time list behind Victoria, which has eight. The Ravens have now won 17 straight games at the Nationals, one short of the Vikes' mark.
"Words can't describe the way I'm feeling right now. I'm so happy, I'm just so happy," said Jeanty, selected on the tournament all-star team for a fifth straight year. "My drive for five might be over but for a lot of the guys, it's still very much alive."
Teammates Ryan Bell (Orleans, Ontario), Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie (Ottawa, Ontario) and Shawn McLeery (Nepean, Ontario) have been on the last four championship squad. Bell and Jean-Marie will be back for a fifth season in 2007-08, while McLeery graduates this spring.
Aaron Doornekamp, a third-year forward from Odessa, Ontario, who missed last year's championship with a broken ankle, was named gold-medal final and tournament MVP after tallying a game-high 20 points, including a dozen on three-pointers, along with four rebounds and three assists.
"I think anyone could play my position. Osvaldo, the rest of the guys, they make it so easy for me, give me so many open looks," humbly said Doornekamp.
While the Ravens were up to their usual defensive standards, holding Brandon to 23 less points than their previous season low, the Bobcats gave the champs a taste of their own medicine in the second half limiting them to 20 points, including 10 in first 16:58 of the stanza. Trailing 32-26 at the break, Brandon remained within striking distance and tied it at 39 all with 9:15 remaining on a bucket and a free throw by six-foot-seven forward Stevens Marcelin (Montreal, Quebec). The Canada West finalists finally went ahead with 3:19 on the clock when fourth-year forward Adam Hartman (Virden, Manitoba) hit a pair of free throws to make it 43-42 Bobcats.
A wild 69-second sequence followed, with Doornekamp hitting a three-point shot to regain the lead for Carleton, fifth-year guard Chad Jacobson (Brandon, Manitoba) answering with a three-pointer of his own to put Brandon back on top 46-45, and Doornekamp hitting again from long distance, this time from at least five feet beyond the arc.
In a fitting finish to an exceptional career, Jeanty scored what would prove the championship-winning points draining an acrobatic basket as he was falling down to make it 50-46 Ravens with 1:16 on the clock. After Doornekamp hit one of two free throws with 26 seconds left, Jacobson pulled the Bobcats to within two at 51-49 with another trey. Third-year Carleton guard Stuart Turnbull (Kingston, Ontario) was fouled, missed his first attempt from the line, then made the second one. Getting the ball back with 9.3 ticks remaining, Hartman took on last shot from far out at the buzzer, but the ball hit the rim and refused to go in.
The defensive battle saw Carleton shoot only 26.9 percent (18-of-67), including 29.0 from beyond the arc (9-of-31), compared to 36.4 (16-of-44) and 36.4 (4-of-11) for Brandon. The Ravens shot 24.1 percent in the second half (7-of-29). One of the differences in the duel was Carleton's domination on the offensive board, the Ravens grabbing 20 offensive rebounds to eight for Brandon.
(With files from Canadian Interuniversity Sport)
The No.4 Brandon Bobcats outscored the No. 5 Windsor Lancers 41-26 in the second half en route to an 81-64 win in their quarter-final of the 2007 men's basketball Final 8 at the Metro Centre in Halifax, on Friday afternoon. Ahead 40-38 at the half, Brandon extended its lead to 66-59 with 7:29 remaining in the contest, and then went on an 11-0 run in the next 4:52 to seal the victory. The Bobcats shot 46.4 percent from the floor compared to 38.7 percent for their OUA rivals. The Lancers were shooting well in the first half, at a 44.4 rate, but struggled in the final period converting only 30.8 percent of their attempts. Windsor also struggled from beyond the arc, going only 4-for-25 (16%), while Brandon drained eight of 16 three-point attempts.
"We didn't play well on defense, we just defended poorly," remarked Windsor bench boss Chris Oliver. "Credit Brandon, they gave it to us today. It's disappointing because we're a better team than what we showed today. We're usually a pretty good team on defense."
Kloostra (Chatham, Ontario), a fourth-year forward named to the first OUA West all-star team this season, was held to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting, including 0-for-5 from downtown. Fourth-year guard Ryan Steer (Windsor, Ontario) paced the Lancers with 21 points, while six-foot-eight forward Greg Surmacz (Peterborough, Ontario) had 14 in the loss.
Ottawa 92, UBC 85 - Quarter-Final Match Up
Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Ottawa, Ontario) scored 23 points and the No.7 Ottawa Gee-Gees buried 11 three-point shots on their way to a 92-85 win over the No. 2 UBC Thundrbirds in ther quarter-finals match up of the CIS men’s basketball championship. The wild and entertaining tilt between Ottawa and UBC saw the Gee-Gees go on an early 17-0 run to build a 17-2 advantage, in the opening half that included another 9-0 Gee-Gee run and sequences of 10-0, 9-0 and 7-0 by the 'Birds.
Ottawa drained four three-pointers during its 17-0 run, including one by Gibson-Bascombe, who finished the day 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. UBC climbed all the way back from the early deficit and took a 35-34 lead with 43.7 seconds left in the first 20-minute period, before heading to the locker room ahead 37-35 thanks to a Casey Archibald lay-up at the buzzer. The Gee-Gees regained the lead, at 49-48, 3:05 into the second half and would not relinquish it. Ten straight points by Ottawa opened a 70-57 gap at the midway point of the frame but the 'Birds would once again come back, this time with a 14-2 run, to make it a one-point affair, at 72-71, with 7:24 on the clock. UBC was down by one again, 78-77, with 4:58 remaining, but this is as close as they would get.
"We knew they (UBC) could score and go on runs, they are a very explosive team," said sophomore point guard Gibson-Bascombe, named player of the game after leading the field with seven assists and five steals to go with his 23 points. "But the coaches had a great game plan and we stuck with it. We stayed mentally strong."
A trio of fifth-year seniors were also difference makers for the veteran-laden Gee-Gees. Forward Jermaine Campbell (Calgary, Alberta) tallied 20 points and nine rebounds, while guard Alex McLeod (Lindsay, Ontario), with 14 points, and forward Curtis Shakespeare (Alliston, Ontario), with 12, also scored in double figures.
Carleton 86, Acadia 38 - Quarter-Final Match Up
The No.3 Carleton Ravens moved one step closer to capturing their fifth consecutive W.P. McGee Trophy as CIS men's basketball champions this past Friday night with a dominating 86-38 win over the No. 6 Acadia Axemen in quarter-final action. The 48-point margin of victory was the second largest in history at the Nationals. Assumption beat Loyola by 59 points, 103-44, in the original tournament in 1963. The 38 points scored by Acadia are the third lowest total all-time. The record for lowest offensive input was also set in 1963 when UBC managed only 36 points in a loss to Acadia (55-36). Bishop’s lost 64-37 against Laurier in 1967.
"When we went up big in the first half, we didn't want to slow down, didn't want to give them any chance of getting back in the game," said centre Kevin McLeery (Nepean, Ontario), whose team was ahead 38-17 heading into the locker room. "In the second half, it was a matter of staying focused, making sure we were going into the semis on a roll. That's why it was important to keep the level of intensity as high as possible."
The Ravens were ahead 15-10 when they opened the floodgates, scoring 10 straight points on their way to the 19-point cushion at the break. Carleton dominated in every aspect of the game, holding a 42-28 advantage on the boards, and out-shooting their AUS opponents 46.3 percent to 25.0 from the floor, 31.8 percent to 22.2 from beyond the arc and 85.0 percent to 69.6 from the free-throw line. Third-year forward Aaron Doornekamp (Odessa, Ontario) collected 14 points and six boards for the winning side, while four-time CIS final MVP Osvaldo Jeanty (Gloucester, Ontario), looking to become one of the few five-time national champions, had 13 points.
Carleton 80, Ottawa 58 – Semi Final Match Up
The No.3 Ravens outscored the No. 7 Ottawa Gee-Gees 43-29 in the second half of the second semi-final of the 2007 CIS Final 8 Saturday night on their way to a convincing 80-58 victory. With the Ravens ahead 37-29 at the intermission, six-foot-seven forward Aaron Doornekamp (Odessa, Ontario) opened the second period with a three-point bucket, two-time reigning CIS player of the year Osvaldo Jeanty (Gloucester, Ontario) followed with a smooth lay-up, and a pair of Kevin McLeery (Nepean, Ontario) baskets later, it was all of a sudden 46-33 Carleton.
Three-pointers from Rob Saunders (Kingston, Ontario) and Doornekamp 70 seconds apart made it 63-39 at the midway mark of the frame, and another Doornekamp long-range shot increased the gap to 29 points (68-39) with 7:10 remaining. The Ravens would lead by as much as 31. "I wanted the game tonight so I can keep my promise to Dave (Smart) and the team," said Jeanty, the only Raven who could claim a fifth CIS ring on Sunday.
"I promised myself and the team in my first season that we would play in five championship games in five years."
The Ravens shot 55.3 percent for the game, including an astounding 68.2% in the second half (15-of-22), and 47.8% from beyond the arc. Jeanty led all scorers in the contest with 21 points, while Doornekamp, who missed last year's national tournament with a broken ankle, was named player of the match following a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. The result was surprising to most, as seven of the last eight head-to-head meetings between the Ravens and Gee-Gees had come down to the last few possessions. This season, Ottawa edged Carleton by two and six points in a pair of conference wins, while the reigning champions took the OUA East final 65-63. A trio of Ottawa-born guards scored in double figures for the Gee-Gees. Josh Gibson-Bascombe and Sean Peter tallied 12 points apiece, while Willy Manigat had 11 in the loss.
Carleton 52, Brandon 49 CIS Championship Final
The Carleton University Ravens and two-time CIS player of the year Osvaldo Jeanty (Gloucester, Ontario) have won five straight W.P. McGee Trophies. In the lowest-scoring CIS final ever, No.3 Carleton defeated the No. 4 Brandon Bobcats 52-49 Sunday afternoon at the Halifax Metro Centre to move to within two of the all-time record of seven straight McGee Trophies set by the Victoria Vikes from 1980-86. Carleton's five national titles are also second on the all-time list behind Victoria, which has eight. The Ravens have now won 17 straight games at the Nationals, one short of the Vikes' mark.
"Words can't describe the way I'm feeling right now. I'm so happy, I'm just so happy," said Jeanty, selected on the tournament all-star team for a fifth straight year. "My drive for five might be over but for a lot of the guys, it's still very much alive."
Teammates Ryan Bell (Orleans, Ontario), Jean-Emmanuel Jean-Marie (Ottawa, Ontario) and Shawn McLeery (Nepean, Ontario) have been on the last four championship squad. Bell and Jean-Marie will be back for a fifth season in 2007-08, while McLeery graduates this spring.
Aaron Doornekamp, a third-year forward from Odessa, Ontario, who missed last year's championship with a broken ankle, was named gold-medal final and tournament MVP after tallying a game-high 20 points, including a dozen on three-pointers, along with four rebounds and three assists.
"I think anyone could play my position. Osvaldo, the rest of the guys, they make it so easy for me, give me so many open looks," humbly said Doornekamp.
While the Ravens were up to their usual defensive standards, holding Brandon to 23 less points than their previous season low, the Bobcats gave the champs a taste of their own medicine in the second half limiting them to 20 points, including 10 in first 16:58 of the stanza. Trailing 32-26 at the break, Brandon remained within striking distance and tied it at 39 all with 9:15 remaining on a bucket and a free throw by six-foot-seven forward Stevens Marcelin (Montreal, Quebec). The Canada West finalists finally went ahead with 3:19 on the clock when fourth-year forward Adam Hartman (Virden, Manitoba) hit a pair of free throws to make it 43-42 Bobcats.
A wild 69-second sequence followed, with Doornekamp hitting a three-point shot to regain the lead for Carleton, fifth-year guard Chad Jacobson (Brandon, Manitoba) answering with a three-pointer of his own to put Brandon back on top 46-45, and Doornekamp hitting again from long distance, this time from at least five feet beyond the arc.
In a fitting finish to an exceptional career, Jeanty scored what would prove the championship-winning points draining an acrobatic basket as he was falling down to make it 50-46 Ravens with 1:16 on the clock. After Doornekamp hit one of two free throws with 26 seconds left, Jacobson pulled the Bobcats to within two at 51-49 with another trey. Third-year Carleton guard Stuart Turnbull (Kingston, Ontario) was fouled, missed his first attempt from the line, then made the second one. Getting the ball back with 9.3 ticks remaining, Hartman took on last shot from far out at the buzzer, but the ball hit the rim and refused to go in.
The defensive battle saw Carleton shoot only 26.9 percent (18-of-67), including 29.0 from beyond the arc (9-of-31), compared to 36.4 (16-of-44) and 36.4 (4-of-11) for Brandon. The Ravens shot 24.1 percent in the second half (7-of-29). One of the differences in the duel was Carleton's domination on the offensive board, the Ravens grabbing 20 offensive rebounds to eight for Brandon.
(With files from Canadian Interuniversity Sport)
