CARLETON GETS NO.1 SEED FOR FINAL 8

OTTAWA (CIS) - The five-time defending national champion Carleton University Ravens have been established tournament favourites for the 2008 Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's basketball championship they will host at Scotiabank Place, March 14-16.

Championship website: www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_basketball/2008

The eight-team, single elimination tourney, which moves to the nation's capital this week following a 24-year stint in Halifax, will get under way Friday with the quarterfinal round. The gold-medal final is slated for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, live on The Score Television Network and RDS.

The Score will also broadcast Saturday's 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. semifinals, as well as the third (6 p.m.) and fourth (8 p.m. / TV: tape delay 10 p.m.) quarterfinals on opening day.

Carleton is followed in order in the seeding by the No.2-UBC Thunderbirds (Canada West champions), No.3-Saint Mary's Huskies (AUS champions, No.4-Laval Rouge et Or (QSSF champions), No.5-Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists), who received the wildcard entry, No.6-Western Ontario Mustangs (OUA finalists), No.-7 Brock Badgers (OUA bronze medallists), and No.8-Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West finalists).

The No.1-Ravens, whose run of five consecutive W.P. McGee Trophies is second only to the seven straight banners won by Victoria from 1980-86 since the inaugural CIS championship was held in 1963, will open their title defence Friday at 8 p.m. against Alberta.

A first-round win would allow the Ravens to tie Victoria's record of 18 straight victories at men's basketball Nationals.

Carleton has been as dominant as ever in 2007-08, going 22-0 in conference play before cruising through the OUA playoffs with a 52-point quarterfinal win over Queen's (96-44), a 19-point semifinal victory over Ottawa (75-56), and a 16-point triumph over Western (81-65) in the Wilson Cup final. The Ravens are 31-0 overall against CIS opponents this season.

The other quarterfinal match-ups at Scotiabank Place will see Saint Mary's take on Western Ontario at 11:30 a.m., UBC battle Brock at 2 p.m., and Laval face Acadia at 6 p.m.

UBC edged Alberta 92-90 in the Canada West final. Laval outscored Concordia 81-63 for the Quebec crown. Saint Mary's beat Acadia 75-72 in the AUS title match. Brock defeated Ottawa 68-58 to claim OUA bronze.

Note: A complete championship preview will follow Tuesday.

SEEDING

1. Carleton Ravens (OUA champions / 22-0 regular season, 3-0 playoffs)
2. UBC Thunderbirds (CW champions / 18-5 regular season, 6-0 playoffs)
3. Saint Mary's Huskies (AUS champions / 14-6 regular season, 3-0 playoffs)

4. Laval Rouge et Or (QSSF champions / 13-3 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
5. Acadia Axemen (AUS finalists & Wildcard / 18-2 regular season, 1-1 playoffs)

6. Western Ontario Mustangs (OUA finalists / 12-10 regular season, 3-1 playoffs)
7. Brock Badgers (OUA bronze medallists / 16-6 regular season, 2-1 playoffs)

8. Alberta Golden Bears (CW finalists / 16-6 regular season, 3-4 playoffs)

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

Friday, March 14
11:30 Quarterfinal #1: No. 3 Saint Mary's vs. No. 6 Western Ontario
14:00 Quarterfinal #2: No. 2 UBC vs. No. 7 Brock
18:00 Quarterfinal #3: No. 4 Laval vs. No. 5 Acadia (The Score)
20:00 Quarterfinal #4: No. 1 Carleton vs. No. 8 Alberta (The Score / tape delay: 22:00)

Saturday, March 15
11:30 Consolation #1
14:00 Consolation #2
18:00 Semifinal #1 (The Score)
20:00 Semifinal #2 (The Score)

Sunday, March 16
12:30 5th Place
15:30 Final (The Score / RDS)

- CIS -

For more information, please contact:

Michel Bélanger
Communications Manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca