Lethbridge College is proud to host the Cora 2018 ACAC Men's Basketball Championships from March 1 to 3 in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
The top eight teams from the ACAC are playing 11 games over three days to determine the conference champion. Both finalists will move on to play in the CCAA national championship tournament hosted by Collège Montmorency in Laval, Que.
Here are the results from the first day of play:
Game One - ACAC quarterfinal
Red Deer Kings (South #3) 99
NAIT Ooks (North #2) 106
The Cora Breakfast and Lunch 2018 ACAC Championships got off to a blistering start at Lethbridge College, as the north division’s second seed, the NAIT Ooks (17-8) beat the third seed from the south, the Red Deer College Kings (14-8) 106-99 in quarterfinal action.
A hard-fought first quarter saw the Ooks escape with a one-point lead, but the Edmonton crew cranked up the intensity to start the second quarter. A 9-2 run, spurred by seven points from Jackson Jacob (third year, Pre-employment Auto Body Repair, Nassau, Bahamas) gave NAIT a buffer and pushed them to a 50-40 half time lead.
NAIT was able to extend that lead up to 18 points early in the third quarter, before the sharp-shooting Red Deer Kings started chipping away. A 17-4 run, including four three-pointers, propelled Red Deer back within five, trailing 75-70 after three quarters. The Kings closed within three early in the fourth, but a 13-2 NAIT run sealed the victory for the Ooks. Jacob led the game with 34 points, while Brady MacKay (fifth year, Millwork and Carpentry, Regina, Sask.) added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, although he did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Spencer Klassen (third year, Bachelor of Education – Elementary, Red Deer) led the Kings with 25 points.
The Ooks advance to the ACAC semifinals on Friday, playing SAIT at 6 p.m. The Kings move into the consolation bracket and will play the Huskies at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Players of the game:
Red Deer Kings - #15 Eric Bakker (23pts, 7reb, 6ast)
NAIT Ooks - #10 Jackson Jacob (34pts, 5reb, 7ast)
Game Two - ACAC quarterfinal
Keyano Huskies (North #4) 81
SAIT Trojans (South #1) 82 (OT)
It was an instant-classic that went the distance and then some, but ultimately, it was a triumph of the Trojans in the second game of the Cora Breakfast and Lunch 2018 ACAC Championships in Lethbridge. The south division’s top seed, the SAIT Trojans (17-5) held off a massive comeback from the north division’s fourth-seeded Keyano Huskies (14-11) for an 82-81 overtime victory.
SAIT led by four points after one quarter, and broke it open in the second, opening on a 10-0 run. A buzzer-beating three by Charlie Conner (first year, Business Administration, Lacey, Wash.) gave SAIT a 38-24 lead at the half.
The Trojans again opened on a big run in the third, pushing their advantage to as many as 22 points, but the Huskies refused to go quietly. Back-to-back threes by Dante Dinter (first year, Business Administration, Tofield, Alta.) spurred an 11-2 Keyano run as they trailed 58-46 after three quarters. Eleven straight Huskies points closed the Fort McMurray side within one point of the Trojans. While SAIT briefly slowed the momentum, the Huskies stayed hot right until the end. Another three from Dinter, who had five in the game, and two clutch free throws from D’Aubre Doucette (third year, Business Administration, San Diego, Calif.) tied the game at 76 and forced overtime.
In a low-scoring extra frame, a three by Nicholas Molina (fourth year, Business Administration, Calgary) proved decisive as the Trojans hung on to advance to the ACAC semifinals. Murphy Beya (fourth year, New Media Production and Design, Ottawa) had a triple-double for the Trojans, with a game-high 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. North division rookie of the year Stefan Jovcic (first year, University Studies, Mississauga, Ont.) led Keyano with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Trojans advance to an ACAC semifinal as they will play NAIT at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Huskies move into the consolation bracket and will play Red Deer at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Players of the game:
Keyano Huskies - #21 Stefan Jovcic (19pts, 11reb)
SAIT Trojans - #9 Murphy Beya (22pts, 12reb, 10ast)
Game Three- ACAC quarterfinal
Lakeland Rustlers (North #3) 86
Medicine Hat Rattlers (South #2) 81
On a day filled with close games, the first official upset was authored by Lakeland College. Although the Rustlers (17-8) led for almost the entire game, Medicine Hat (16-6) made sure it went right down to the wire in the third quarterfinal of the Cora Breakfast and Lunch 2018 ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship in Lethbridge. At the final buzzer, Lakeland was able to hang on for an 86-81 win to earn a semifinal berth.
Lakeland showed no signs of travel rust after making the trip south from Lloydminster, using a game-opening 9-2 run to propel themselves to a 22-17 lead after one quarter. Early in the second, the Rattlers showed their bite. Seven straight points, capped by a Josh Magpantay (second year, General Studies, Winnipeg) three-pointer, gave Medicine Hat its first lead of the game. However, the momentum was short-lived as a 10-2 run late in the opening half put Lakeland ahead 52-44 after 20 minutes.
The Rustlers picked right up in the third quarter, as Adrian Richards (second year, Business Administration, Toronto) drilled three of his game-high 24 to push Lakeland’s lead to 11 points. Not to be outdone, ACAC south division all-conference first-team selection Aaron Cameron (fourth year, General Studies, Sacramento, Calif.) spurred on his Rattlers, hitting two three-pointers and adding a lay-up as part of a 12-0 run that got Medicine Hat back within one. But a Brandon Isaac (second year, University Transfer, Vernon, B.C.) three slowed the Rattlers momentum as Lakeland led 66-62 after three. In a back-and-forth fourth quarter, a John Sappleton (second year, General Studies, Toronto) lay-up gave Medicine Hat a lead with under a minute to play, but a Prentice Gardner (fourth year, University Transfer, Oakland, Calif.) three restored Lakeland’s lead for good.
Paul Smith-Profit (fourth year, Business Administration, Sacramento, Calif.) had a double-double for Lakeland with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Cameron led Medicine Hat with 22 points.
The Rustlers move on to the ACAC semifinals where they will play Concordia at 8 p.m. on Friday. The Rattlers move into the consolation bracket and will face the Kodiaks at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Players of the game:
Lakeland Rustlers - #12 Paul Smith-Profit (12pts, 11reb)
Medicine Hat Rattlers - #4 Aaron Cameron (22pts, 4reb, 4ast)
Game Four - ACAC quarterfinal
Lethbridge Kodiaks (South #4) 80
Concordia Thunder (North #1) 96
A raucous Val Matteotti Gymnasium at Lethbridge College provided a memorable setting for the final game of the first day of the Cora Breakfast and Lunch 2018 ACAC Championships. However, the partisan home crowd went away disappointed after the hometown Kodiaks (13-9) fell 96-80 to the top-seeded north division team from Concordia (20-5) as the Thunder made their way to the ACAC semifinals.
A back-and-forth first quarter saw the Kodiaks surge ahead as Pierce Van Gaalen (fifth year, General Studies, Foremost, Alta.) knocked down back-to-back three pointers, putting his team ahead 18-14 after ten minutes. But the Thunder flipped the script in the second quarter, taking the lead on the strength of an 8-0 run and a pair of three pointers by Darrelle Bacon (second year, Open Studies, Indianapolis, Ind.) That put Concordia ahead 43-35 at half.
The Kodiaks roared to life early in the third quarter, scoring eight straight points to get back within two and later closed the gap to just one with a Cory Richardson (fourth year, Business Administration, Bunbury, Australia) three. But that would be as close as the game would get for the rest of the night, as Concordia answered by outscoring the Kodiaks 17-4 throughout the rest of the frame to lead 68-54 after three quarters. In the fourth, the Thunder used a balanced team effort, as five players hit double-digit points, to maintain that spread and finish off the victory.
Brett Jakubec (fifth year, Open Studies, Viking, Alta.) led the Thunder with 21 points, while the Kodiaks Keanu Funa (second year, Business Administration, Lethbridge) had a game-high 23 points.
The Thunder move on to the ACAC semifinals where they will play the Lakeland Rustlers at 8 p.m. on Friday. The Kodiaks move into the consolation bracket and will face their arch-rivals from Medicine Hat College at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Players of the game:
Lethbridge Kodiaks - #12 Colten Murray (15pts, 9reb)
Concordia Thunder - #5 Brett Jakubec (21pts, 9reb, 6ast)