2019-20 USports Men's Championship - Full Recap
At the end of the day of basketball at TD Place, the champions of the 2019-20 USports season would be decided. First on show were two consolation games, after which it would be between the two teams that had gone the distance to see who could go that one last step and claim the crown.
Fifth Place Game: Ottawa Gee-Gees vs Alberta Golden Bears
After neither team could break free of the other at the game’s start, Alberta went ten points clear after an 11-0 run late in the second quarter. They continued this relentless play in the second half behind the combined field shooting of Ivan Ikomey and Brody Clarke. Ottawa tried to instigate a late fight back, led by Calvin Epistola, but it proved too little too late.
Epistola led Ottawa’s scoring with 16 points, while the Golden Bears saw 21 from Ikomey and a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds from Brody Clarke as they claimed fifth place with an 88-75 win over Ottawa.
Third Place Game: Western Mustangs vs UBC Thunderbirds
UBC led by seven points at the end of the first quarter, but behind Omar Shiddo, Nikola Farkic and Ukasha Khan, all reaching the ten-point mark for Western in the first half, the Mustangs ended the first half up by four. The Thunderbirds' three-point shooting in the third quarter put them up by double digits, though the Mustangs tried to fight back, Manroop Clair led UBC in retaining their lead, going on to finish 99-82.
Khan had 17 off the bench for the Mustangs while Shiddo led the team with 29, while UBC saw 20 from Jadon Cohee and an outstanding 39 points and 10 rebounds from Clair as they claim third place in the 2020 championship.
Championship Game: Dalhousie Tigers vs Carleton Ravens
In a close, back-and-forth first period, a jump shot from Keevan Veinot would be all that would set apart Dalhousie from Carlton, but when play resumed he and Sascha Kappos led the Tigers to dominate the Ravens on offence. They finished the first half ahead by twelve points.
Munis Tutu and Binian Grebrekidan slowly got Carleton back into the game at the start of the third quarter, though Alex Carlson’s three-point shooting kept the threat coming from Dalhousie, who had the biggest lead of the game at fourteen points in the third quarter.
After Carleton's Lloyd Pandi tied the scores at the top of the fourth quarter, Dalhousie suddenly had to fight for their lead, and they held on until the final stretch when Tutu gave the Ravens the lead with a three. The Tigers’ scoring dried up just when they didn’t want it to, and with Carleton making good use of possession in the remaining time, they saw out the all-important victory.
Carson was the game’s top scorer with 20 points, but Carleton, who saw 33 points from their bench and were led by Biniam Grebrekidan with 19 points and 11 rebounds, captured their fifteenth national title with a spectacular 74-65 comeback win over Dalhousie.
Picture: Valerie Wutti
