Bobcats win ugly to stay alive
Top-ranked Vikes await BU in Canada West tourney quarterfinal showdown
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/02/2024 (938 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It wasn’t the way the Brandon University Bobcats usually win games, but win-or-go-home situations sometimes require desperate measures.
On Wednesday afternoon, the eighth-seeded Bobcats hunkered down and earned a messy 62-55 triumph over the No. 9 Saskatchewan Huskies in a play-in game at the Canada West men’s basketball playoff tournament at Investors Group Athletic Centre.
“They’re one of the best defensive teams and they completely contained us and you know what, we can guard a little, too, I guess,” said a relieved BU head coach Gil Cheung, whose team was held 20 points below its regular-season scoring average. “We got enough stops. It’s ugly playoff basketball I guess and we survived to keep on playing.”
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Brandon University Bobcats’ Sultan Haider Bhatti takes a shot Wednesday as Saskatchewan’s Ryker Wuttke goes for the block during the Canada West men’s basketball tournament at Investors Group Athletic Centre.
In Wednesday’s other play-in games, it was: Northern B.C. Timberwolves 86, UBC Thunderbirds 76; Fraser Valley Cascades 74, Regina Cougars 62; and Alberta Golden Bears 97, Mount Royal Cougars 93.
Forward Sultan Haider Bhatti led the way for BU, playing all 40 minutes while scoring 19 points and adding 13 rebounds, two assists and three steals.
He got help from guard Khari Ojeda-Harvey, who scored 15 points and chipped in with six rebounds in 33:42 of playing time before fouling out in the fourth quarter. The Bobcats also got seven points each Elisha Ampofo and Dominique Dennis, who hit a crucial three-pointer late in the game.
“Last time we played Sask. we were making a lot of shots so they made difficult for us (today),” said Haider Bhatti, whose Bobcats entered the post-season on a four-game losing streak. “We were trying some new things that didn’t work out but at the end of the day, guys off the bench stepped up and got the lead… Everybody was ready for playoffs and so I’m just happy to get the win honestly.”
Fisayo Moibi led the Huskies with 12 points and Emmanuel Bonsu chipped in with nine.
The triumph earned Brandon a quarter-final match-up with Victoria Vikes.
The Vikes are the top-ranked team in U Sports, owners of a 17-3 regular-season record are led by two-time Canada West player of the year, Diego Maffia.
“They’re the best team in the country,” said Cheung. “They’ve got the best player in the country, the best coach in the country (Craig Beaucamp) and the defensive player of the year (Aaron Tesfagiorgis) in the country. We’re just trying to keep it close, right? They’re going to go out there and do what they do and our job is to hang around.”
Brandon has lost five consecutive games to Victoria, including a pair of 16-point road losses earlier this month. The Bobcats haven’t beaten the Vikes since Nov. 4, 2017.
“Manitoba is just like home for us so it’s gonna be a different battle,” said Haider Bhattil.
Timberwolves 86 Thunderbirds 76
Justin Sunga scored 17 points and added seven assists to spark the 12th-seeded Timberwolves to a major upset of the No. 5 Thunderbirds.
Darren Hunter also had 17 points for the winners, who will face the No. 4 Manitoba Bisons in a Thursday quarterfinal. Josh Gillespie added 15 points for the winners.
UBC’s James Woods and Fareed Shittu replied with 25 and 17 points, respectively.
Cascades 74 Regina Cougars 62
Dylan Kinley had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the 11th-seeded Cascades, who outscored Regina 25-10 in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Dario Lopez added 18 points and eight rebounds for the winners, who will face the third-seeded Winnipeg Wesmen in a Thursday semifinal at 6 p.m.
Hayden Collier replied with 16 points and nine rebounds for No. 6 Regina.
Golden Bears 97 Mount Royal Cougars 93
Brandon Meiklejohn had 22 points and Lars Ishimwe added 20 more as seventh-seeded Alberta held off a determined comeback bid from No. 10 Mount Royal.
The Golden Bears, who earned a quarter-final berth against the second-seeded Calgary Dinos, led 53-40 at intermission and held a 14-point edge after three quarters.
Keivonte Watts had a game-high 35 points for the Cougars, who got a sensational 21-point, 13-assist, five-rebound performance from Holt Tomie.
mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca