CIS Final 8 Wrap-up

This was an incredible week for our program, school and community. We received such great support from everyone on campus (admin & students), in our local area & from our alumni literally around the world. So, losing hurts that much more when you know it really means something to the people in your community. Most places don't have that, but we do at BU! Thursday night was an experience and I can only imagine what might have been on Saturday evening with the national press acknowledging that we have the best fans & alumni  in Canada!

I would like to first off thank the guys on our team who persevered through a challenging season to play their best basketball when it counted. I would like to also thank our coaches who showed the same fortitude as the players. And most importantly, I would like to thank my wife Jenn & our 4 terrific kids for supporting myself and our team through what is always a long season for them too!

On behalf of everyone  in our basketball program we would like to thank: the parents, fans & alumni who supported us all year, the alumni & students who made it to Toronto & showed the rest of the CIS what BU is all about, everyone in our Athletic Department & all BU administration who provided so much support in our final weeks and dealt with the challenges of our new construction all year.

Best Fans in the CIS! Photos courtesy of Blair Shier...Thx again Blair!

Thursday vs. Ottawa - Overtime

BU        11    24    16    25    9   -   85

OU        19    9     18    30   15  -   91

This was a heartbreaker...might be an understatement! After a nervous and difficult 1st quarter we went on a 22-1 run and turned a significant deficit into a 7 point half time lead. Once we settled in, we managed to get what we wanted on offense and our defense was excellent. Ottawa averages 97 ppg, thus holding them to 9 in a quarter and 28 in a half is special. 

The 3rd quarter got off to a shaky start as we made some unnecessary turnovers that Ottawa capitalized on quickly. They cut the lead to 1 and may have even taken a quick lead. We managed to regain our focus and finished the 3rd quarter up 5. 

We played some good basketball in the 4th, but Ottawa turned up the pressure and managed to trim our lead to 2 with 18 seconds to go...they forced some turnovers and we simply gave the ball away a couple of

Jona 23 pts, 7 assists, 6 rebounds

times. With 10 seconds to go they stole the ball and Kurt Caro drew what looked to me and a lot of other people like an obvious charge which instead turned into the tying points on a blocking call. It was then 76 all and we are headed to OT.

In overtime, Ottawa built an 8 point lead which we cut to 3 with 30 seconds to go, but we could not get any closer. 

We did turn the ball over too many times, some forced, but too many unforced and that ultimately led to our demise. Ottawa did shoot 40 free throws to our 13...that should have been a lot more even. Suffice to say, 2 of the 3 officials in our game were relegated to the consolation side of the draw for the rest of the tournament. That is usually pretty telling. Regardless of anything, our guys played their asses off and deserved better. Our defense was very good, we ran very good offense for the most part and we rebounded the crap out of the ball. We out-rebounded Ottawa by 19 rebounds and in our last 5 games have out-rebounded opponents by an average of about 16 per game.

Jona continued his outstanding play as he had 23 points, 7 assists & 6 rebounds. Big Mike had a career high 18 rebounds to go with 17 points and 4 blocked shots. Karim & Majid had 12 & 10 points respectively. Kyle and Kurt did a great job of making Ottawa's CIS Player of the Year work for every shot and held him to 4 pts below his average. Everyone who touched the floor helped us. 

It was an incredible experience playing in that venue with a LOUD sea of purple supporting us. The game was voted the most exciting of the tournament and the BU crowd had a big part in that. Apparently this game was the most watched single game of any sport on-line in CIS history.

Friday vs. Windsor

BU        18    21    20    21   -   80

UW       23    24    20    24   -   91

The hardest games to play in this tournament are the 2 consolation semi-finals. You had your heart ripped out the night before and your hopes of winning a National Championship are gone. Both teams hoped to be

Big Mike 29 pts in final game

playing on the other side of the draw and this game was very anti-climactic. Regardless, when the ball went up both teams played hard, but certainly not with the same emotion as the night before.

Not a whole lot  of defense in this one. Both teams went up and down the floor and pretty much got what they wanted offensively. Also, both teams played a lot of guys and we managed to get all 12 into the game. Windsor shot incredibly well making 13 of 27 3 point shots. 

Big Mike dominated inside with 29 points as his teammates did a great job of getting him the ball in positions where he could score easily. Jona chipped in with 12. Majid added 8 points & 9 rebounds while Dave had 8 pts and 5 rebounds.

That wraps up this season! We lose some great guys, but recruiting is going well and we are excited about working with a young group next season. 

For our Alumni & Friends of Gaiter Basketball, we hope to see you April 11 for our Celebration of 50 Years of Gaiter Basketball as we honour Garth Smith and Eddie Pomykala. 

All the best and thanks for sharing the success of this season with us!

Rod

3rd Time is a Charm!

RSEQ Final 4...Gaiters Claim 1st Title since 1999!

After losing in the final the last 2 years we finally broke through and defeated McGill in the final 68-63. We played very well for the most part, but managed to squander a 20 point 3rd quarter lead before pulling the game out at the end.

Friday we defeated Laval 76-65 playing our best game of the year to that point...I think we played a little better in the Final though. Our team came together this week after a difficult season that was filled with high expectations. Proud of our guys...they persevered and hung together. They lived, what does not kill us, will make us stronger.

We had strong performances all weekend from Majid, Kyle & Mike. Jona sealed the victory in the final minutes last night. We played 10 guys each night and everyone who stepped on the floor contributed to our success.

It is worth mentioning that our gym was packed and loud despite it being Study Week here at BU. Great community support and our department did a fantastic job organizing this RSEQ Final 4. Everything was 1st class. 

Sorry for the brevity...feels like I have a thousand things to do before we go to Toronto on Tuesday AM. Games begin Thursday. Schedule and seeding to be determined later on Sunday. For more info you can check www.gaiters.ca

I will keep you posted!
Rod

Sr Night Success

Saturday vs.UQAM

BU            25    18    13    29   -   85
UQAM     10    28    11    16   -   65

This was our final league game and Sr night with 7 guys playing in their final regular season game. We had a nice pre-game ceremony and each guy received a fantastic framed action shot taken by and printed by Gaiter alum Blair Shier...many thanks to Blair once again! A win meant we finished in 3rd and a 1st round playoff game with Laval. A loss meant 4th place and facing McGill in the first round. None of that mattered as much as our need to play well heading into to the playoffs.

We were very good at times, but let our guard down in the 2nd quarter giving up 28 points.  We  got re-focused at half time and played some pretty good basketball to  close out the game.

Big Mike  was dominant with 35 points and a few rim rattling dunks. Kyle played his best game in a Gaiter uniform with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. These are 2 guys on our team that no one in our league wants to see get it going at this time of the year! Jamil got the the Sr Night start and was excellent adding 11 points. Majid, who has been playing some very nice all around basketball lately, anchored our defense, scored 8 and grabbed 11 rebounds.

You can read a short synapsis about each of our Seniors at the end of this entry...when you have7 guys leaving the same year the pre-game speeches tend to be a little shorter than usual!

So...what we have been waiting all year for starts on Friday night. We play vs Laval at 8 pm here at BU. We have lost the last 2 to Laval and they could be looked at as a favourite by some to win this weekend. They boast a very athletic and skilled team with 4 former or current league Allstars and a guy who will be the MVP of our league at some point in the coming years. They are formidable and playing pretty well right now. However, I feel good about our team. We have been gradually getting better and starting to hit our stride in many respects. Not a moment too soon!

The Final Four is an RSEQ event that is hosted by Bishop's. The only reserved  tickets can be ordered at:  www.gaiters.ca/tickets 

Hope  to see your here and get your tickets soon!
Rod

Senior Night  Speeches 2015

Karim  Sy-Morissette :  Karim is a former 1st team allstar whose willingness to take on any role and just do whatever the team needs has made him a pleasure to coach. He brings a balance to our team both on and off the court. His maturity and leadership will sorely be missed. 

Kyle Desmarais:  Kyle  is one of the most exciting athletes to play in our league in quite some time. He has the ability to impact the game at both ends of the floor. Truly an exceptional athlete in the transition game and we feel truly honoured & privileged to have had him here for 1 year. 

Majid Naji: Majid has tremendous positive personality with a great sense of humility. He has an unbelievable skill set for a guy who is 6’11. Whatever path he chooses in life after leaving BU, be it professional basketball or joining the work force there is no doubt he will be successful. 

Jamil  Abiad:  Jamil’s perseverence and resilience is something that his teammates rally behind. He brings energy and effort to each practice & game. You get to see his passion for the sport every day. We wish him continued success. 

Patrik Kabongo: PK has been a galvinizing figure and a positive role model. He has always been one to happily volunteer for community outreach and enjoys giving back to the people who support us so well.   He is a tremendous defensive asset to our team, but it his personality and positive energy that we will miss the most. 

Mike Andrews: Mike has had a well decorated career at Bishop’s…twice a 1^st team Allstar, League MVP, CIS All Canadian and a BU Athlete of the Year. He is one of the better big men to ever wear a Gaiter uniform, BU's all time leader in blocked shots and  replacing him will be no easy task.

Matt McLean : Matt embodies what a coachable kid is…hard working, intelligent and unselfish. He has twice been our team’s Most Improved Player and was last season’s team MVP. He is most appreciated within our program because of all the intangibles he brings to our team both on and off the floor. He will  surely be missed next season.

Saturday vs. Laval

BU       21    11    20    17   -   69
UL       20    20    13    25   -   78


We are still struggling to find consistency in our play on both sides of the ball. We can look pretty good for stretches, but then not so good at other times. That combination along with Laval playing pretty well made for a difficult evening. Once again we hurt ourselves with too many fouls which allowed Laval to score 23 points at the foul line. When we can limit needless fouls we will be much tougher to beat.

Jona 18 points

Jona led us with 18 points. Majid has been playing very well the last 2 to 3 weeks and he collected another double-double with 16 points & 12 rebounds to go along with 4 assists and 3 steals. He has really stepped up his game and really pleased to see him finish so strongly as he approaches the final weeks of his CIS career.

This Saturday we play our final regular season game of the RSEQ season vs. UQAM at home. A win ensures that we finish in 3rd place. Regardless, we have qualified for the playoffs and will face either Laval or McGill in the 1st round of the RSEQ Final 4 here at BU on March 6th. At this point the conference is wide open and any of the 4 playoff teams could win our league. Definitely the least predictable playoff in ages in our conference. Saturday is also Senior Night for our graduating players. We will be honouring Matt McLean, Mike Andrews, Patrik Kabongo, Jamil Abiad, Majid Naji, Kyle Desmarais & Karim Sy-Morrisette. 

A note to our Gaiter Basketball Alumni & Friends of Gaiter Basketball, we will be sending out our invitations for the 'A Celebration of 50 Years of Gaiter Basketball'...honoring coaches Garth Smith & Eddie Pomykala  and their era. This event will be held on Saturday April 11th. A detailed invite will be out via email in the coming days.

I will keep you posted,
Rod

Gaiter Weekend Report

Friday vs. Concordia (Overtime)


BU       13   15   21   11     16  -  76
CU       15    7    14   21    12  -  72

As has been the case quite often this year, we look great for stretches, take a lead, relax and wait for the other team to quit. The other team rarely quits and we usually seem to give them a reason for a glimmer of hope that can spur them on!

Majid 19 & 10 on Friday

We played very well the first 25 minutes of this game. We executed at both ends of the floor and took a 19 point lead in the 3rd quarter. In fact, we led by 17 with about 7 minutes to go. However, we took some needless undisciplined fouls early in the 4th quarter which turned into free throw attempts for Concordia in the final 5 minutes. Allowing easy points at the foul line with the clock stopped put Concordia back into the game. Fortunately for us we made some shots in the overtime period and escaped with the win.

Majid was very solid all weekend scoring at the rim and rebounding. He led us this game with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jona provided a spark off the bench with 14 points while Kyle & Mike chipped in with 12 & 11 respectively. Matt was solid as usual scoring 9 and grabbing a game high 11 rebounds.


Saturday vs. McGill

BU       12    9    7   18  -  46
MU      11   10   17  18  -  56

Not putting Concordia away when we had the chance hurt us a bit on Saturday night. McGill's only game of the week was ours and with the overtime situation we ended up playing our key guys more than we wanted to on Friday. Regardless, we played  hard for 40 minutes, but not that all that well. 6 of top guys went a combined 7-43 from the floor which is about 16%. Give McGill's defense some credit, but there were a significant number of very makeable shots in that 43!

Dave... 12 pts & 9 rebounds

After a very tight defensive 1st half McGill took a 15 point lead in the 3rd quarter. We managed to scratch and claw our way back to a 4 point deficit with just under a minute to go. However, they made some timely hoops and we could not convert offensively.

David Belanger had his best game of  the year scoring 12 and collecting 9 rebounds. It was nice to see Dave play with the tenacity he showed Saturday. He is capable of carrying our team for stretches when he has that focus. Kyle struggled all weekend, but managed to score 10.

Our record stands at 7-7 which puts us a half game behind Laval for 2nd place. 1 more win and either a Concordia or  UQAM loss guarantees us a playoff spot.  That is the primary goal right now.  Without a doubt our next game is the most important game of the year...as always!

Saturday we host  Laval and get a chance to avenge blowing a late lead the last time we played them. I  will keep you posted.
Rod

Another Week, Another Split

Friday vs. UQAM

BU             24   19   18   20   -   81
UQAM        18    7    14   18   -   57


We were finally back in the Mitchell Gym on Friday. It was nice to play in a gym where the fans can actually impact the atmosphere again. There was a good crowd and it was very loud at times. Something that was missed.

To the game...we played a very good offensive first quarter and had zero turnovers. It makes it easier to score when you are getting a shot or drawing a foul every time down the floor! Defensively we had some

Big Mike... 23 & 12

lapses, but did a much better job in the 2nd quarter holding UQAM to 7 points. After leading by 18 at the half we managed to push the lead as high as 29 in the second half, but did have some lapses and allowed UQAM to close back to 16 at one point. Regardless, with the exception of a few minutes we were pretty solid.

Big Mike had his best game in a couple of years scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Majid contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds while Kyle added 11 pts and 7 rebounds. Jona was good off the bench as he scored 9 and had 4 steals.

Saturday at UQAM

BU           19   13   15   17   -   64
UQAM      19   15   20   17   -   71

We certainly did not play with the same urgency as the night before and maybe rested a bit on the success we had the evening before...which is ALWAYS a recipe for disaster! Winning back to back in our league is never easy and especially when you are playing the 2nd game on the road. The team that is more disciplined

Jona...solid weekend.

and wants it more usually prevails. That was the case this game as UQAM was able to take control of the game in the 3rd quarter and we were never able to grab the lead again. We had opportunities late, but managed to shoot ourselves in the foot when the opportunities presented themselves.

Kyle led us with 22 pts & 9 rebounds. Jona added 10 points. The telling stat for us was a season low 7 assists. Less than half our league leading average. That pretty much was the tale of the tape so to speak.


That game at UQAM was our final road game of the RSEQ season. We have our final 4 league games at home in Mitchell and host the playoffs here as well. We are not guaranteed a playoff position yet, but we are tied for 2nd place and have the favourable home schedule the rest of the way. We are all hoping this home stand will help provide us with what we need to turn the corner on a season that has been a struggle to this point.

This week....we host Concordia on Friday and McGill on Saturday. I will keep you posted!
Rod

Another Split Weekend

Friday at Laval

BU        21    10    18    23   -   72
UL        14    12    16    15   -   57

This was supposed to be the tougher game to win. However, I think our guys have a comfort level playing in Laval's new gym and there does not seem to be much of a home court advantage from that perspective. We

Matt 15 pts, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

 played pretty solidly at both ends of the floor throughout the game. With the exception of giving up 21 points to Laval off our turnovers it was a nice team effort. We had 4 guys in double figures scoring, we had 24 assists on 29 field goals and out-rebounded Laval by 10.

Matt led us in scoring with 15 points and added 7 rebounds & 4 assists. Karim & Kyle each scored 13 while Jona came off the bench to knock down four 3 pointers for 12 points.



Saturday vs. Laval

BU        16    11    20     8   -   55
UL        14    15    12    16  -   57

Another nice crowd at BU. Impressed with the support we are getting despite the gym situation. Very blessed to have the community support we have. Please keep hanging in...we SHOULD be in Mitchell by next game!!

We had a decent start and weathered some Laval  runs in the 1st half to be in 2 point game. After a shaky beginning to the 3rd quarter we found some momentum that lasted almost 15 minutes. Defensively we held Laval to about 12 points during that stretch scored 24 of our own. The wheels fell off in the final 5 minutes as we just could not score and did not generate any viable offense. We were also dealing with foul trouble as Big Mike fouled out followed by Kyle who picked up his 5th foul while wiping away the defender's hand which was on his hip while driving to the rim. It can be very tough for every team to score in our league at times due to the liberties that the defense are allowed take on offensive players.

Regardless, with 25 seconds to go we were up 55-54. Laval came down and we guarded their initial action before they were able to get into the paint & kick it out for a contested 3 that they knocked down with 7 seconds to go. We were unable to score on our last possession and another tough loss was in the books. The frustrating part was we were one basket away from putting Laval away with about 3 or 4 minutes to go...1 more hoop would have broken them and it would have been a 15 pt win. That is the game though and there is always a lot to learn from it and why you never give up!

Karim...returning to Allstar form!

Despite the result we are in 2nd place tied with Laval with a 5-5 league record. We are getting better each week and are moving closer towards playing to our potential. We are healthier than we have been all season and the rest of our schedule sets up pretty well for us. We should be able to play our first true home game on February 6th (make no mistake, there is difference playing in Mitchell, but it does not guarantee anything!) and 5 of our last 6 games will be in Mitchell along with the RSEQ Final 4.

We have bye week now and do not play again until we face UQAM on February 6th here. Final road game v. RSEQ opponents is February 7th at UQAM.

I will keep you posted!
Rod

Gaiters Split Weekend

Thursday @ Concordia
                                       
BU      18   15   21   19   11   -  84
CU      18   20   23   12   13  -  86

This overtime loss dropped our record to 3-4 in league play and a lot worse overall. Even my 7 year old daughter told me we should have a better record. I could not agree more and it obviously does not take a basketball savant to figure that out. Fortunately, the season is far from over and we will have the opportunity make amends for what has been a pretty disappointing season record wise so far.

Dave Belanger 16 pts on Saturday

I think we played  hard this game and did some things well. However,  Concordia was very comfortable, played well together and confidently hit some tough shots. We were not great and did not play to our capacity, but Concordia earned the win. After spotting Concordia a 14 point lead in the 3rd we battled back to take a 1 point lead in the 4th quarter. Concordia pushed back and held a 3 point lead with 30 seconds to go. We managed to tie the game on a Majid 3 pointer with about 20 seconds to go. Concordia missed a shot to win at the buzzer and we went to overtime. The game was tight again in overtime, but Concordia executed better than us and got the win.

Kyle was fantastic and kept us in the game almost by himself at times. He had 29 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals & 4 assists. Matt had 17 points while Majid contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. We had 23 assists  for  the game, but lost it with 22 turnovers and a few weak defensive efforts in the 3rd quarter.

Saturday vs. Concordia 

BU      11   15   15   18   -   59
CU       6   12   12   10    -   40

This was not the most exciting game played on campus! Combination of the slow tempo and playing in the new gym. The new gym, as currently designed, is a fantastic gym and practice facility, but it certainly lacks the character & energy of the Mitchell gym. Regardless, we very much appreciated the nice sized crowd and their support. We needed the win and that is all that matters.

Karim season high 15 pts

We decided to change things up and we went with a bigger line-up to start and played zone defense. The plan was to not stay in the zone too long, but when you only give up 18 points in the half you can't really change your method!  I don't think the zone is the answer to all our problems, but it was it was effective this night allowing us to stay in control from start to finish.

Dave Belanger led all scorers with 16 and he provided some toughness in the paint. Karim added a season high 15 points while Big Mike chipped in with 13 and 10 rebounds. Some flashes of improvement, but still a lot of things to work on before we can seriously think about knocking off the teams that are ahead of us like McGill and Laval.

Friday we travel to Ste. Foy to play Laval. Saturday we return to campus to play Laval in the back end of the home and home series. 

I will keep you posted!
Rod

Gaiters Drop Two vs. McGill

Thursday at McGill

BU      18    11    30    12  -  71
MU     21    18    17    22  -  78

We had a good week of  practice and had our complete line-up for the first  time  all season. We certainly made gains, but  not  enough to defeat McGill on Thursday.  We were  better  Thursday than over the Christmas Break at Ryerson, but were still inconsistent with effort and execution. Despite  that it was a close game that was tied  with less  than  3 minutes to go and was decided in the final  minutes. We turned the ball over in key situations which McGill capitalized on.

Kyle led us  with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals. Matt added 13 points & 9 rebounds while Big Mike chipped in with 12 points off the bench.

Saturday vs. McGill

BU      14     7    19    19  -  59
MU     18    11   14    19  -  62

It is always disappointing to lose, but when your guys play as hard as our guys  did you can take some solace in the fact that they have the heart to compete at a championship level. Our  guys battled every possession and the game was  pretty much a war. The officials  were certainly tested as the physicality of the game, speed of play and level of intensity was high.

The game was as close as the score would indicate. The game was tied or the lead changed a total of 8 times in the final 3 minutes. Unfortunately McGill knocked down a contested 3 point shot with 4 seconds to go to break the tie and win the game. We got a decent look to tie the game with a second to go, but the shot was off the mark.

Despite the loss, it was the best 40 minutes of defensive basketball we have played all year. We are still not playing at the capacity we are capable of playing at, but we are making strides with the core of our roster back & playing. Still working out some kinks on both sides of the ball.

Kyle was outstanding again as his game is rounding into shape. He had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Jona provided a scoring spark adding 14 points. He was also very good in the Thursday game vs. McGill.

Thursday we are Concordia for an 8 pm start and then return back to BU on Saturday to face the Stingers again. Last week at BU we played in the new gym. It  is a fantastic gym and practice facility, but it certainly does not have the atmosphere the Mitchell Gymnasium. Looking forward to getting back into our own gym at  some point in the near future!

I will keep you posted!
Rod

Holiday Games @ Ryerson

December 28th vs. Mohawk College @ Ryerson

BU       25    25    23    25  -  98
MC      24    26    23    26  -  99

Well this was a classic game of 2 teams who did not play defense. We got whatever we wanted offensively and they have some offensively talented guys who really put on some impressive individual performances. Mohawk showed why many think that they are a strong contender to win a CCAA championship this year, but it would have been nice if we could have had a better defensive performance.

As you can tell by the line score the game was close throughout. Each team scored on all of their final 3 possessions of the game. Just worked out that Mohawk had the last shot and scored  a pull-up jumper with 3 seconds to go for the win. 

We had multiple players score in double figures, but we did not have any strong defensive performances to speak of.

December 29th vs. #3  Ryerson

BU      22   10    5   23  -  60
RU      20   24   31  22  -  97

December 30th vs. #3 Ryerson

BU     15   12   14   16  -  57
RU     16   31   26   25  -  98

Ryerson is the #3 ranked team in the CIS and rightly so. They finished the 1st semester with a couple decisive losses to #1 Carleton  & #2 Ottawa. Everyone expected those games to be closer and I would bet the coaches really had their players attention for the month of December! They were very impressive in both the games we played and simply put, we got kicked. I cannot imagine them playing much better and I can only hope we will learn from this.

We played well in the 1st quarter in both games, but that does not count for much. We did not have great individually performances to speak of in either game.

Really want to thank the friends, family and alumni who came out to support us in Toronto. Your support as always is appreciated.


Thursday we are at McGill to face the Redmen at 8pm. On Saturday we play our first home game of the year on the Bishop's campus somewhere...don't know what gym we will be playing in! Don't ask me anything about our Sports Centre as I won't have the answer...unfortunately!! (insert sigh here)

Happy New Year and I hope to see you at our games in the next 10 weeks!
Rod