Busy Year End for Gaiter Hoops

A Celebration of 50 Years of Gaiter Basketball...the Smith & Pomykala Years

       This past Saturday we  had our inaugural Gaiter Basketball Alumni spring weekend. We wanted to start the tradition of a basketball themed weekend and felt the best way to kick this tradition off was by honouring the two coaches who built the program here at BU for 50 years...Garth Smith & Eddie Pomykala.  

Former Gaiters from the Class of '62 to '15!!

         It was a fantastic weekend that brought together different generations of former Gaiters and the concept was very well received by all. Saturday afternoon included a tour of the new facility followed by 3-3 basketball that included players from the class of ’67 to the class of 2015. It was good natured & semi-competitive fun. It was great to see such a variety of players on the floor together. The evening was a banquet at the Cleghorn Room highlighted by speeches about Garth & Eddie from Butch Staples and Warren Newberry respectively. This was also an opportunity for everyone in our Gaiter basketball family to recognize the accomplishments of this year’s team. 

Great fellowship  at the Cleghorn!

        Alumni stay tuned...we are planning to run our event on Saturday April 2nd of next year as that will coincide with NCAA Final 4, but will not  conflict with Easter!! I would like thank  everyone who made such a great effort to be here...we had alumni from as far away as Florida and Victoria, BC!!

















Supper at Principal Goldbloom's! 

After a busy and entertaining Saturday our team was invited by Michael Goldbloom and his wife Fiona over to their home for dinner on Sunday to celebrate our RSEQ Championship season. This does not happen at every school and the offer was very much appreciated...especially since there are few guys on our team who would ever turn down a free meal!! 

It was extremely nice gesture by Michael & Fiona and we had a great time! 










BU Athletic Awards Night Review


Sr Captain Kyle Desmarais took home the hardware this past Wednesday as he was named not only Team MVP,  but also the Bishop's University Athlete of the Year. A nice way to finish off his CIS career!


Sr Majid Naji took home the Michel Fontaine Memorial Award as the team's Most Improved Player. Majid really improved at the defensive end of the floor and became a consistent rebounder for us this year. 


Mathew van Doorn was named the Bradley Jones Award winner as our Rookie of the Year. Mathew was in a difficult position with so many veteran player ahead of him, but he managed to show well when he got the opportunity.


Sr Jamil Abiad was named the Garth Smith - Team Award winner. Jamil was a patient & persistent role player on our team who was always ready to contribute on the floor or support his teammates!

Stay tuned for recruiting updates in the coming weeks!
Rod
 

 

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