Last weekend marked the conclusion of the ACAC season, and I traveled to Caronport, SK, to watch the games. You might wonder why the Alberta College Championship was held in Caronport. The Briercrest men were hosting the event because they secured the #1 seed in the south division, and being they are the only Saskatchewan school in the ACAC, I figured I should venture down and take in the action.
The weekend kicked off with a fantastic banquet and celebration to honor all the award winners for the season.
THURSDAY - QUARTERFINALS
Quarterfinal #1
St Mary's 93 - Lakeland 81
St. Mary's (#2 South) and Lakeland (#3 North) kicked off the weekend's games. St. Mary's big three took control early and never looked back. The hot shooting of Caleb Jibb (5th; Calgary, AB), the new ACAC all-time leading scorer, led the way. His teammate, Brock Dewsberry (5th; Raymond, AB), who is now the #3 ACAC all-time leading scorer, played skillfully and punished Lakeland from all over the court. Additionally, big man Pelumi Ajayi (4th; Calgary, AB) brought a lot of energy and grit to the game, showcasing several impressive dunks that left Lakeland with little chance to respond.
Quarterfinal #2
Keyano 87 - Lethbridge 84
The defending national champions, Keyano (#1 North), appeared stunned as Lethbridge (#4 South) focused strongly on defense, determined to pull off an upset. With Colston Lake ( 4th; Eagle, ID) and Levi Balderson (1st; Welling, AB) hitting key shots, Lethbridge entered halftime with a 13-point lead. In the fourth quarter, Keenan Miller (4th; Columbia, MO) stepped up and led his team to victory.
Quarterfinal #3
Briercrest 93 - Concordia 84
Similar to Lethbridge, Concordia started strong in the first quarter, surprising the home crowd. Concordia guard Yaadvir Dhaliwal (5th; Sacramento, CA) scored frequently, but Briercrest remained composed and gradually narrowed the gap. By the second quarter, Briercrest had taken the lead and never surrendered. The depth of Briercrest was evident, as Owen Shepperd-Hills (2nd Year; Saskatoon, SK) led the team with 16 points off the bench.
Quarterfinal #4
NAIT 80 - SAIT 67
In what I anticipated would be the best game of the opening round, both teams battled hard for the first 10 minutes, ending the first quarter in a draw. However, NAIT took the lead in the second quarter and never looked back. The Ooks executed an excellent game plan, keeping SAIT out of the paint, and SAIT struggled to score, finishing the evening with a dismal 2-for-19 from three-point range.
FRIDAY - SEMIFINALS
Consolation Semi #1
Lakeland 76 - Lethbridge 70
Lethbridge came out strong and determined to upset Lakeland. First-year guard Levi Balderson hit challenging shots and put pressure on the team. However, Lakeland eventually found its rhythm, with guard Chance Samuel (3rd; Douglasville, GA) making an impressive 5 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc. All five starters for Lakeland played over 30 minutes as the team advanced in the tournament.
Consolation Semi #2
SAIT 76 - Concordia 73
This was a hard-fought game with significant momentum swings. SAIT entered halftime with a 6-point lead, and despite Concordia's best efforts in the second half, they couldn't overcome the deficit. The key difference in this game was SAIT's substantial rebounding advantage, highlighted by Killian Yopa's (2nd; Leon, France) impressive performance, which included 18 rebounds.
Semi-Final #1
Keyano 88 - St. Mary's 82
The rematch of last year's gold medal game lived up to expectations. Keyano had a game plan to contain Jibb, while Pelumi Ajayi did everything possible to give St. Mary's an early lead. Keyano fought back, using a strong performance in the third quarter to start pulling ahead. St. Mary's desperately sought a way to secure their ticket to nationals but ultimately fell short. Keyano was led offensively by Nahshon Hurst (5th; Markham, ON), who recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds. However, it was Keenan Miller's two-way play that made a significant impact, as he scored 16 points and took on the responsibility of guarding Jibb.
Semi #2
Briercrest 93 - NAIT 88
NAIT started the game strong, building a 13-point lead by halftime. The duo of Omar Farah (1st; Edmonton, AB) and Peter-Aluk Deng (1st; Edmont, AB) made tough shots from all over the floor. However, the second half was dominated by Francis Dogani (5th; Menifee, CA), who finished with 30 points. His teammate, Carter Waind (2nd; Kirkland, QC), also played a crucial role, hitting key three-pointers in the fourth quarter and finishing with 27 points.
SATURDAY - Finals
Consolation Final
SAIT 80 - Lakeland 68
Both teams hoped for better outcomes over the weekend, but they took to the court one last time this season in search of a victory. SAIT had the advantage in depth and used it to wear down Lakeland, who was playing their third game in three days. Lakeland was led by Chance Samuel, who scored 18 points, while Ryan Dekleva (1st; Kelowna, BC) led SAIT with 19 points.
BRONZE MEDAL
St Mary 105 - NAIT 93
St. Mary came out strong, setting a blistering pace by scoring 54 points in the first half. NAIT tried to keep up, but they struggled to match that speed. This match celebrated the culmination of two of the greatest careers in ACAC history. Brock Dewsberry scored 35 points, solidifying his position as the #3 all-time leading scorer in ACAC history. His teammate, Caleb Jibb, contributed 32 points with an impressive 5-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Jibb finishes his ACAC career as the all-time leading scorer and holds the record for the most three-pointers made, finishing with 40 more than the next closest player.
Winning the bronze medal is bittersweet for this duo. Alongside their incredible individual accolades, they secured two ACAC silver medals and this year's bronze in the last three seasons. Unfortunately, none of these achievements earned them a trip to the CCAA nationals, meaning the rest of the country never got to witness their incredible talent on that stage.
GOLD MEDAL
**Briercrest 79 - Keyano 73**
The final was an exciting matchup as the #3 team in the country, Briercrest, faced the defending national champions, Keyano. Both teams were already set to head to Quebec for nationals, thanks to the ACAC granting a wild card before the season began. Briercrest started strong, igniting the atmosphere in front of an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd of 800 students, family, and friends in the 'Hanger.' They took a commanding lead of 20-8 after the first quarter, while Keyano appeared to struggle from their previous night's intense battle against St. Mary's.
However, Keyano was determined to fight back and narrow the lead, which they accomplished, reducing it to just 6 points by halftime. Keenan Caribou (4th; Pukatawagan, MB) played a significant role in this comeback, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the second quarter. The remainder of the game saw both teams exchanging baskets, but Keyano was never able to close the gap to within more than 3 points.
Omeechi Williams (4th; Hamilton, ON) made a strong contribution for Keyano, finishing the game with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Jude Shepperd-Hills (5th; Saskatoon, SK) led Briercrest with 20 points. Ultimately, Briercrest claimed their first ACAC Men's Basketball title in school history.
Overall, the weekend was an incredible showcase for Briercrest College and the ACAC. Briercrest hosted an event that ran seamlessly from start to finish. I genuinely hope the community considers supporting a bid to bring the national championships to Caronport, SK, as I believe Saskatchewan will rally to support the event.
The basketball was outstanding, and every team demonstrated why I have such a passion for and promote the ACAC. The level of play continues to improve, with players exhibiting exceptional skills and smooth performances. I look forward to helping more athletes achieve their dreams of playing beyond high school, and I know the ACAC is an excellent environment for both basketball and education.
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