Five players scored in double-figures to lead the McMaster Marauders to a 95-86 victory over the York Lions men's basketball team in the Ontario University Athletics Wilson Cup Championship on Saturday night at a sold-out Tait McKenzie Centre. Both teams will go on to compete in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport National Championship beginning Thursday in Halifax (see schedule below).
Meanwhile, the women's basketball Lions ended their season Sunday with a win over the Saskatchewan Huskies to claim the CIS Consolation Championship in Fredericton.
Right: York's Tut Ruach drives to the basket in the OUA Wilson Cup Championship (photo by Andrew Craig)
The opening half of the men's final was marked by a series of scoring runs from both teams. The Lions started the game on an 8-0 run behind a pair of quick threes by Amde Evans. Following an early timeout, McMaster exploded by scoring the next 14 points, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers. With less than three seconds remaining in the half the Marauders scored a long three-pointer for a 40-38 halftime lead.
McMaster began the second half on a 6-0 run, extending their lead until York's Tut Ruach hit a long three-pointer to bring the Lions to within three early in the half, however, back-to-back threes by the Marauders extended their lead to 11.
York's Dan Eves, Jordan Foebel and Ruach all scored 20 points apiece for the Lions. Eves added six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Foebel added a game-high 14 rebounds and three blocks.
The Lions shot only 55 per cent from the foul line and committed 20 turnovers, hampering their efforts at a comeback.
The seventh-ranked York Lions women's basketball team wrapped up the 2006 CIS National Championship with a 68-60 upset victory over the number-one ranked Saskatchewan Huskies in the consolation final on Sunday afternoon in Fredericton. After losing to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the opening game of the finals, the Lions defeated McMaster to reach the consolation final.
Brenan Rurak (right), scored a game-high 20 points for the Lions, while Laura MacCallum finished with 18 points, five steals and three assists. MacCallum was also 8-of-10 from the foul line and helped cement the win, going 6-of-7 from the line in the final two minutes. Saskatchewan held an early 12-5 lead before York responded with 11-0 run midway through the opening half. The lead would change three times in the period before an 8-0 run gave the Lions a 30-27 halftime advantage.
Rurak would find the hot hand in the second, scoring 15 of her 20 points, while connecting on 6-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from three-point range. York stretched the lead to 12 early in the half before Saskatchewan utilized a full-court press, cutting the lead to four. Some timely three-pointers from Rurak restored the Lions lead, while clutch free-throw shooting from MacCallum and first-year guard Reanne Holden sealed the victory.
"This was a gritty performance by our team," said York head coach Bill Pangos. "Our defense was exceptional again, as it has been all season."
The 2005-06 season was one the most successful years for the women's basketball program at York. The Lions finished the regular season in first place in the OUA East Division with a record of 19-3. The Lions dominated the OUA East with a perfect 14-0 record and were 4-2 in the playoffs, including a 2-1 record at the CIS National Championship.
"I couldn't ask for a better group of athletes," said Pangos. "We will start to get ready for next year in a couple weeks and we'll use this experience to get better."
York's Marlon Nangle (left) captured gold in the triple jump for the second straight year at the 2006 CIS National Track and Field Championships in Saskatoon.
Nangle won the event with a jump of 15.07 metres, beating out Bill Woods (14.55m) of Queen's and Darl Edwards (14.53m) of Windsor. Nangle established a new school record in the triple jump with a performance of 15.30 metres at the York Classic in February. He settled for bronze at the OUA Championship after being hampered by an achilles injury.
York's Anthony Garber also reached the podium, capturing bronze in the 60 metre dash with a time of 6.81. Ibrahim Meite of Sherbrooke won gold in a time of 6.75, while Alberta's Neville Wright finished with a silver medal, running a time of 6.77. Garber won gold at this year's OUA Championship and earned a silver at the 2005 CIS National Championships.
The Windsor Lancers won both the women's and men's team championships.
CIS men's basketball championship schedule
(All times Local/Atlantic Time; seeding in brackets)
Thursday, March 16
- 6pm Game #1: Wilfrid Laurier (10) vs. Cape Breton (7)
- 8pm Game #2: Saskatchewan (9) vs. York (8)
Friday, March 17
- 11am Consolation (9th place): Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2
- 1pm Quarter-final #1: UQAM (6) vs. Carleton (3)
- 3pm Quarter-final #2: Winner Game #1 vs. UBC (2)
- 6pm Quarter-final #3: McMaster (5) vs. StFX (4)
- 8pm Quarter-final #4: Winner Game #2 vs. Victoria (1) (Live on The Score)
Saturday, March 18
- 11:30am Consolation #1
- 1:30pm Consolation #2
- 6:30pm Semi-final #1 (Live on The Score)
- 9pm Semi-final #2 (live on The Score)
Sunday, March 19
- 1pm Consolation final (5th place)
- 4pm Championship final (live on The Score)