MBB | Alberta holds off MRU

WINNIPEG – The No. 7 seed Alberta Golden Bears and No. 10 seed Mount Royal Cougars kicked off the inaugural 12-team Canada West Playoff Tournament in style, going back and forth in a contest that came down to the final ten seconds. 

Trailing by as much as 21 in the third quarter, the Cougars fought back, draining eight triples in the final ten minutes, while cutting the Golden Bears’ lead to as little as two with ten seconds to play.

At the line, Lars Ishimwe missed both free throws for Alberta, but fellow fifth-year Adam Paige grabbed the board, and sunk both, as the Golden Bears survived a scare with a 97-93 win.

“We were up early and got a little lackadaisical. Mount Royal fought to get it to a one possession game. Every possession matters. I was talking to the other guys, saying if we miss this free throw we’re getting the offensive rebound no matter what,” said Paige. 

“We missed it and I got a little box out and snatched the rebound. Every possession matters.”

Paige finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists, while fellow fifth-years Brandon Meiklejohn and Ishimwe combined for 42 points.

Mount Royal was led by dynamic duo Kevonte Watts and Holt Tomie. Watts tied the single-game Cougars playoff record with 35 points, while Tomie had a double-double with 21 points and 13 assists.

“There was really no pressure. We’ve been down before,” added Watts. “We put it in our heads one possession at a time. We were relentless wanting to come back.”

The Golden Bears started the first five minutes off on an 18-2 run, thanks to three triples from the school’s all-time three-points leader in Meiklejohn. Four steals in the opening quarter led to transition buckets and open playmakers, which including Meiklejohn.

Mount Royal finished the back half of the first with 16 points, and trimmed Alberta’s lead to as little as seven, thanks to five triples in the first half, and a 55.6 percent overall efficiency.

Cougars All-Star and leading scorer Watts led the charge, scoring 15 points in the first half. His speed in the half court and aggressiveness led to multiple buckets for a Cougars side that shot 55.2 percent from the field.

Tomie, the leading scorer in school history, added nine points, four assists and three rebounds.

The second quarter was a back and forth slugfest, with 15 different players scoring a bucket.

The highlight came from Alberta’s Ethan Egert, who threw the ball from one side of the court to the other for a buzzer-beater three to end the half, giving the Golden Bears a 53-40 lead at halftime. Isaac Simon provided depth and energy, with six points and two steals.

Alberta opened up a lead of as much as 21 in the third, getting multiple triples from Isaac Simon, who had eight points in the frame, while the Golden Bears shot 41 percent from beyond the arc overall.

Cue the fourth quarter heroics from MRU. 

Tomi scored ten in the fourth, including a person 10-0 run, while Watts and Mauwen Mauweun also hit threes. 

With the Golden Bears in the bonus late, they got to the line, cueing up the late rebound and free throws from Paige to seal the deal.

Alberta will face provincial rival Calgary in the quarterfinals tomorrow at 1 pm CT.