Calgary bounces back to split Brandon
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Dan Vanhooren was far from impressed when his defending champion Calgary Dinos dropped one to the Brandon University Bobcats on Friday.
He made sure there’d be no weekend sweep. The veteran head coach said it came down to two simple things, effort and energy, which his group displayed on Saturday in an 82-67 triumph at the Healthy Living Centre.
“You don’t get any breaks if you don’t play with effort and energy. (Friday), we didn’t play with any mental energy or any physical energy and our effort was poor in both those regards,” Vanhooren said.
Brandon University's Malik Brown drives against the Calgary Dinos during their Canada West men's basketball game at the Healthy Living Centre on Saturday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“Brandon shot the ball well and we found ourselves down by 18 or 20. We deserved what we got.
“(Saturday), we played with effort and energy and gave ourselves an opportunity.”
The Bobcats dropped to 3-3 on the Canada West men’s basketball season, while the Dinos improved to 3-1.
On the Bobcats’ side, rookie forward Arjun Hehar felt his team got a little too slow and wasn’t able to find the open looks it typically gets in transition.
Brandon only scored four fast-break points. But overall, a split against a top-tier U of C team is acceptable for BU.
“We’re adjusting well. We’re a young team,” Hehar said. “The main way we’ve adjusted is we’re confident. Our teammates give us confidence, our coach gives us confidence, so we’re not afraid.”
Both teams started slow, tied 9-9 through the first five minutes. Then, Calgary turns stops into scores on the other end for an 8-0 run.
Sultan Bhatti hit two free throws and Munroop Gill added a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, but BU still trailed 20-14 through 10 minutes.
The Bobcats wasted no time sending the Dinos on free trips to the free-throw line, hitting five fouls for the quarter just four minutes in.
They didn’t slow down once Calgary was in the penalty.
Bhatti picked up a dumb foul after a rebound, then a technical after the play to hit four fouls less than 17 minutes into the game.
Right after that, Calgary hit a pair of threes to stretch its lead to 47-27.
Brandon committed 11 fouls in the quarter, and Calgary made 13 of 17 free throws to lead 51-35 at halftime.
The Bobcats kept pace in the third quarter, but that isn’t good enough to overcome a double-digit deficit.
Gill carried the Bobcat offence with three floaters, but they matched the Dinos by hitting just seven of 16 shots to head into the fourth down 68-51.
Hehar said Bhatti’s absence made a difference.
Brandon University's Max Winters looks to shoot against the Calgary Dinos during their Canada West men's basketball game at the Healthy Living Centre on Saturday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“He’s our most consistent player. He’s been here for five years. You can look at his resume, CEBL, all-Canadian; he’s the backbone of the team. When you lose your backbone, it’s tough to regroup,” Hehar said.
“We did regroup in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. You can see the impact he had with four fouls coming back in; we instantly started playing better.”
Hehar and Malik Brown hit threes to cut the Calgary lead to 13, but Brandon was unable to further narrow the gap.
While Bhatti helped the offence flow, he only hit one of 11 field-goal attempts and was essentially a pylon on defence to avoid fouling out.
The Dinos were able to bleed out the clock, as Martynas Sabaliauskas finished with a game-high 18 points, while Gill led the Bobcats with 17.
Calgary hauled down 50 rebounds to Brandon’s 31, and it shot 43.8 per cent from the field while limiting BU to 36.8.
Brandon has now won its first game and lost the second each of the three regular-season weekends.
Both teams need to make adjustments before the rematch in this conference, and Vanhooren was happy with his team’s response.
“Our group’s a good group of kids. They want to do well, they listen and they responded,” he said. “We have some reasonable leadership in the locker room as well. As that grows, there’s some intangibles that will be there for us down the stretch.
“I’m pleased with (Saturday’s) effort and the growth that we had from this weekend. It’s tough to win road games in this conference.”
The Bobcats visit the Alberta Golden Bears next weekend, while the BU volleyball teams host the Manitoba Bisons.
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com
» Instagram: @thomasfriesen5