BU rides win streak into clash with TWU

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This article was published 24/11/2023 (718 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This Bobcats men’s basketball season has not been for the faint of heart — it’s a good thing Eli Ampofo’s cardio is elite.

The fourth-year guard averaged more than 35 minutes and 19 points per game on Brandon University’s five-game winning streak.

The Bobcats (5-1) are looking to extend it as the Canada West season continues against the Trinity Western Spartans (1-3) at the Healthy Living Centre tonight at 8 p.m.

Ampofo, who’s known for his relentless work ethic and 5 a.m. summer workouts, is a massive reason why the Bobcats sit second in the conference after losing their two best players to professional teams before the regular season.

“I was just trying to get better because I wanted to have a big year,” Ampofo said. “I knew I was going to have a bigger role on the team this year with guys pursuing pro contracts. I just wanted to be able to help this team win and for myself, I have big goals and aspirations and know what’s required to get there.

“The biggest thing that’s different from last year is the ball is moving a bit more this year. Everyone’s trusting the pass. There isn’t one guy that’s like ‘I want to do it myself.’ There’s nothing like that. Everyone is trusting the pass and understanding that everyone’s going to eat.”

Bobcats head coach Gil Cheung doesn’t overlook the Milton, Ont., product’s commitment to the program.

“Kids like Eli and Travis (Hamberger), you always talk about grit and toughness, that’s grit and toughness. You’ve been here five years now with the COVID year,” Cheung said. “Didn’t look to transfer, didn’t look for an easier route. He put in the work and it might not happen after a week, two weeks or a year. He’s one of the top scorers in Canada West, he’s always been one of the best defenders and it’s finally starting to kick in.”

He added, “A lot of kids quit before they get to that point. A lot of kids will blame other people. A lot of kids will look for the easy way out. That’s one thing I would love my two boys to learn from him is it might not happen today, might not happen tomorrow, but all that patience, that grind is starting to pay dividends.”

BU certainly isn’t blowing teams out. Save for a 26-point win to split with Manitoba on opening weekend, the Bobcats won their last four games by a combined 16 points, coming from behind twice.

Cheung says that’s just the way this league is. You will hear the Bobcats often say “A win is a win,” acknowledging they aren’t all pretty, but they’re all worth the same value in the standings.

They feel a whole lot better than the moral victories Ampofo settled for earlier in his career with a team which seemed to lose all the close ones.

“I preach the same message to my guys every day: It’s just staying together,” Ampofo said. “Basketball’s funny, every single possession is a new game. They’re going to make a run, we’re going to make a run, but the best teams are able to execute down the stretch and get a win out.

“They’re able to get a win at the end of the day and we’ve been able to do that. That shows we’re a more veteran team, we have good leadership and we understand how to win games.”

The way Brandon wins games is by running. The way TWU wants to win is the same. Cheung believes the Spartans play faster than the Bobcats, who are averaging 87.7 ppg, second only to the red-hot Victoria Vikes at 97.

Trinity Western hasn’t lit up the scoreboard yet, but after splitting the Thompson Rivers WolfPack, they lost a pair to the first-place Regina Cougars.

The Spartans should be fresh off their bye week and ready to take advantage of some mismatches. For one, six-foot-five guard David Mutabazi (18.3 ppg) is a tough check for Brandon’s smaller guards, and the Bobcats simply don’t have anyone who measures up to six-foot-11 Connor Platz. The third-year centre is averaging 12 ppg while leading Canada West at 12.3 rebounds per contest.

BU wants to go at Platz early and hopefully put him in foul trouble or risk giving up way too many second-chance opportunities.

TOUGH CHALLENGE

AWAITS BU WOMEN

The Bobcat women (0-6) kick off tonight’s action at 6 p.m. against the 4-0 Spartans.

TWU has grinded out four wins without scoring fewer than 64 or more than 66 points, while the Bobcats are trying to bounce back from losses by about as many points to the Calgary Dinos a week ago.

On Saturday, the women play at 5 p.m., with the men following at 7 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

OFF TO WINNIPEG

The BU volleyball teams continue their proverbial road trip with a weekend set against the Wesmen at the Duckworth Centre.

The men are tied for third place at 5-3, though Winnipeg is ranked fourth in the country.

It’s a different story for the Bobcat and Wesmen women, who are 0-8 and 1-7, respectively.

Next weekend, BU returns home to host the Fraser Valley Cascades before the semester break.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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