The Calgary Dinos men’s basketball team defeated the Ryerson Rams 98-87 on March 19 in a semifinal match-up to advance to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Final 8 Championship.
The fourth-seeded Calgary started the game strong, led by guard Thomas Cooper, first team All-Canadian and runner up for CIS player of the year. Cooper scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in just the opening quarter, propelling the Dinos to a 27-13 lead going into the second. The Rams had no answer for Cooper, shooting just 28.6 per cent to start the game and missing on all 12 long distance attempts in the first.
“Someway, somehow, Cooper got started early,” said Rams coach Patrick Tatham. “He just made championship plays.”
“For me personally, I just wanted to come out and get a good start,” Cooper said. “I feel like a few guys were nervous, so it helped my team get a good energy.”
The Rams improved in the second with guard Adika Peter-McNeilly taking the reigns of the offence. However, a technical foul on the Ram’s coach with just under three minutes left in the half gave the Dinos a double-digit lead. Cooper hit a three to give the Dinos them the biggest lead of the game at 16, but that was when the Ryerson Rams came charging back.
Rams guard Ammanuel Diressa had back-to-back three point plays, scoring 13 in the quarter, and cut the lead to just six. Jhony Verrone of the Dinos hit a three to beat the halftime buzzer, and the Dinos lead 47-38 going into the half.
“They started running downhill on us in transition,” said Dinos coach Dan Vanhooren said about the second quarter. “They’re a pretty tough match-up athletically.”
Cooper continued his strong play into the third, hitting a contested triple to give the Dinos a double-digit lead yet again, with six minutes remaining in the quarter. The Rams responded with a thunderous and-1 dunk by forward Kadeem Green. The two teams stayed close throughout the quarter. Jasdeep Gill of the Dinos hit three triples in the quarter to widen Calgary’s gap, and the Dinos went into the final quarter up 71-61.
“Huge threes, timely threes,” Cooper said on Gill’s big showing off the bench. “As soon as [Ryerson] was making a run, [Gill] would hit one every time.”
The Rams opened up the final quarter with a Peter-McNeilly triple and started to mount their comeback. A pair of free throws by Rams guard Aaron Best put the Rams within five points with under five minutes to go, but Calgary was un-relentless attacking the basket, and regained control of the game before long. The Rams did everything they could, but the Dino’s solid guard play let them come out on top.
Shooting guards Cooper and Diressa going at it was the match-up of the game, with Cooper dropping 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Diressa put up 20 points.
Vanhooren had nothing but praise for Cooper after the game.
“He’s a leader, he brings a level of confidence to the guys. He’s a great offensive player that creates shots for other guys, and from a rebounding perspective, he’s been a huge help,” he said.
Dinos point guard David Kapinga also had a huge showing, with 26 points, six assists and six rebounds, and Jasdeep Gill added 23 off the bench.
“We just followed Thomas’ lead, he started us off on fire and we never looked back,” Gill said. “My teammates and coaches trusted me all year to knock down those shots, so when the groove started, we were just rolling.”
Peter-McNeilly was the other star for the Rams, putting up 22 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort, while his teammate Kadeem Green double-doubled with 15 points and 10 boards.
“I don’t think our guys have anything to be disappointed in,” Tatham said. “Yes it was a close game, but give it up for Calgary. It was a great game, it’s been a great year. We made some history at school, and we’ll see them next year.”
The difference between the two team’s benches was clear, with the Dino’s second unit outscoring the Rams’ by 25 points.
The Dinos will play against the Carleton Ravens on March 20 in the finals for the W.P. McGee trophy.
“Carleton is a good program with numerous championships, so we have to go get ready for them quick,” Cooper said. “We can’t celebrate too long.”
