The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees fell to a disappointing finish in this year’s national tournament, getting swept aside by the University of Alberta Golden Bears 75-88. With the victory, the Golden Bears finished fifth in U Sports Nationals, with the Gee-Gees finishing sixth.
Star guard Calvin Epistola had a tough night in his last game for the Gee-Gees, shooting five of 13 from the field, and a measly two of eight from three point range. The team as a whole shot 10 of 31, a total of 32 per cent from three.
“In Canada, you got to remember these, these kids pay tuition and the kids make a lot of sacrifices and parents make a lot of sacrifices financially so that they can play this sport. It was really special, it’s really special.” – James Derouin, coach University of Ottawa
Despite the struggles, coach James Derouin was full of positive things to say about the graduating senior.
“You just see if you’re a good kid and you put your head down, how good you can get,” he said. “Look at his stats. Every year, it gets better, every single year, in almost every category, all the way to a first-team all-Canadian from like a little backup rookie. It’s pretty impressive.”
It was a night for the seniors, with both Alberta and Ottawa’s subs getting shout-outs from the announcer as they were all subbed off together. Sean Stoqua took his final bow for the Gee-Gees, while Ivan Ikomey, Dwan Williams and Brody Clarke donned their jerseys for the final time for Alberta.
“I asked the announcers to sort of do something a little extra there just because sometimes the fans don’t see it or hear it or right,” said Derouim. “And [the referees] were gracious enough to sort of hold the game. I thought that a really classy move.”
Alberta gave a much better shooting performance, powered by clinical jump shooting from Epistola’s match-up Ikomey. The guard, who averaged 5.4 points on the regular season, had a career night in the consolation final, scoring 21 points and hitting five three pointers. The team as a whole shot better than the Gee-Gees from range, shooting 42 per cent on the night.
This was nothing out of the ordinary for a team who has been shooting 41 per cent from range on the season, and the Gee-Gee’s defensive set-up, doubling the Golden Bear’s front-court star Clarke, meant Alberta were able to move the ball out and get a lot of open shots, according to Derouin.
Like Ikomey, Clarke enjoyed his final game more than his competitor’s, still managing to have a big night despite the double team, scoring 16 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and getting 2 blocks to his name.
With the season coming to a close, Derouin congratulated his team on a “successful season.”
“In Canada, you got to remember these, these kids pay tuition and the kids make a lot of sacrifices and parents make a lot of sacrifices financially so that they can play this sport. It was really special, it’s really special.”
Feature image provided.
