It might not be March anymore, but the University of Saskatchewan Huskies proved the madness continues in April.
In the first game of the U Sports men’s basketball national championship on Friday, the eighth-seeded Huskies upset the first-seeded Brock Badgers with a thrilling 77-73 win, turning tournament brackets upside down within two hours of the first tip-off of the weekend in Edmonton, Alta.
Saskatchewan, which took home bronze in Canada West and changed head coaches just three weeks ago, used a dominant first quarter to emerge with the win. The Huskies ran up a 22-9 tally in the first 10 minutes and led by as much as 16 points four minutes into the second quarter.
With the win, the Huskies advance to the final four and will face the winner of the second quarterfinal game between the Queen’s Gaels and Dalhousie Tigers.
“Words can’t describe it, man,” said Saskatchewan guard Marquavian Stephens, who led the Huskies with 19 points. “It took a lot, a lot of hard work. We had some hard-fought games.”
The win toppled the juggernaut Badgers, picked by many to win the national championship. Brock finished the regular season 14-1 and won the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship for the first time since 1992.
“There’s not a whole lot you can tell a team after their dreams get shattered,” said Brock head coach Willy Manigat, who played for the Carleton Ravens and previously served as an assistant coach there.
While the Badgers climbed back in the second half and took their first lead of the game with seconds left in the third quarter, the game remained tight in the fourth. Brock led 73-72 with 29 seconds left; Saskatchewan took their final lead with six seconds left and never looked back.
“When you’re at this stage, you can’t afford a quarter and a half of basically playing the worst basketball of your life. That’s for the preseason,” Manigat said. “Everyone in that locker room wants that first half back.”
Former Raven forward Tajinder Lall led the Badgers with 26 points and 37 minutes on the court. Guard Kascius Small-Martin posted 23 points.
Brock will be moving into the consolation bracket, where they’ll face the loser of Dalhousie and Queen’s at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
