March 13, 2011

Photo credit Nick Pearse

HALIFAX (CIS) – The Lakehead University Thunderwolves overcame a late eight-point deficit to edge the hometown Dalhousie Tigers 84-80 in the consolation final for fifth place at the CIS men’s basketball championship, Sunday morning, at the Halifax Metro Centre.
 
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mbkb
 
The T-Wolves, who came into the tournament as the fourth seed after capturing the first OUA title in program history, improve from a seventh-place finish at last year’s championship in Ottawa.
 
Playing in his final university game, 6-foot-1 guard Jamie Searle of Belleville, Ont., paced the winners with 19 points, including a huge three-point shot in the final moments of the contests.
 
“It’s nice to end my career on a winning note,” said Searle, who also tallied a team-high five assists and grabbed seven rebounds. “Fifth place is not what we had in mind when we got here, but we wanted to go out as winners.”
 
Ryan Thomson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Oakville, Ont., was named player of the game for Lakehead following a 13-point effort.
 
Three other T-Wolves scored in double figures including Detroit native Venzal Russell, with 15 points, Yoosrie Salhia of Toronto, with 12, and Ben Johnson of Pictou, N.S., with 10.
 
In the losing cause, sixth-ranked Dalhousie received a spectacular performance from guard Simon Farine, another fifth-year senior in his final CIS outing. The Toronto native exploded for 31 points including 22 on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor.
 
Lakehead trailed 18-16 after the first quarter and 41-38 at halftime but outscored the AUS champions 21-15 in the third to go into the final period with a slim 59-56 advantage.
 
Down 76-68 with 4:25 remaining after Dalhousie mounted a comeback, the T-Wolves responded with a 11-0 run capped of by a long distance shot by Searle that made it 79-76 Lakehead with 1:20 on the clock.
 
The Tigers retook the lead at 80-79 and had possession with 10 seconds left but their inbound pass was intercepted Joseph Jones, who quickly relayed the ball to Greg Carter.
 
An intentional foul was called on Farine against Carter, who drained both free throws to make it 81-80 Lakehead.
 
With the T-Wolves getting the ball back, Dalhousie was forced to foul and the OUA champs added three free throws in the dying seconds.
 
STAT LEADERS
 
Lakehead
Points: Jamie Searle (19), Venzal Russell (15), Ryan Thomson (13), Yoosrie Salhia (12)
Rebounds: Yoosrie Salhia (8), Jamie Searle (7)
Assists: Greg Carter (5), Jamie Searle (5)
 
Player of the game: Ryan Thomson
 
Dalhousie
Points: Simon Farine (31), Joseph Schow (13)
Rebounds: Joseph Schow (11), Robert Nortman (7)
Assists: Simon Farine (6), Stephan Lopez (4)
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times ATLANTIC TIME)
 
Friday, March 11
 
Quarter-final #1: UBC 96, Acadia 77
Quarter-final #2: Trinity Western 82, Lakehead 74
Quarter-final #3: Saskatchewan 91, Dalhousie 79
Quarter-final #4: Carleton 73, Concordia 66
 
Saturday, March 12
 
Consolation #1: Lakehead 75, Acadia 67
Consolation #2: Dalhousie 76, Concordia 65
Semifinal #1: Trinity Western 74, UBC 72
Semifinal #2: Carleton 95, Saskatchewan 83
 
Sunday, March 13
 
Consolation final (5th place): Lakehead 84, Dalhousie 80
13:15 Bronze medal game: UBC vs. Saskatchewan (SSN Canada webcast)
17:00 Championship final: Trinity Western vs. Carleton (TSN2 – tape delayed to 19:00 AT)
 
-CIS-