CCAA Basketball Championships end season

Ontario colleges take home two medals

Ontario colleges played excellently walking away with a bronze and silver medal after the CCAA Basketball Championship weekend concluded.

During the national tournament, which was held at University of Northern British Columbia, Algonquin (ranked seventh nationally) got off to a slow start by losing their first game 84-60 to eventual gold medal champions, Mount Royal (ranked second nationally). The OCAA champs Humber (ranked third nationally), on the other hand, sent a message by dismantling Montmorency (ranked sixth nationally) 104-71.

Day two read like another chapter as Algonquin beat Montmorency 92-78, and Humber lost by a mere three points to Mount Royal 64-61. For Humber and Algonquin to move to the bronze medal game, both of them would need to win their day three games.

Algonquin moved to the bronze medal game by defeating MSVU (ranked number one nationally), while Humber lost a four-point game to the home team, UNBC, 82-78. In a bronze medal game, Algonquin won 116-105 over UNBC preventing the home team from earning a podium position.

Algonquin's Charly Spurr played extremely well by averaging 22.25 points per game. His excellent play all year round was recognized as he notched the All-Canadian position for Ontario's Western Conference. Brady Bolan, who plays for Cambrain College, notched the All-Canadian position for the Eastern Conference in Ontario.

While Charly Spurr played phenomenal basketball, Mount Saint Vincent University's (MSVU) Jason Carlson won the 2009 CCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Year. While averaging 23 MPG, Carlson average 13.7 PPG and 9.6 RPG as he lead his team to being ranked number one nationally with a 20-0 record.

The Humber Hawks didn't walk away with nothing nationally, though. Humber's Head Coach, Darrell Glenn, earned the CCAA coach of the year award. Glenn received the award after he led Humber to their third provincial championship in his five years as head coach, and leading the Hawks to a 19-game win streak which was ended on day two of the CCAA championships.

On the women's front, Ontario had two strong teams in the Seneca Sting and Sheridan Bruins, both of which won silver and gold in the OCAA championships, respectively. Seneca made a strong case on day one by beating Lethbridge (ranked number one nationally) 72-64, while Sheridan dismantled St. Thomas (ranked seventh nationally) 84-39.

Seneca went on to drop two straight games removing them from the possibility of winning gold, silver, or bronze when they lost to Sainte-Foy 58-49, and Dawson 66-52, both of which are teams from Quebec.

Sheridan showed their dominance by winning the silver medal in the national championships. On day two, they defeated MacEwan 71-63 moving them to the championship game where they would face home team Sainte-Foy. In a close game, Sheridan lost 70-62, only managing to capture silver. The Sheridan Bruins finished off with a stellar year by capturing gold at the OCAA championships, and snagging silver nationally.

While the men's Humber basketball walked away with an honour nationally, Seneca received nothing. Neither did Sheridan, excluding the silver medal.

OCAA female player of the year Rachel Niven received All-Canadian honours for the Ontario Western Conference, while Sara Maybee, from Loyalist College, received a spot on the All-Canadian team. Brad Karren, from Lethbridge College, received 2009 CCAA Women's Basketball Coach of the Year award.

Marie-Ève Martin, from Vanier College, won the 2009 CCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year. Martin averaged 17.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.92 SPG through the season as she led her team to a 22-9. As well as being bestowed with the CCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year, Martin received QSSF (Quebec Student Sports Federation) Player of the Year, and QSSF First team.
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