CIS Final 8 blog: Carleton wins seventh title in nine years
Joe Scanlon has no current connection with Carleton basketball or Carleton athletics. He is blogging about the Ravens at the CIS Final 8 National Championship. The opinions expressed represent those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the official position or opinion of Carleton University.
HALIFAX – The # 1 Carleton Ravens came out firing on Sunday and pulled ahead to an 18-point 49-31 first half lead over Trinity Western. It was a lead they never really relinquished.
They won going away 82-59.
By the half, the Ravens had 10 three’s to two for Trinity as Elliot Thompson (2 for 5), Cole Hobin (1 for 3), Tyson Hinz (2 for 2), Michael Kenny (2 for 4) and Philip Scrubb (1 for 3) all hit three’s. Overall Carleton shot 47 per cent to 41 per cent for Trinity. Trinity was 10 of 20 inside and had more rebounds but the outside shots were killing them. Carleton also had seven steals to one for Trinity.
The Spartans having watched Tyson Hinz devastate Saskatchewan inside in the semi-final double-down on him expecting this would stop Carleton from scoring. They did not expect the ball to come out again so quickly and underestimated Carleton’s outside shooting and Dave Smart’s ability to come up with a completely different game plan.
After rolling up the early lead, the Ravens cruised to victory by 23 points 82-59, a crushing defeat for Trinity Western, a team which had knocked out the first seed UBC Thunderbirds the night before.
Against Saskatchewan on Friday it was inside strength with Hinz. Against Trinity it was outside shooting, a different game plan. Trinity seemed nonplussed by the change.
With 1:09 to go the remaining Ravens – Dan Penner, Thomas Scrubb, Greg Faulkner – came into the game. With a 22 point lead the game was over.
At that point Dave Smart pulled Mike Kenny out of the game. The student fans who had come on a 19-hour bus ride gave him an ovation. It was his final game as a Raven his third CIS championship and he was the only Carleton player still around from the team that won five Consecutive championships at the Metro Centre. He is also the only player Carleton loses.
The win was text book Smart – give them they don’t expect. Having run and scored with the Huskies the Ravens hit threes and shut Trinity down.
Elliot Thompson was selected as player of the game with a team high 19 points. Philip Scrubb had 16, Willy Manigat 14, Tyson Hinz, 11. Jacob Doerksen had 16 and Kyle Coston 15 for Trinity. Trinity out-rebounded Carleton 46-34 but Carleton had 10 steals and eight fewer turnovers.
Tyson Hinz was named tournament MVP and he and Elliot Thompson were selected as tournament all-stars along with Jamelle Barrett of Saskatchewan, Jacob Doerksen of Trinity Western and Kyle Coston of Trinity Western.
It was Carleton’s seventh championship in nine years.
Though the Ravens could not maintain their first quarter pace they came close to shutting down Trinity when they stopped scoring. Until the fourth quarter, the lead never climbed to 20 but never dipped to less than 14. However, with 3:11 to go the Ravens were up 75-54, an 18-point lead. Kevin Churchill made it 76-54.
Thought the Trinity Western Spartans are in the National’s for the first time they are a team loaded with experience. Jacob Doerksen was rookie of the year when he played with Victoria and player of the year in 2008-9 with Trinity Western. Kyle Coston and Tyrell Mara both played for Portland State a team that went to the NCAA tournament two years in a row. Calvin Westbrook was also a Division 1 player in the USA with Stanislaus in California.
Trinity Western made to the tournament as the wild card team after being ranked in the top four most of the season. They reached the final by defeating Lakehead 82-74 in the first round and the first seed, University of British Columbia 74-72 thanks by a three point shot by Kyle Coston in the final seconds. Carleton defeated Concordia 73-66 and Saskatchewan 95-83. Both games were close until the final minutes.
The stands which had been close to empty for the bronze medal game between UBC and Saskatchewan started to fill for the final but the attendance was much lower than in past years and much less than at Scotiabank Place.
First Quarter
TW scored first, 2-0. After two and a half minutes, still 2-0. Kyle Coston picks up two quick fouls in less than three minutes. At 6: Cole Hobin scores, 3-2. Tonner Jackson replaces Coston and scores, 4-3 TW. Philip Scrubb is fouled, makes both 5-4, then 10-8, then 10-all. Scrubb hits a three, 13-10 for Carleton. Carleton already had three three-point shots one each Scrubb, Hobin and Hinz. After Doerksen had trouble handling the ball, Jackson hits a three. Hinz then Willy Manigat hits threes. Jackson gets two, 19-15, 1:41 left. Manigat makes two foul shots, 21-15. Coston comes back on as Jackson gets cut. Lance Verhoeff fouls Hinz who makes both shots, 23-15. Carleton up eight. Tristian Smith scores from downtown, 23-17. Manigat stalls after Mike Kenny gets a rebound and hits a three at the buzzer. Manigat has eight in the quarter.
Carleton 26 Trinity Western 17
Second Quarter
Kenny hits a three, 29-17. Doerksen gets a three, 29-20. Tristian Smith makes a foul, grabs the rebound, no score. Hobin scores, 33-21. Tyrell Mara scores, 33-23. Hobin picks up second foul and Jackson (Trinity) gets second foul. Kenny hits another three, 36-23. Doerksen gets his second foul. Three Trinity players – Coston, Doerksen and Jackson – now have three fouls with 5:04 left in the quarter. Scrubb gets second foul. Doerksen gets fouled by Kyle Smendziuk when Doerksen tries a three. He missed the foul shot. Coston gets a tip in plus foul shot, 36-29. Elliot Thomson after missing two from outside, gets a three, 39-29. Thompson scores and is fouled, makes the foul shot, 42-29, 1:57 left. Manigat gets a steal, feeds Thompson for a lay-up, 44-29. Hinz can’t get the ball in within five seconds, 1:06. Hinz gets a steal and a lay-up. Carleton gets the ball again and Thompson hits another three, 49-31.
Carleton 49 Trinity 31
Third Quarter
Doerksen scores twice, cutting the lead to 14. Chapman gets his third foul. Smith gets a foul. Carleton does not score in the first 3:15. With 6:30 to go, Manigat hits a three, 52-35. Smendziuk gets third foul, first player on either team with three fouls. Coston scores. Trinity has a six-three edge in the quarter. Hinz scores is called for a charge, no basket. Hobin is second Carleton player to get a third foul. Coston makes one, 52-38, Thompson misses. After six minutes Carleton has only one basket. Kevin Churchill into the game, fouls Coston, who makes one, 52-39. Manigat misses from outside. Scrubb finally scores, 55-39. Scrubb gets his third foul. Coston makes both, 55-41. After more than seven minutes Carleton has scored only twice. Kenny gets called. Coston gets two more foul shots, 55-43. With 1:22 to go Carleton still has only two baskets but Trinity still trails by 12. Coston has eight more points mainly on foul shots. Kenny makes two foul shots, 57-43. Manigat drains a three, 60-44. Calvin Westbrook makes two foul shots. Elliot Thompson drains a three at the buzzer, 63-46. Despite scoring so few shots, Carleton is still up 17. Trinity scored 15 points in the quarter, nine of them on foul shots.
Carleton 63 Trinity 46
Fourth Quarter
Trinity cuts the lead to 12. Tyrell Mara gets his fourth foul. Scrubb drains a three, 66-51. Thompson gets first foul. Thomson scores 68-51. Hobin gets fourth. Carleton up 17 with 7:19 left. Jackson gets fourth foul. Doerksen fouled by Smendziuk, his fourth. 6:37 to go, 68-52. Mara fouled out. Hinz gets one foul, 69-52, 5:42 left. Carleton gets three consecutive rebounds without scoring, 69-52 with 4:35 left. Trinity decides to press, Scrubb makes a two, 71-52 with 4:02 left. Coston gets fourth foul. Carleton holds its lead with outside shooting and by drawing occasional fouls. Trinity tries a press, Carleton scores. Thompson makes two foul shots, now 19 points.
Joe Scanlon
