Men's Basketball Huskies defeated by Clippers in ACAC Championship game; earn sixth ACAC medal
The Keyano Huskies Men’s Basketball team were denied their bid for back-to-back Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Championships Saturday in Caronport, Sask.
Against the host Briercrest College Clippers, the Huskies fell 79-73 to earn their sixth ACAC medal, a silver.
“It’s kind of been the theme all weekend,” Head Coach Jeremy Wielenga said. “We got behind and it was pretty tough to try and get back in the game. We showed signs of life at different times, but in the end it wasn’t enough.
“Credit to [Briercrest], they played very well and made timely shots.”
The third time proved to be the charm that worked against the Huskies, who had taken time to heat up before winning their quarter-final and semi-final matchups.
The Huskies would ultimately shoot 35.5 percent (27-for-76) from the field Saturday, making six of their nine three-point shots in the final quarter after making just one in the opening half.
Statistically, the Huskies also had their lowest shooting percentage games from beyond the arc (27.3%) and on free throws (66.7%), which added to their problems in a packed building that favoured the home side.
Despite that, they still had two more makes from beyond the arc (9-7) and two more from the free throw line (10-8).
They also closed the deficit to four points outside of the early stages of the game, but to the Clippers’ credit the hosts quickly extended the lead after those runs by the Huskies.
Offensively, Keenen Caribou and Omeechi Williams led the way with 23 points each. Tafari Carefoote-Jones led all players off the bench from both teams with 13 points.
“He’s had a long journey and everything he’s been through it was great to see him play and play well in the biggest moments,” Wielenga said of Caribou’s performance, which earned him Player of the Game honours. “That’s very positive because we’re not done yet. That’ll be good for us going forward.”
Williams, Hurst named to Tournament All-Star team
Omeechi Williams and Nahshon Hurst were named to the Tournament All-Star Team for their play.
Williams averaged 20.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.7 steals on a per game basis. Hurst averaged 14.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assistson a per-game basis throughout the tournament.
Huskies qualify for second-straight nationals
Despite the loss, the Huskies still qualified as a Wild Card for the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship March 10-15 in Montreal, Que., hosted by Vanier College.
Schedules will be announced at a later date by the CCAA.