Calgary and Alberta start the Canada West season with victories

Calgary and Alberta started their Canada West campaigns last night facing off against Manitoba and Brandon.  The province of Alberta emerged victorious in both games, with the Calgary Dino’s defeating the Manitoba Bisons 87-78 and the Alberta Golden Bears pulling away in the fourth to defeat the Brandon Bobcats 81-67.

NPH Top Performers:

Calgary:

Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson – 33pts (7/7 3pt), 6rebs, 4asts

Thijin Moses – 14pts, 6rebs, 3blks

Manitoba:

Stephan Walton – 26pts, 6rebs, 5asts, 2stls, 1blk

Jonar Huertas – 19pts

Yigit Ozsayiner – 14pts, 11rebs, 3stls

The Dino’s started the season hot and jumped out to a quick 11-2 lead and caught the Bisons off guard led by Winnipeg native Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson.  However, the Bisons would regroup and closed out the quarter strong trailing by four going into the second frame.

Fifth year guard Jonar Huertas hit some big shots to give Manitoba  confidence as they continued to chip away at the lead and went into the halftime break up by three.

However, Calgary would take a strong control of the second half and never look back.  Point guard Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson was in the zone and scored a game high 33 points going 7/7 from three point range, and 8/8 from the free throw line.  Ogungbemi-Jackson continues to remain hot after a solid preseason on the east coast.

It was a battle of the scoring point guards last night, as Stephan Walton and Jonar Huertas did not back down in the back and forth tempo game where each team continued to make shots.  Walton received a cut above his eye and was forced to wear a bandage throughout the game but still continued to play at a very high level.

In the end the Dino’s pulled away in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and the Bisons were unable to keep up.  They will play again tonight in the rematch, it what should be another great game.

NPH Top Performers:

Alberta:

Kenneth Otieno – 20pts, 11rebs, 3asts

Sahr Saffa – 19pts, 4rebs, 3asts

Brandon:

Kenonte Ramsey – 18pts, 5rebs, 2asts, 3stls

Jordan Reaves – 15pts (3/3 3pt), 4rebs

The nationally ranked Alberta Golden Bears continue to be unbeaten in their new home gym.  The record has continued since last season when it was opened and has been a strong place for the Golden Bears to play.  The Bobcats were given a tough task and came up short last night in a game that was a lot closer than the score indicated.

Despite the score saying an Alberta Golden Bears 14 point victory, this game was back and forth.  The Brandon Bobcats struggled at times with fouls being an issue for their starters, forcing them to sit out at key points in the game.

The Bobcats played without two of their starters and tried to spread the scoring attack.  Kenonte Ramsey took a large share of that finishing with 18, but went 0/6 from behind the arc.  Jordan Reaves, who fouled out added 15 points in the loss but made a strong impact on the defense holding all-star Jordan Baker to seven points in the entire game and only one FG, the rest were at the free throw line.

At one point in the game, the Bobcats trailed by 20.  The Golden Bears looked to be running away with the game but Jordan Reaves knocked down a few threes and they got some good stops pulling it to within five.  Sahr Saffa and Kenneth Otieno stopped any chance of a late charge as they both continued to knock down crucial shots.  Saffa who had a great CIS Final 8 last year looked confident and added 19 points in the victory.

The two teams will meet again tonight in the rematch.