UFV Cascades fall to Carleton University Ravens 83-65, in the CIS national championship semi-final
The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades men’s basketball team gave the defending CIS national champion Carleton University Ravens all they could handle in the 2012 CIS men’s basketball national championship semi-final. The Cascades came into their first ever CIS “Final Four” semi-final looking to show the CIS basketball world the six year old program can compete with the country’s best. The Cascades fell to Carleton by the score of 83-65, and will now play for the program’s first ever national medal, on Sunday, in the CIS Bronze Medal game. The Cascades now sport a 17-8 regular and post season record going into Sunday’s final game of the year. UFV will play either Alberta Golden Bears or the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in the bronze medal game. Carleton now sports a 27-0 record and has won 55 straight CIS games.
The Cascasdes came out strong tonight showing the Canadian basketball world while they were ranked all year in the CIS top ten poll and battled the Ravens shutting down the country’s most explosive offense holding them to 16 first quarter points. In the second quarter, UFV continued to play excellent defense stopping Carleton from making any runs and matching them basket for basket in the second quarter. UFV went into the intermission down by only four points, only three other schools could say that all year. Joel Friesen, Abbotsford, BC led UFV at the half with 9 points and 3 rebounds, Kyle Grewal, Surrey, BC added 7 points and 3 boards as they scored 16 of the Cascades 27 first half points.
The third quarter started off great after a James York, Richland, Washington trey tied the game at 33 each, UFV would take a brief two point lead before Carleton went on a 14-4 run to open up a double digit lead. The Ravens led by 16 points after the third quarter and built up as many as a 24 point lead in the fourth quarter. The Cascades played well and can look forward to tomorrow’s battle for bronze.
“No need to make excuses. They were just better than us tonight. They’re a great team,” said Fraser Valley head coach Barnaby Craddock. “The third quarter was the difference. We played okay and battled hard in the first half, but so did they, I don’t think either team had a great first half. But in the third they started to hit their stride and we weren’t able to keep up with them.”
Friesen led UFV with 13 points, Grewal added 11 points. Carleton held the top two Cascade scorers to 8 second half points. Jasper Moedt, Abbotsford, BC added 9 points and a team high 8 rebounds. Off the bench Spencer Evans, Maple Ridge, BC scored 9 points in 11 minutes of play.
UFV 12 15 16 22 = 65
CU 16 15 28 24 = 83
Top Scorers: UFV: J Friesen 13 points/ CU: P Scrubb 18 points
Team Rebounds: UFV: 11+27=38/ CU: 9+28=37
Players of the Game:
UFV: Joel Friesen
CU: Thomas Scrubb
For further information on UFV Cascades athletics contact David Kent, 604-309-7658 david.kent@ufv.ca
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