Kodiaks hoops hit the road for ACAC championships

March 3, 2020 – It’s basketball playoff time in the ACAC and both Lethbridge College men’s and women’s teams have their sights set on competing for titles this week. The men’s team enters the championships as the top seed in the conference. The women’s team finished the regular season strong to claim third place in the south division.

The men’s tournament is hosted by University of Alberta – Augustana in Camrose, while the women’s event is in Medicine Hat. Both tournaments begin with quarterfinals on Thursday, followed by semifinals on Friday and medal round games on Saturday.

Men’s quarterfinal: Kodiaks (20-1) vs NAIT Ooks (14-10) – 6 p.m. Thursday

The Kodiaks men’s team sits second in the national CCAA rankings after a stellar 20-1 regular season. The team opens the ACAC championships with a quarterfinal against NAIT, in the first meeting of the season between the Kodiaks and the 14-10 Ooks. NAIT finished fourth in the ACAC north division.

“We finished the season strong and got some good performances out of our depth players like Trey Bohne, Jackson Kasko and Jett Stef,” says Kodiaks head coach Ryan Heggie. “We also saw a bump from starter Chris Thomsen, our utility man who put up several double-doubles in that stretch as well. After a bye week and some good intense practices, I feel the guys are excited and ready to challenge. I expect a very competitive tournament and whoever cuts down the net at the end, will have very much earned the title.”

Lethbridge has been a powerhouse in all areas of the court this season. The team averaged a conference-leading 95.9 points per game this season, while allowing just 78 points per game, which is the second best total in the conference. Brock Dewsbery (first year, General Studies, Raymond) had a rookie season to remember, as he led the Kodiaks in scoring and placed fourth in the conference, averaging 21.3 points per game. Dewsbery was also fourth in free throw percentage and fifth in three-point shooting percentage. The balanced Kodiaks attack also features Orin Porter Jr. (fourth year, Computer Information Technology, Incline Village, Nev.) who was 11^th in conference scoring and Chase Bohne (first year, Business Administration, Raymond) who finished 14^th.

The Kodiaks enter the playoffs on a five-game winning streak following their only loss of the season, on Jan. 30 at SAIT. The Ooks won four in a row at the end of the regular season to clinch their postseason berth. The men’s tournament schedule, results and ACAC-TV livestream can be found on thetournament website.

Women’s quarterfinal: Kodiaks (12-9) vs Lakeland Rustlers (19-5) – 1 p.m. Thursday

The Kodiaks women’s basketball team saved its best for last, as it won four of its last six games, including an upset of south-division leading Olds College, to clinch a playoff berth. The Kodiaks enter the ACAC championship tournament as the south division’s third seed and will face the north division’s second place team, the Lakeland Rustlers, in a quarterfinal.

“We are looking forward to competing at playoffs,” says Kodiaks head coach Deanna Simpson. “We have been playing some of our best basketball, both offensively and defensively, over our last few games, and we’ll look for that to give us an edge this weekend.” 

The Kodiaks scoring-by-committee approach has worked this season as the team placed sixth in scoring in the 15-team ACAC, averaging 68.8 points per game. Veterans Kirsten Barwegen (third year, Justice Studies, Lethbridge) and Matlin McMurray (third year, General Studies, Cardston) have both excelled in expanded roles this season, each averaging more than 10 points per game, to sit first and second, respectively, in team scoring. Barwegen is also seventh in the conference in rebounds, while McMurray is ninth in three-pointers. Rookie Natalie Hoyt (first year, General Studies, Barnwell) is also averaging over 10 points per game this season.

The quarterfinal will be a big test for the Kodiaks as the 19-5 Rustlers have won 11 of their 12 games in the second half. The women’s tournament schedule, results and ACAC-TV livestream can be found on the tournament website.