MBB: Cougars outlast Timberwolves to advance in Canada West playoffs
February 17, 2023
Every time the UNBC Timberwolves thought about making a run, the Regina Cougars were there to put an end to any comeback aspirations. Led by Carter Millar's 22 points, the Cougars outlasted the shorthanded TWolves 88-74 on Friday, February 17th, 2023 in Victoria, BC, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Canada West playoffs.
"We knew it was going to be a battle, especially playing in a neutral venue," noted Regina head coach Steve Burrows. "I thought it was going to be a close-contested battle, and it was."
The two teams came out with a similar pace and mindset, looking to limit the opposition and establish their own offense. Justin Sunga buried two early three-pointers to get UNBC going, while Regina's Nick Barnard got hot early, scoring seven points in the opening minutes.
The Timberwolves started to look inside to Spencer Ledoux and Fareed Shittu, who both got baskets to go on the inside, but the Cougars immediately responded with big man Majok Madol. The quiet first quarter came to an end with Regina holding momentum and a 24-18 lead.
The TWolves were flagged for three fouls in the first 30 seconds of the quarter, putting Todd Jordan in a tough spot with a short bench. Carter Millar took advantage, making his third three-pointer of the game, giving Regina a 28-20 lead; U of R's biggest lead of the game.
Fareed Shittu began to be more assertive, getting a lefty hook shot to go, followed by a signature baseline dunk over a helpless defender, but Millar answered with another trey to keep the TWolves at bay. That seemed to be contagious for Regina as Barnard and Brayden Kuski canned triples to build a 13-point lead for the Cougars. The tough offensive quarter for UNBC came to an end with Regina holding a 45-30 lead.
Canada West All-Star Milar led the way with 12 points, equaled by Barnard who had a dozen of his own. Shittu was strong for UNBC, recording 10 points and 10 rebounds in the half.
Regina continued to shoot the ball well in the third, despite the UNBC defense doing well to force the Cougars into tough shots. Kuski made a difficult 18 footer, and Matt Barnard got a bucket to go to build the lead, but the TWolves responded with two baskets from Shittu and a tough finish by first-year forward Evgeny Baukin. However, with an exhausted frontline, UNBC couldn't muster enough resistance to stymie a surging Regina attack, and found themselves down 62-49 after 30 minutes.
Looking to cut into the margin and extend their season, UNBC came out aggressive in the fourth. Reserve guard Dylon Matthews hit a corner three and Baukin got a tough finish to drop, but right on cue, the Cougars responded. Matt Barnard canned his own triple, followed by a fifth Millar trey, and the lead was back to 18.
But UNBC wouldn't go away. A Shittu dunk, Jessie layup, and Shittu jumper got the margin down to ten points, but Regina responded like the veteran squad they are. Nick Barnard got a slam of his own, and Millar sealed it with yet another trey, securing an 88-74 victory.
Shittu was tremendous, playing all 40 minutes, scoring 21 points to go along with a UNBC playoff-record 17 boards. Jessie added 15 points and six rebounds, while Matthews came off the bench and added 13 points. Baukin had 12 points and five rebounds in his first career Canada West playoff game.
"It was tough, and we were short-manned having only eight guys healthy and going tonight," commented UNBC head coach Todd Jordan. "We dug ourselves in a little bit of hole early. They gave us some trouble on the offensive glass in the first half. We didn't have enough to scrap back, but I thought our guys competed and battled in the second half, we just weren't able to make the push we needed."
For Regina, Millar led the way with 22 points and nine rebound, including six three-pointers. Matt Barnard and Nick Barnard had 17 points apiece, while Kuski had 12 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.
The Cougars get little rest, as they get set to host the #1 ranked team in U SPORTS, the Victoria Vikes, on Saturday in Victoria.
"We knew it was going to be a battle, especially playing in a neutral venue," noted Regina head coach Steve Burrows. "I thought it was going to be a close-contested battle, and it was."
The two teams came out with a similar pace and mindset, looking to limit the opposition and establish their own offense. Justin Sunga buried two early three-pointers to get UNBC going, while Regina's Nick Barnard got hot early, scoring seven points in the opening minutes.
The Timberwolves started to look inside to Spencer Ledoux and Fareed Shittu, who both got baskets to go on the inside, but the Cougars immediately responded with big man Majok Madol. The quiet first quarter came to an end with Regina holding momentum and a 24-18 lead.
The TWolves were flagged for three fouls in the first 30 seconds of the quarter, putting Todd Jordan in a tough spot with a short bench. Carter Millar took advantage, making his third three-pointer of the game, giving Regina a 28-20 lead; U of R's biggest lead of the game.
Fareed Shittu began to be more assertive, getting a lefty hook shot to go, followed by a signature baseline dunk over a helpless defender, but Millar answered with another trey to keep the TWolves at bay. That seemed to be contagious for Regina as Barnard and Brayden Kuski canned triples to build a 13-point lead for the Cougars. The tough offensive quarter for UNBC came to an end with Regina holding a 45-30 lead.
Canada West All-Star Milar led the way with 12 points, equaled by Barnard who had a dozen of his own. Shittu was strong for UNBC, recording 10 points and 10 rebounds in the half.
Regina continued to shoot the ball well in the third, despite the UNBC defense doing well to force the Cougars into tough shots. Kuski made a difficult 18 footer, and Matt Barnard got a bucket to go to build the lead, but the TWolves responded with two baskets from Shittu and a tough finish by first-year forward Evgeny Baukin. However, with an exhausted frontline, UNBC couldn't muster enough resistance to stymie a surging Regina attack, and found themselves down 62-49 after 30 minutes.
Looking to cut into the margin and extend their season, UNBC came out aggressive in the fourth. Reserve guard Dylon Matthews hit a corner three and Baukin got a tough finish to drop, but right on cue, the Cougars responded. Matt Barnard canned his own triple, followed by a fifth Millar trey, and the lead was back to 18.
But UNBC wouldn't go away. A Shittu dunk, Jessie layup, and Shittu jumper got the margin down to ten points, but Regina responded like the veteran squad they are. Nick Barnard got a slam of his own, and Millar sealed it with yet another trey, securing an 88-74 victory.
Shittu was tremendous, playing all 40 minutes, scoring 21 points to go along with a UNBC playoff-record 17 boards. Jessie added 15 points and six rebounds, while Matthews came off the bench and added 13 points. Baukin had 12 points and five rebounds in his first career Canada West playoff game.
"It was tough, and we were short-manned having only eight guys healthy and going tonight," commented UNBC head coach Todd Jordan. "We dug ourselves in a little bit of hole early. They gave us some trouble on the offensive glass in the first half. We didn't have enough to scrap back, but I thought our guys competed and battled in the second half, we just weren't able to make the push we needed."
For Regina, Millar led the way with 22 points and nine rebound, including six three-pointers. Matt Barnard and Nick Barnard had 17 points apiece, while Kuski had 12 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.
The Cougars get little rest, as they get set to host the #1 ranked team in U SPORTS, the Victoria Vikes, on Saturday in Victoria.