LCC Kodiaks end season with a win
By Dave Wells
Feb 18, 2007, 23:42

Not a bad way to end the regular season for the home team. Not bad at all. Perhaps a post-season portent of things to come from a personnel and style perspective, in fact. Of course, the local lads would welcome the same results too. The Lethbridge Community College Kodiaks used small ball to big effect Saturday at LCC, outgunning the Calgary-based Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojans 96-80. Kodiaks finished fourth in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference South Division at 9-11. SAIT, the No. 10 ranked college club in Canada, were second at 14-6. Trojans advance to a best-of-three ACAC quarter-final next weekend, versus Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Ooks. Kodiaks challenge MacEwan College Griffins, with the entire series in the provincial capital. Kodiak head coach Phil Tollestrup was visibly pleased with Saturday’s performance.

“SAIT’s a good team, they’re a team we’ve had trouble with,” said the Canadian Basketball Hall-of-Famer. “We’re just trying to get better for the playoffs and I think we did today.” Neither squad could move up or down in the standings and both benches saw plenty of floor time in the first half. As well, SAIT starter Mike Linklater (a former University of Saskatchewan Huskie) was not on hand (reportedly he missed the bus), while Trojan star Josh Lovestone (presumed headed for the University of Calgary Dinos next year) played limited minutes due to an apparently severe headache.

Be that as it may, Kodiaks were an impressive outfit, especially during a decisive stretch in the third quarter when both teams tried to assert themselves. LCC often used a line-up with no one over six-foot-four (and even that listing may be a stretch in both cases) and got it done, beating Trojan full-court pressure repeatedly, while utilizing an efficient zone defence to protect the paint. Magrath product Allen Tollestrup, who has committed to the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns for next season, finished with 26 points. The savvy performer added seven rebounds, four steals and three assists. Stirling’s Shawn Nelson continued his recent outstanding play. He sliced and diced to a 25-point, 11-assist, five-rebound, three-steal, stat-sheet-stuffer. Catholic Central’s AJ Kennedy netted 16 markers. The workhorse chipped-in seven rebounds and a like-number of helpers. Diminutive, but feisty Bow Island Senator Gershaw grad Gary Reimer was effective at the point. He scored eight counters too. Stirling’s Courtney Clawson didn’t start. But he certainly earned and received starter’s minutes.

Clawson, who possesses a silky smooth touch and deep range, returned from a church mission to join the big bears this semester. He had 10 points and seven rebounds Saturday. Clawson’s skills helped spread the Trojan defence, a crucial factor as the Kodiaks collectively shot an impressive 51 percent from the floor, including a dead eye 61 percent in the second half. “I think he’s just starting to round into shape and his confidence is coming,” appraised coach Tollestrup. “We need him in the playoffs. We need his outside shot.” Luke Stalker-Switzer topped the SAIT point-parade with 19. Cody Hall, Terrence Blake and Sean Paterson were also in double-figures, stroking 18, 17 and 11 respectively.

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The Clipper men's basketball team opened up the season with a pair of losses at SAIT. On Friday night both teams came out a little nervous for the season opener. Craig Jantzen helped the Clippers overcome a 10 point half-time deficit with 20 second half-points, but the team struggled to score consistently in the fourth quarter. The final score was SAIT 75, Briercrest 65. On Saturday the Clippers opened with a strong first quarter, but still found themselves trailing 14-10 due to some poor shooting. From there SAIT heated up from outside and dominated the boards. Josh Lovestone led SAIT with 6-7 shooting from the 3 point range. Chris Girvin had 21 points and Josh Fawcette had 16 to lead the Clippers in a 88-57 loss.

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