The Olds College men's varsity basketball team earned a hard-fought 58-45 victory on Friday against the Ambrose University College Lions at the Ralph Klein Centre. The victory leaves the Broncos first in pool A of the men's division of the Alberta Colleges Athletic League standings with a 10-2 record.
The Broncos were down 14-11 after the first quarter, but managed a slim 26-25 lead at the half, thanks in part to the three-point shooting of Sam Kirkness, who managed two long-range field goals in the second quarter. In the third, the Broncos stretched the lead to four, 45-41, with Kirkness again leading the charge with nine points from beyond the arc, plus a single free-throw point. In the final 10 minutes, the Broncos pulled away with 13 points and tight defence, holding the Lions to just four points.
Kirkness led the team with 21 points.
Unlike some of the other games the Broncos have had this season when they came out with a much bigger early lead, the Lions proved they could keep the game close, until the fourth quarter. Sergey Shchepotkin, the Broncos' head coach, said following the game that was due in part to the Broncos underestimating the challenge the Lions posed. The Lions came into the game against the Broncos with a 7-3 record, good for first in pool B.
"I believe our team, in the beginning of the game, didn't take this team serious enough, which was definitely a mistake. It took us longer to focus on the game and show our game,î he said.
Shchepotkin said Kirkness and Matt Deng did a good job of focusing from beyond the arc which helped the team gain confidence. Shchepotkin said he trusts the players to make the right decision when sizing up a three-point shot.
"We have good shooters on the team, so if they're open I prefer them to shoot,î he said.
While the game was tight throughout, Shchepotkin said it took a while for the defence to come together, limiting the Lions' scoring opportunities. He thought the fourth quarter was the Broncos' best defensive period.
Heading into the final two weeks of the season, Shchepotkin said the Broncos would be focused on keeping up the good work habits that have helped them lead pool A throughout the season as it winds its way toward the playoff tournament, which will be hosted March 9 to 11 at the Ralph Klein Centre.
Varsity women continue undefeated
The varsity women's team continued its dominance over league opponents this season, bouncing both the Lions Friday 97-33 and the junior varsity Broncos 82-69 on Saturday. The two victories give the Broncos a 13-0 record, the class of pool A. Mackenzie Srochenski-Fyfe led the team Friday with 22 points while Teal Knox was the team's top scorer Saturday with 20 points.
The game against their Bronco counterparts was the lone contest this week for the junior varsity squad, who now sit third in pool A of the standings, with a 6-5 record.
"I believe our team, in the beginning of the game, didn't take this team serious enough, which was definitely a mistake."Sergey Shchepotkin, head coach, OC men's varsity basketball team
