Box Score Calgary, ALTA. — The Mount Royal University men's basketball team hosted the University of Regina Cougars in a midday Thursday game on Kenyon Court. Following an exciting matchup between the women's basketball teams, Kenyon Court continued to have an electric crowd for the men's game.
Kole Scott opened this afternoon's scoring for MRU, successfully forcing a turnover and quickly making a one-on-one layup. Shortly after,
Sam Barnie made some noise by knocking down a three in a fast transition from MRU.
Dray Walburger checked into the first period and danced around his defenders to secure a couple of fancy baskets. Ben Kamba and Kenyi Lodie combined for 8 points in the first period as the pair found a way through a tough MRU defense. The last 3 minutes of the first, there seemed to be no luck for either team as both Cougars teams struggled to find the net. Cade Mather and Barnie helped out their respective teams by putting up one more bucket as the first period began to near its end. However, on the last possession, Jamie White managed to find the hoop in a tight contest between two MRU defenders to send Regina up 15-11 after banking a buzzer-beater three-pointer.
Before the first period ended, both teams started to pick the physicality after experiencing difficulties with momentum. As a result, Regina committed an early foul in the second period but MRU would send Arinze Emeka-Anyakwo to the line, picking up an easy two points for Regina.
Ijah Nelson sized up against a defender, spinning around in the key to make a jump shot. Finding some space at the top of the arc,
Daniel Owoeye capitalized on an open lane to the basket for an effortless one-hand dunk. White would make his second and third three-pointers after being left alone at the arc. Moving around MRU's defense, Kaz Dornstauder took the opportunity for a two-hand flush down low, 28-21 for Regina. Bringing down the ball, Lodie decided to take the open look for a three, successfully making the shot. Once again, White concluded the second period with another basket, solidifying an 8-point lead for the Regina Cougars in the first half.
Repeating the first period, Scott earned a fast break, beating his defenders, for an open lane towards the basket. White had some tough shots this afternoon, but still found a way to power through and secure points for Regina. A Regina turnover led to Scott having time to set up a wide open three, shrinking MRU's deficit to 9 points. Then
Keivonte Watts would make his first three, making back-to-back three-pointers for MRU. Watts was not finished as he assisted a perfect pass to
Kuach Gajak for an alley oop, almost immediately after Watts' three-pointer. With a block and subsequently pushing the ball down the floor from Lodie, White cleaned up a missed layup after MRU collapsed onto Kamba's attempt. Watts continued to shine in the third quarter as he sent away another three-pointer and finished a fancy layup after miscommunications on Regina's defense. Before a timeout, Barnie earned a steal and passed it over to
Avnoor Bhullar for another successful layup on a fast break. Bhullar made his presence felt on the court as he made back-to-back threes coming out of the timeout. Regina continued to close out each period as Lodie turned his layup into a three-point play, keeping Regina within a single point from MRU 52-51.
Regina was not letting this game go as Dornstauder and Christian Tabiri both made two layups within the first minute of the fourth quarter, reclaiming their lead to 55-52. This game bounced around the hands of MRU and Regina until the combined efforts of Tabiri, Kamba, and Mather established a five-point lead, late into the fourth period. Barnie and Owoeye made MRU's final points but it would not be enough to take the win as Regina claimed victory in a close score of 69-65.
The MRU Cougars will return in a rematch against Regina tomorrow night at 8 p.m. on Kenyon Court.
