Rustlers MBB claim a fifth place finish at championships
In front of their home crowd, the Lakeland Rustlers men's basketball team played their way to a 5th place finish at the ACAC Men's Basketball Championships being held from February 28 to March 2nd in Lloydminster.
The Rustlers faced the SAIT Trojans in their first game of the championship. The Rustlers came in as the #4 seed in the north division, while the Trojans were the #1 seed in the south. Lakeland opened the scoring to start the game before foul trouble slowed them down. Despite the fouls, the Rustlers were still able to take a 22-20 lead into the 2nd quarter. In the 2nd, the teams would go back and forth with a number of lead changes. The Trojans applied full-court pressure and dominated the boards, giving them the 42-35 halftime lead. The Rustlers tried to fight their way back in the 3rd quarter, but in the fast-paced, high-intensity game, the Trojans began to pull away. By the end of the game, the Trojans had extended their lead, and the Rustlers would lose their quarter-final match 98-77.
Leading the way for the Rustlers was fourth-year forward Artavis Holiday who finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks, earning him player of the game. Fourth-year guard Akeem Phillip added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the Rustlers off the bench.
Friday afternoon, the Rustlers would face the Keyano Huskies in the consolation semi-final. The Rustlers came out fired up from the opening tip, looking to get a win on their home floor. In the 1st quarter, the Rustlers knocked down several three-pointers that helped them take a 29-19 lead into the 2nd quarter. The 2nd quarter was all Lakeland, as they would outscore Keyano 32-16 to take a 61-35 lead into the half. The teams went back and forth in the 3rd quarter, but the Huskies were never able to cut into the Rustlers sizeable lead. In the end, the Rustlers came out with the 109-87 win.
The Rustlers were led by first-year guard Abdusalam Figaro, who finished with 18 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, earning him player of the game. Holiday had another strong game for the Rustlers, finishing with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
With the win Friday, the Rustlers would advance to Saturday's consolation final against the Red Deer Kings. The game started off with lots of energy, as both teams locked in on the defensive end. The Rustlers were forced to shoot jump shots with the Kings crowding the key. The teams would go back and forth for the entirety of the 1st quarter, with the Kings taking a 19-17 lead after 10 minutes. In the 2nd, the Rustlers began applying full-court pressure, forcing the Kings to turn the ball over. Throughout the quarter, both teams would eventually apply full-court pressure, allowing many fast break opportunities for the other. The game would remain close through the first 20 minutes, with the Kings leading 40-35 at the half.
Lakeland came out strong to start the 3rd quarter and tied the score up quickly. The intensity built as the game went on, with numerous technical fouls being given out on both sides. Heading into the 4th quarter, the Rustlers still trailed by 1, 56-55. The 4th quarter was all Rustlers, as the crowd got behind the team. The Rustlers took the lead and never looked back, coming away with the 78-69 win.
Holiday once again led the way for the Rustlers, finishing with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, earning him player of the game. The Rustlers also got 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal from third-year guard Adrian Richards, while second-year guard Rashon Russell added 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals. To cap off the weekend, Holiday was named a second-team tournament all-star.
With the 5th place finish on the weekend, the Rustlers season has now come to a close. While the team was not able to repeat last years success, they showed improvement from the first semester to the second and put up a hard fight at provincials.