GUNTER HITS BUZZER BEATER FOR MARAUDERS
Championship web site: http://www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_basketball/2006
The win qualifies the Marauders to Sunday's consolation final for fifth place (1 p.m. Atlantic Time) where they will face the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds. OUA champion McMaster, which dropped a heartbreaking 81-77 OT decision to StFX in Friday's quarter-finals, beat Brock 93-75 in the consolation final in 2004.
Saskatchewan, making its first appearance at the nationals since 1988, returns home with a 1-2 record. The Huskies lost 79-64 to top-seeded Victoria in the quarter-final round.
Gunter, a 5-foot-10, fourth-year guard from Dundas, Ont. capped off a fantastic finish with his last-second heroics.
Trailing 47-45 at halftime, McMaster quickly went ahead after the break and held on to a slight lead for the first 15 minutes of the second stanza.
Saskatchewan kept getting closer and finally tied the contest with 4:46 remaining, at 73-73, when second-team all-Canadian Andrew Spagrud scored on a thunderous dunk. Spagrud gave the Huskies their first lead of the second half 70 seconds later, at 76-74, completing a three-point play on a lay up and a foul shot.
With the score 79-79 and the clock showing 32 seconds, Spagrud was sent to the free-throw line once again. The 6-foot-8 forward missed both shots but grabbed his own rebound before being fouled again. For the second time in under 10 seconds, he missed both attempts.
Mac got the ball back with 22 seconds left and Saskatchewan elected to let the Marauders take the potential game-winning shot. Gunter looked to pass, held on to the ball, and got only net.
The Huskies took a desperate shot from their own end at the buzzer but the ball hit the rim, keeping McMaster's season alive.
Gunter was named player of the game for McMaster following a seven-point, three-rebound and three-assist effort.
Six-foot-7, fourth-year forward Adam Steiner, also from Dundas, had a team-high 18 points, while Hamilton natives John Obrovac and Martin Ajayi, with 15 and 14, respectively, also scored in double digits for the winning side.
Unfortunately for him, Spagrud's late problems at the free-throw line overshadowed his phenomenal performance the rest of the game. The native of Saskatoon finished with a tournament-high 27 points and completed the double-double with 14 rebounds, earning player-of-the-match honours for the Huskies.
Freshman guard Rejean Chabot, also of Saskatoon, added 11 points in the losing effort.
Saskatchewan out-shot McMaster 53.3 percent to 46.0 percent from the floor on the day but was hurt by a dismal 10-for-22 performance at the line (45.5%).
STAT LEADERS
No. 5 McMaster Marauders 45-36:81
No. 9 Saskatchewan Huskies 47-32:79
McMaster
Points - Adam Steiner (18), John Obrovac (15), Martin Ajayi (14)
Rebounds - John Obrovac (5), Toms Lokmanis (5), Joe Polizzi (5)
Assists - Ben Katz (5)
Minutes - Adam Steiner (34)
Player of the game: Justin Gunter
Saskatchewan
Points - Andrew Spagrud (27), Rejean Chabot (11)
Rebounds - Andrew Spagrud (14)
Assists - Jordan Harbidge (5)
Minutes - Andrew Spagrud (36)
Player of the game: Andrew Spagrud
SEEDING, SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times LOCAL / Atlantic Time)
1. Victoria Vikes
2. UBC Thunderbirds
3. Carleton Ravens
4. StFX X-Men
5. McMaster Marauders
6. UQAM Citadins
7. Cape Breton Capers
8. York Lions
9. Saskatchewan Huskies
10. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Thursday, March 16
Game #1: Cape Breton 62, Wilfrid Laurier 53
Game #2: Saskatchewan 75, York 74
Friday, March 17
Consolation (9th place): Wilfrid Laurier 76, York 65
Quarter-final #1: Carleton 62, UQAM 59
Quarter-final #2: Cape Breton 80, UBC 62
Quarter-final #3: StFX 81, McMaster 77 (OT)
Quarter-final #4: Victoria 79, Saskatchewan 64
Saturday, March 18
Consolation #1: UBC 85, UQAM 79
Consolation #2: McMaster 81, Saskatchewan 79
18:30 Semi-final #1 (Live on The Score): Cape Breton (7) vs. Carleton (3)
21:00 Semi-final #2 (Live on The Score): StFX (4) vs. Victoria (1)
Sunday, March 19
13:00 Consolation final (5th place): McMaster (5) vs. UBC (2)
16:00 Championship final (Live on The Score)
- CIS -
(Source: Michel Belanger, CIS Communcations Manager.)
(Photo: Mac guard Justin Gunter came up big for the Marauders with a last-second jumper to beat Saskatchewan.)