#8 Huskies face #1 Brock on Friday

The Huskies men’s basketball team hopes to ride the momentum of a come from behind/bronze medal win over Regina in the Canada West Championships, in to the 2022 USports championships in Edmonton this weekend. Saskatchewan secured the eighth seed at nationals thanks to a 97-93 win over Regina on March 19^th. “We stayed positive,” said third year guard Marquavian Stephens who had 29 points in the ball game. While not surprised at his team’s determination, Huskies’ head coach Chad Jacobson is always impressed by his team’s heart. “They just believed in themselves, and each other.”

The win helped the Huskies secure the 8^th seed at nationals. Saskatchewan, who last won a national title in 2010, will take on the number one seed, the Brock Badgers on Friday April 1^st at 1pm. (Saskatchewan time.) The Badgers clinched the OUA title with a lopsided 95-75 win over Queens. It was the Badgers’ first conference title since 1992. 5^th year guard/forward Tajinder Lall is a major contributor to Brock’s success. He had 27 points in the Ontario conference final. “They’re really well coached”, said Jacobson. “They’re experienced. They have size and athleticism on the floor.”

Willy Manigat is in his second full season as Badgers head coach. As a player, and an assistant coach with Carleton, Manigat has been part of five USports championship teams. The top seeded Badgers are considered the favourites, as Manigat chases his first title as a head coach. “They (Badgers) shoot really well from the 3, they also have the ability to do some damage inside.” said Jacobson. 4^th year guard, Daniel Caldwell, went 4 for 4 from three point range in the OUA Final. 5^th year guard Emmanuel Owoo-Toah was an impressive 54% from beyond the arc this season.

Saskatchewan plans to continue with the game plan that has brought the team this far. When highlighting the keys to success, Stephens said “Defense, run the floor, and communicate. We believe we can play with anybody.” Stephens, who led the team in scoring this season, also wants his teammates to savor the journey, and not be intimated by facing a number one seed in the first game. “There are not a lot of teams that have this opportunity. Just enjoy the moment. Have fun. As long as we play hard and stick to our principles, we have to live with the outcome.”