An Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference season that’s already been filled with success across all sports for the Briercrest College Clippers nearly turned in a run for the ages this past weekend.
Three of four teams in action Friday and Saturday posted sweeps of their opponents, with men’s and women’s basketball winning all four games against the Red Deer Kings and Queens at home, while the women’s volleyball team won both games in Red Deer. The men’s volleyball team could have made it a complete sweep, but a loss to the Kings Saturday prevented that momentous occasion.
The women’s basketball team should have been in for a tough run against their ACAC South Divison-leading opponents, but instead came away with a 71-63 win Friday and a 67-66 victory Saturday.
Briercrest took a narrow 51-49 lead into the fourth quarter in the weekend opener, but outscored Red Deer 20-14 in the fourth to pull away for the win. Madison Beattie lead the way with 16 points, while Brooklyn Martens scored 15 and Asia Wells added 10. Melissa Ellis had eight points and nine rebounds.
As the score would indicate, the rematch was as close as could be. Beattie hit a shot with 2:44 to play to give the Clippers a 65-63 lead and a Hope Jordans basket made it four-point game with 49 seconds remaining -- insurance points that would prove crucial when Red Deer hit a three-pointer with a second to play.
Wells led with 17 points, while Beattie finished with 14 and Martens scored 10.
The Clippers are now 10-7 and in fourth place in the South Division, They’re back in action with games against Kings University and Concordia this weekend.
Men’s basketball ran their win streak to four games thanks to 93-80 and 90-87 victories in Red Deer.
Oroma Bongomin had one of his best games of the season with 25 points in the opener, while Moose Jaw’s Riley Seaborn scored 16 and Carter Waind also added 16 to go along with 12 from Asher Elstad. Zachary Martens pulled down 13 rebounds, while Central grad Kaedyn Banilevic had four points, an assist and a steal.
Saturday’s game was a one-point battle for the final 1:20 until a pair of free throws by Seaborn made it a three-point game with four seconds to play. The Kings got off the tying shot, but it would miss and the Clippers had their win.
As well as things went for Bongomin in the opener, they were even better Saturday, as he led the way with 28 points. Seaborn nearly had a triple-double, scoring 15 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing eight assists. Francis Dogani had 10 points, Banilevic added five.
The Clippers are now 10-7 and fifth in the ACAC South, They also travel to Kings and Concordia this weekend.
Women’s volleyball closed ground on second-place Red Deer with their two wins and are now 11-6, two points back of the Queens for second in the ACAC South.
The Clippers took a 23-25, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20 win in the opener before battling to a 25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 18-25, 15-6 win in the rematch.
Julia Beer led the way with 18 kills Friday, with Rachel Stead putting down 11 and Faith Buhler nine in addition to eight digs. Peacock grad Summer Okerstrom had three kills. Abigail Ulrich had a busy night at setter with 45 assists.
Beer had another stellar game Saturday with 24 kills and eight digs, while Buhler had 12 kills and Stead 11. Ulrich was even busier with 50 assists, Okerstrom had five kills, an ace and three blocks.
The Clippers wrap up their regular season with games at home against Kings and Concordia this weekend.
Men’s volleyball got off to a great start Friday with a 21-25, 27-25, 28-26, 25-19 win over the first-place Kings, but couldn’t keep the momentum going thanks to a 25-21, 25-17, 25-23 loss in the rematch.
Karym Coleman had 22 kills in the opener, Adam Rivet put down 12. Brady Watchel led the defence with 15 digs, Jeremy Martens had 45 assists.
Coleman and Jackson Anderson had 13 kills each Saturday, Watchel had 12 digs.
The men’s team is also at home against Kings and Concordia this weekend.
The ACAC-leading men’s hockey team wasn't in league action this past weekend, but did faceoff against Korea University in an exhibition game on Wednesday night.
Korea University is touring the ACAC with the goal of relocating to Calgary for six months and playing a full season in the league beginning in 2024-25.
Zach Thususka scored twice for the Clippers, while Justin Keck, Austin Arsenault and Jake Dale had their other markers. Mason Briske had 28 saves in his Clippers debut.
Yeongkeun Jung scored Korea’s lone goal in the third period, Kyungmin Seo stopped 25 shots in goal.
The Clippers are back in action this weekend with a two-game set at Concordia.
