The Clippers picked up a weekend sweep of Old’s College and Red Deer in a pair of games at Margaret P. Reimer gymnasium, marking the latest step in what’s been a continuous run of improvement for the Caronport-based squad.
Briercrest opened with a 98-76 win on Friday, taking a 17-10 lead out of the first quarter and extending their edge to 48-35 by halftime. Brandon Tolentino scored 21 points and added 10 rebounds to lead the Clippers, while Shayne Foster added 20 points off 10-for-14 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Brolin Simes scored 18, including five three-pointers; Nicholas Gregersen added nine points and 14 rebounds.
Things were far closer against the Kings in the early going, as Red Deer led 24-16 after the first quarter and carried the same eight-point lead into the half. But a 36-point Clippers surge after the break would see Briercrest take a 74-66 edge that they’d turn into a 106-89 win.
It was Gregersen’s turn to lead the way as he put up 28 points, while Tolentino added 25 points and 14 rebounds to go along with 20 points from Kyle Helsloot. Chris Cheatham racked up 14 assists on the night, Simes picked up 14 points.
The Clippers improved to 4-5 with the wins, moving within two points of the fourth place and a playoff spot in the South Division.
For the Clippers women’s volleyball team, it was business as usual in a pair of commanding 3-0 road wins over Old’s College.
Briercrest claimed the opener 25-19, 25-18, 25-14, with Rebecca Garner putting down 14 kills to lead the assault. Maren Garcia and Reece Harder had 13 and 10 digs each, with Harder also recording four aces off her serve.
Game two was a 25-22, 25-17, 25-15 roll, with Faith Buhler proving to be all but unstoppable with 11 kills on 13 attempts. Kirsty Kindrachuk added 17 digs, while setter Ashley Erickson finished the weekend with 25 and 29 assist performances.
The Clippers – ranked second in Canada -- are now 12-0 and have lost only three sets in the process.
Things were quite a bit closer for the men’s volleyball team, but the end result the same.
Briercrest opened the weekend by coming out on the right side of an epic 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 17-25, 26-24, 15-12) battle. Karym Coleman had 19 kills on the night, while Davis Borden added 11 and Bryton Codd 10. Codd also picked up 15 digs, while libero Brady Wachtel had 20 digs and Davis Borden 11.
The two teams played only four sets the following afternoon but saw just as much action as B.C. took a 3-1 (25-22, 35-33, 23-25, 25-23) victory.
Coleman kept pounding away and finished with 28 kills on 51 attempts. Bryton Codd had 13 kills and 11 digs, Watchel 15 digs. Setter Emmitt Juul-Hansen was exceptionally busy with 48 assists.
Briercrest are now 8-4 and comfortably hold down fourth place, 10 points up on Medicine Hat.
It was a bit of the good and a bit of the bad for the CCAA sixth-ranked Clippers women’s basketball team.
They opened the weekend against the second-ranked Olds College Broncos and took one on the chin, falling 110-55 while managing only six points in the third quarter.
Angenay Williams scored 21 points to lead Briercrest, Amber Tilcox had 19 points and 10 rebounds.
That loss apparently didn’t sit too well with Williams, and she went off against Red Deer College the following afternoon in the Clippers’ 107-94 win. Williams would finish the game with 47 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists in the process.
Tilcox scored 20 with 11 rebounds, Sydney Seagroves picked up 12 and Brooklyn Martens added 10 in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Clippers continue to hold down second place in the South with 6-3 record.
Briercrest earned a valuable point in their quest to crack the top six and reach the playoffs in men’s hockey, but unfortunately the team they’re chasing for that spot are also who they were playing, Concordia University.
The Clippers took a 2-1 lead out of the first period and led 3-1 midway through the opener but couldn’t keep the momentum going as Concordia would score seven unanswered goals to take an 8-3 win at Barkman Arena.
Josiah Friesen scored two goals for Briercrest, Halen Cordoni added a goal and an assist. Dan Dekoning stopped 43 shots in goal.
The rematch saw the Clippers again build a healthy lead, this time 4-2 late in the second period, but a pair of late Concordia goals would tie the game and force the tie.
Caleb Grandfield had a goal and two assists for Briercrest, Tyrell Bourk added a goal and a helper. Reagan Poncelet and Russell Olson had one goal each.
Dekoning had 39 saves.
The Clippers are now 3-8-2-1 and sit three points back of Concordia for the final playoff spot.
