Abbotsford, BC…..The KPU Eagles men’s basketball team defeated the Columbia Bible College (CBC) Bearcats in Abbotsford, BC 84-82 on Friday, October 31st, after an action-packed fourth quarter in the first game of the 2014/15 PACWEST CCAA regular season. This is the first win for the program under the direction of first-year head coach Vladimir Nikić. The 1-0 KPU squad will head home to the Eagles’ Nest in Surrey, BC for their home opener weekend on November 7th and 8th.
The Eagles’ first lead of the game came with 3:38 remaining in the first quarter as the young KPU squad fought to gain momentum. KPU starts the season off fresh with eight eager first-year players starting their university basketball careers and four talented veterans to lead the way. Tied at 16 at the end of the first quarter, KPU would struggle with their shots and defending, falling 10 points behind CBC at the half, 37-27.
In first-half stats, KPU second-year shooting guard Obi (Obiajulu) Udevi, Surrey, BC, led the Eagles with 10 points, four of six field goals and two of three three-point shots. First-year power forward Matt (Madison) Cooley, Delta, BC, had seven points that included three of four field goals and one three-point shot of one. First-year Eagles forward Trevor Schulz, Richmond, BC had seven defensive rebounds, while Udevi and Cooley each had four.The Eagles shot 68% from the line.
Leading scorers for the Bearcats at the half were first-year guard Jamie Konrad and first-year shooting guard Sasha Otanga, both of Abbotsford, BC with seven points each. The Bearcats shot 46% from the line.
The third quarter was all about KPU as the Eagles out-scored the Bearcats 31-20 to regain the lead by one point going into the final stretch, 58-57. Udevi and Cooley continued contribute offensively, while first-year power forward Nick (Nicholas) Smith limited one of CBC’s leading scorers to single digits with strong defending. The win came after a nail-biting finish as the lead changed 10 times in the fourth quarter alone. First-year shooting guard Jaiten Rana, Delta, BC, drained a three-point shot to help give the Eagles a final push in the last two minutes of the game that were bolstered by successful free throws by his teammate first-year guard Brendan Bailey, Coquitlam, BC. A final shot by the Bearcats with seconds to go brought the score to within two points, but the Eagles finished the game with a come-from-behind win in the second half, 84-82.
Cooley had a tremendous inaugural university game as he achieved a double-double with 20 points and 13 total rebounds for a 69% shooting average. Udevi continued his solid shooting performance to end the game with 20 points and nine rebounds. Bailey finished with 12 points and three rebounds, while Rana ended with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Defensively, Schulz ended the night with 9 defensive rebounds while Smith had six total rebounds. The Eagles shot 57% from the line in the second half.
The Bearcats scoring leaders at the end of the game included Otanga with 21 points and second-year shooting guard Elijah Calhoun, Brooklyn, NY, USA put up 20 points and seven total rebounds. The Bearcats shot 58% from the line in the second half.
KPU Eagles Trevor Schulz (L) & Spencer Maichin (right) take on a CBC Bearcat
“We showed that we can be mentally tough, we were down in the first half but we were able to adjust and in the second half we played with more integrity,” said Coach Nikić, “I’m happy with end result, again it was the mental toughness that helped to get us through. Everyone played really well, and overall it was a team win.”
Scoring:
KPU 16 11 31 26 = 84
CBC 16 21 20 25 = 82
Team Rebounds:
KPU: 29+36=65/CBC: 20+25=45
The KPU Eagles women and men’s basketball programs will host a Food Drive in their first four home games of the 2014/15 regular season in support of the Surrey Food Bank. Admission is no charge when fans bring a non-perishable food item as a donation. Please note that no cash donations will be accepted in lieu of admission.
- November 7th versus Capilano University Blues
6:00pm women’s game, 8:00pm men’s game - November 8th versus Quest University Canada Kermodes
6:00pm women’s game, 8:00pm men’s game - November 21st versus Camosun College Chargers
6:00pm women’s game, 8:00pm men’s game - November 22nd versus VIU Mariners
1:00pm women’s game, 3:00pm men’s game
Photo Credit: Jun Mah Studio
For more information on the Department of Athletics & Recreation, please contact Junelle Mah, sports information and marketing, at 604-786-0804 or at junelle.mah@kpu.ca.
The KPU Eagles Department of Athletics & Recreation enters its 14th season of interuniversity competition. The Eagles are members of the PACWEST conference and play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with 100 student-athletes participating on eight varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, badminton and golf. KPU athletics plays its home games at the Eagles’ Nest (Surrey Campus), Northview Golf & Country Club, Newton Athletic Park, all located in Surrey, BC and the Ace Badminton Centre in Richmond, BC. The Eagles are active in the conference with staff members on various advisory committees and competing to host both provincial and national championships. The student-athletes are mainly from the lower mainland but KPU’s rosters have included student-athletes from North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
Follow the Eagles on Twitter @KPU Eagles, on Facebook www.facebook.com/KPUEagles, or on our website www.kpu.ca/eagles.