Men's Basketball Championships Game 1

The Cora Breakfast and Lunch 2018 ACAC Championships got off to a blistering start at Lethbridge College, as the north division's second seed, the NAIT Ooks (17-8) beat the third seed from the south, the Red Deer College Kings (14-8) 106-99 in quarterfinal action.

A hard-fought first quarter saw the Ooks escape with a one-point lead, but the Edmonton crew cranked up the intensity to start the second quarter. A 9-2 run, spurred by seven points from Jackson Jacob (third year, Pre-employment Auto Body Repair, Nassau, Bahamas) gave NAIT a buffer and pushed them to a 50-40 half time lead.

NAIT was able to extend that lead up to 18 points early in the third quarter, before the sharp-shooting Red Deer Kings started chipping away. A 17-4 run, including four three-pointers, propelled Red Deer back within five, trailing 75-70 after three quarters. The Kings closed within three early in the fourth, but a 13-2 NAIT run sealed the victory for the Ooks. Jacob led the game with 34 points, while Brady MacKay (fifth year, Millwork and Carpentry, Regina, Sask.) added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, although he did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Spencer Klassen (third year, Bachelor of Education – Elementary, Red Deer) led the Kings with 25 points.

The Ooks advance to the ACAC semifinals on Friday, playing the winner of SAIT and Keyano at 6 p.m. The Kings move into the consolation bracket and will play the loser between the Trojans and Huskies at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Players of the game:

Red Deer Kings - #15 Eric Bakker (23pts, 7reb, 6ast)
NAIT Ooks - #10 Jackson Jacob (34pts, 5reb, 7ast)