Men's Basketball Huskies top Wolves in home opener

The Keyano Huskies men's basketball team topped the visiting Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves Friday by a 96-70 score to move to a perfect 5-0 on the 2021-22 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) season.

"We really relied on making shots to create our energy rather than getting stops and using our defence to create our energy and then get offence out of it," said head coach Jeremy Wielenga. "I thought we did a way better job of that in the second half and I think that turned the tide."

The Huskies were electric from the field once again, shooting 52.6 per cent (40-for-76), including nine three-pointers. They also made seven of their 13 free throw attempts throughout the game.

Sean Michael-Clancey had 28 points and seven rebounds while Ringo Dau added 23 points and six rebounds to lead the offensive performances. Mazin Tiea had 12 points and Omeechi Williams chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds to complete the win.

"Tonight was a good game," said Dau. "We ended up being able to lock in pretty well and come together as a team to follow the game plan.

"We all just brought our energy up together."  

The Huskies held a 22-19 lead after the first quarter and increased their lead to six points at the half. A 31-point third quarter pushed the Huskies ahead by 17, giving them ample time in the fourth quarter to close out the match. 

The visiting Wolves showed well in the middle quarters and brief lapses by the Huskies allowed the game to get close. However, the commitment by both the bench and the five on the court allowed them to pull through according to Dau.

"Our bench players did a really good job of being engaged and coaches gave us the message in every timeout," he said. "They were really helpful. They would just tell us things we weren't able to see on the floor and we were just able to pick it up and apply it."

The Wolves shot 44.1 per cent (26-of-59) from the field, making five three pointers. They also went 13-for-21 (61.9 per cent) on their free throws throughout the game. 

Emmauel Iloka and Kwame Okyere each scored in 18 points to lead the offensive effort for the Wolves. Iloka added 12 defensive rebounds to mark a double-double. 

Abdul Al-tamimi added 11 points as the only other visiting player to reach double digits, adding a team-high seven assists for his side. 

The two teams will close out their weekend doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre in Fort McMurray, Alta.