Fifth-year final weekend; Ferguson breaks records
By Matt Gutsch
The University of Alberta basketball teams are home for the final weekend of regular season play this weekend against the Brandon University Bobcats.
Game times are 6:00 and 8:00pm on both Friday and Saturday night in the Saville Community Sport Centre, and all games can seen live at www.canadawest.tv
This weekend also represents the final home regular season games for a pair of Pandas, and three fifth-year Golden Bears.
St. Albert forward Caitlin Stiksma has been with the Pandas since the 2007-08 season, and helped Alberta to a CIS bronze medal during the 2009-10 season, the same season she led the Pandas in rebounding.
Alberta’s other fifth-year player is Edmonton guard Jill Verhesen who joined the Pandas this season after playing at Concordia University in Montréal, as well as Grant MacEwan. Verhesen is currently ranked 10th in Canada West assists, averaging 3.1 per game, and has just 39 turnovers compared to 56 assists, the second-best ratio in the conference.
One of the athletes the Golden Bears will pay tribute to is 6’8” centre Andrew Bates, brother to former Golden Bear Richard Bates. He joined the Bears this season after a career at Grant MacEwan, including the 2010-11 season when he was named team MVP.
Matt Cardoza, who is a graduate of Harry Ainlay High School, is the second fifth-year Golden Bear. A former stand-out on the Golden Bears’ track team, being named the 2008 Canada West Male Track and Field Rookie of the Year, Cardoza transferred his athletic prowess to Bears hoops in 2008.
The third fifth-year athlete is shooting guard Daniel Ferguson, who originally hails from Malton, Ontario. Ferguson is finishing his second season in the Evergreen and Gold after playing three years at Berry College in the NAIA. While his time may have been limited, Ferguson has assaulted Canada West scoring, and Golden Bears records. Last season, his first in CIS, he finished second in conference scoring with 23.0 points per game, and was named a First Team All-Star, as well as a CIS Second Team All-Canadian. This season, he leads the Bears in scoring, and is fourth in Canada West, with 19.5 PPG. He is also third in free-throw percentage (87%), second in three-pointers made (three per game), sixth in steals, 12th in assists, and first in minutes played.
Despite just two seasons with the Bears, Ferguson owns a pair Alberta career basketball records: career points per game average (21.5), and career average minutes played (34.6 per game). The points per game record used to belong to former Golden Bears’ standout Doug Baker who averaged 18.4 points per game between 1974 and 1977, an era of basketball which had no three-point scoring rule. The minutes played record previously belonged to Robbie Valpreda (2001-02). Ferguson also owns the Golden Bears’ single season record for points in a season (552), and the single season mark for three-pointers made (82). His name can also be found among the leaders in career and single season three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, field goals attempted, and three-pointers attempted.
Both the No.8 ranked Pandas and No. 10 ranked Golden Bears are playoff bound, but the Pandas will play their post-season action on the road.
The Bears (12-6) are in second place in the Prairie Division, trailing the 13-4 Saskatchewan Huskies, but will host a playoff round February 24-26. A pair of wins over 7-11 Brandon this weekend, combined with a pair losses by the Huskies, would see Alberta slide into first place in the division. No matter where they finish, the Golden Bears will host a team from BC in the playoffs.
The Pandas (11-7) will likely finish fourth in the Prairie Division, and travel to 13-3 UBC for the opening round of the playoffs. There is a mathematical chance Alberta could end up in third if Saskatchewan (13-4) loses their three remaining games, but they would still travel to BC to play Fraser Valley.