University of Windsor Lancers Issac Kuon, left, attempts to reach for the ball from University of Saskatchewan Michael Linklater (11) during quarterfinal action at the 2010 Final 8 CIS men's basketball championships at the Scotiabank Place Friday March 19, 2010, in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred ChartrandFRED CHARTRAND/The Canadian Press
The fifth-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies survived a furious second-half charge by the No. 4 Windsor Lancers and held on for a 71-68 win in quarter-final action Friday at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's basketball championship.
Saskatchewan will play the winner of the quarter-final match between No. 1 Carleton and No. 8 UQAM on Saturday.
The Huskies were up by as much as 22 points in the second half and trailed only once in the game, when Windsor scored the first point of the night.
But the Lancers outscored Saskatchewan 15-6 in the fourth quarter and had several chances to tie the match in the final 1:51, only to miss seven three-point shots.
The last opportunity came at the buzzer when Andre Smyth's desperate attempt from centre court missed to the left.
"We just couldn't make shots in the second half," said Saskatchewan head coach Greg Jockims, whose players shot 19 per cent from the field (4-21) in the final 20 minutes. "It's good to get through the first game. Tomorrow we'll be more relaxed."
Showron Glover, a guard from Fresno, Calif., who led the CIS in scoring this year with 28.1 points per game, paced the winners with 16 points, including 12 on 13 trips to the free-throw line.
Fifth-year guard Michael Linklater of Saskatoon was named Saskatchewan player of the game after he amassed 11 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore Nolan Brudehl of Saskatoon added 11 points, while fifth-year forward Troy Gottselig of Findlater, Sask., had 10.
Fourth-year forward Isaac Kuon of Mississauga, Ont., scored a game-high 17 points in the loss and was chosen as Windsor's MVP. Smyth, a native of Windsor, finished with 16 points, while freshman Enrico Diloreto of London, Ont., scored 13. Notes: Saskatchewan extended its winning streak to 11 straight games and has won 15 of 16 since early January... Three Canada West teams will play in the semifinals of the championship for the sixth time in history (2010, 1996, 1994, 1989, 1987, 1980) and for the first time since 1996 when Brandon, Alberta and UBC reached the Final Four, along with Toronto... The OUA had sent at least two teams to the semis each of the past three years...