The University of Winnipeg Wesmen men’s basketball team defeated the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, 90-84, in the Canada West bronze medal game played at UBC. The Cascades finish the 2013 season with a 12-15 record (10-12 regular season, 2-3 playoffs).
Tonight’s bronze medal game was very typical of two teams that had lost heart breaking semi-final games just 24 hours earlier. The fast pace very entertaining contest saw 26 lead changes and plenty of offense and very little defensive play. The Wesmen jumped out to an early lead with a six point run at the start but UFV came back quickly hitting on consecutive three point baskets to tie the game. The race to see who would score next favored Winnipeg early as they led by five points after the first quarter. The Cascades and Wesmen kept the offense coming in the second quarter as both teams shot in the high 40 percent range for the half (Winnipeg 48 percent and UFV 44). The Wesmen led by three points at the break.
The second half was more of the same run and gun style play as UFV outscored the Wesmen by four points to go into the final quarter up by one. The Cascades would suffer the same fate as a night earlier as midway through the final quarter Winnipeg went on a nine point run to clinch the bronze medal. Winnipeg shot 50 percent from the floor in the half, while UFV 40 percent.
In his final CIS game James York, Richland, Washington led UFV with 23 points. Kyle Grewal, Surrey, BC also closing out his five year CIS career added 19 points , Kevon Parchment, Toronto, Ontario rounded out the Cascades in double figures with 11 points. Klaus Figueredo, Calgary, Alberta and Parchment each pulled down 9 boards for UFV.