SAIT beat Falcons to close out Nationals

LANGLEY, BC, (March 16, 2019) - A disappointing weekend ended on a somewhat positive note for the SAIT Trojans men's basketball team.

After dropping their first two games at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championship, the Trojans won their final game, beating the host Langara College Falcons 114-99 in their season-ending placement game to leave B.C. with a 1-2 record.

"We wanted to get everyone in, and we did that. We were happy to see everyone contribute in their own way," said Trojans head coach Marty Birky. "This was an interesting tournament in that the top seven ranked teams in the country were here; it's my third time here and that's never happened. . . The coaches here have joked if we re-jumbled the matchups, we would have a completely different result, but that's the way it goes."

Trojans guard Ian Tevis made sure his final post-secondary game was one to remember, as the fifth-year guard from Kent, Wash., finished with a game-high 43 points to go along with 10 rebounds and seven steals.

"With a green light, Ian is going to let it fly and that's what he did," said Birky. "He's a dynamic player, and when he gets it going, he gets it going."

Teammate John Smith added 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Charlie Conner chipped in with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Royce Sargeant led the Falcons with 28 points and nine assists.

Despite leaving without a medal, Birky said his team should be proud of the way they played this season. Not to be forgotten is the fact his team earned their third straight Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) title.

"We had a great year, and we can appreciate it for a bit," he said. "But, we're still chasing that national title."