Trojans make it four straight

CAMROSE, ALTA., (March 7, 2020) - Make it four for the SAIT Trojans.

For the fourth-straight season, the Trojans men's basketball team emerged as the best in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) after handing the Ambrose University Lions a 91-69 defeat in the final of the Men's Basketball Championship Saturday night at the University of Alberta-Augustana in Camrose, Alta.

"It's amazing. It hasn't really hit me," said Trojans head coach Marty Birky after cutting down his fourth net. "I'm just really tired."

The Trojans, who captured their 15th title in program history, become the first ACAC men's basketball team to win four in a row since SAIT's men's team went on a run of seven straight from 1981-87. 

Their 22-point victory is the largest spread in a league championship since the Mount Royal University Cougars beat the Red Deer Kings by 24 back in 2012, 101-77

And all against a Lions team that took two of three from the Trojans during the regular season. 

"Much respect to that Ambrose team. They have come a long way since I got here three years ago, and they should be proud of that silver medal," said Trojans guard Charlie Conner (3rd year, Lacey, Wash., Business Administration), who scored 36 points in the win. "They looked scary in their first two games, but we just knew that we were going to show up on defence, and we did that all night."

Did they ever.

Ambrose averaged 99 points in their first two games of the tournament. The Trojans held them to just 32 in the first half on Saturday night.

"It's what we talked to our guys about ever since we knew we were going to play them," Birky said. They're a momentum team, and when they start seeing the ball go through the net, it's hard to stop them. They're scrappy, but you have to get on them quick and that's what happened in the first 20 minutes."

Helping Conner on the offensive side of the ball was centre, Taliik Ross (3rd year, Orange Park, Fla., Business Administration), who scored 15 points and added 11 rebounds; and Calvin Chambers (4th year, Memphis, Tenn., Business Administration), who added 16 points and eight rebounds of his own.

Chambers was named a First Team All-Tournament selection, while Ross earned Second Team honours.

Conner, who has spent his first two years at SAIT quietly doing his thing in the shadow of bigger personalities, was named the Tournament MVP after averaging 29.3 points per game.

Still though, he shrugged off any notion of becoming the go-to guy now.

"I don't know about that," he laughed. "My first couple of years I was blessed to play along with some great guys - John Smith, Ian Tevis, Nick Molina, Murphy Beya - and I learned from them. I believed in them and their ability to help us win titles, and I was happy to see that my team believed in me this weekend. It was great."

The win was especially important to shooting guard Tyis Yellow Horn (3rd year, Strathmore, Alta., Business Administration). In 1996, his father Shay also helped the Trojans to an ACAC title.

Twenty-four years after his dad etched his name into the history books, Tyis completed the circle.

"It's a really special moment for me, to grow up and have my dad there all throughout my life. He was my biggest role model, my biggest hero. It means the world to me," he said. "Unfortunately, he couldn't make it because he's coaching my little brother this weekend, but we talked last night about my game, staying confident and making sure to leave it all out on the floor."

Now the Trojans are off to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championship, hosted by Humber College in Toronto, March 18-21.

The past three trips to nationals has not gone especially well for the Trojans, who finished in the 5-6 spot in 2017 and 2018, and seventh place last year.

After being asked what will be different this time around, Birky smiled.

"We play defence now."