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| Dalhousie's Robert Nortmann gets past Carleton's Aaron Doornekamp. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
With the CIS Final 8 not returning to Halifax until 2011, local fans of university basketball are paying closer attention to exhibition games and tournaments that feature out of region teams. The Dalhousie Tigers hosted the 18th Annual Rod Shoveller Memorial Basketball Tournament over the holiday break and they too got a close up look at top level basketball.
The Carleton Ravens, national champions from 2003 through 2007, rolled into Dalplex on January 2 and rolled out again on January 4 with three emphatic wins over AUS competition.
The Ravens showed why they are currently the top-ranked university team in Canada with 27-, 12-, and 22-point victories over Acadia, Dalhousie, and third ranked St. FX. Their technically dominant performance was a treat for local basketball fans, who last saw Carleton in March 2007 when they captured their fifth straight national title at the Halifax Metro Centre.
Dalhousie head coach John Campbell believes events such as the Shoveller are a great way to see how AUS teams stack up against the best teams in the country, as well as fulfilling “an important role in allowing Maritime fans the opportunity to see the best teams in the AUS compete against top teams from across the country.”
The Tigers only managed one win in the three-day tournament—an opening night victory over Bishop’s, a fact that coach Campbell acknowledges, while also believing his team learned from the experience.
“I think our goal in that game (against Carleton) was definitely to win. However, I think we can take some potential positives from that game. We discovered that if we compete at a high level of intensity and effort we can play with the best teams in the country. We also discovered the result of any lapses in attention or effort and the cost on our performance.”
With almost three quarters of their season remaining, the Tigers used the tournament to get back into game shape. Coach Campbell remains confident going forward saying “the Shoveller tournament is an important part of our preparation for the second part of the season. With the season structured as it is we have a five week break with no games. The Shoveller offers us a chance to play three games prior to the remaining 14 conference games. The fact that we were able to play competitive games against good teams is essential in that preparation.”
The Tigers are back in action at the Dalplex on Saturday, January 10 when they host UNB. The women play at 1 p.m., while the men take the court at 3 p.m. Dalhousie faculty and staff receive a one dollar discount on admission, while full-time Dalhousie students are admitted for free to all Dalhousie Tigers home games.