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Reigning or Raining Threes for Kings Cusumano
03/16/2012...Truro, Nova Scotia - Cheetahs are one of the world’s fastest animals. But can they out run a King?
Well…both teams ran and ran and ran as attested by the final score 106-103 as the Red Deer Kings (Seed No. 8) defeated the Vanier College Cheetahs (Seed No. 5) in the consolation semi-final at the 2012 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s National Basketball Championships held in Truro Nova Scotia this afternoon.
The stats lines were nearly identical the first half.
The Kings biggest lead was five points at 24-19 with a Jacobs Cusumano three pointer with 4:35 to go in the first quarter.
Cheetahs up 32-29 after 10 minutes.
Cheetahs went up six points 35-29 with only 38 seconds into the second quarter with a Trevon Walker free throw.
A Walker two pointer with 1:07 remaining in the half gave the Cheetahs a 52-50 edge.
Walker had 15 points at the half while Kings Rob Pierce broke out of his shooting slump from the opening game to hit for 15 points on seven for 12 shooting. He also had six boards. Cusumano went three for three from behind the three point arc for 12 points at the half.
Both teams shot over 55% for the first half from two point range but the Cheetahs bench was far more productive outscoring the Kings 23 to seven.
Cheetahs held two eight point leads in the third quarter 60-52 at the 8:18 mark with a Benjamin Millaud hoops and a two pointer by Michael Dosado with two seconds remaining 85-77.
Kings Sarain Soonias had brought the Kings within three 76-73 with a steal and dunk with 2:18 remaining in the third.
Three three pointers by Cusumano in the fourth all within a two minute span brought the Kings within one or two points each time, 96-95, 99-98 and 103-101.
With 15 seconds remaining Lloyd Strickland went coast- to coast to tie the game 103-103 and was fouled making the free throw 104-103. Cheetahs were unable to score on the following posession.
Pierce led Kings with 27 points and Cusumano had 24 points with seven for 10 from three point range.
Millaud-Meunier, Benjamin had 25 points for the Cheetahs and Walker 23 points.
“I have been playing high scoring games all my life so it was just another game,” said Cusumano after the game during an interview on sportscanada.tv. “We knew we were out of the gold medal round so today we went out and played loose and had fun. We played more relaxed. They are a great team and it felt good to beat them.”
Kings head coach Clayton Pottinger said that Cusumano has the “green light” to shoot when open.
“We tell him to shoot when he has a good look but sometimes he will dribble before the shot (allowing defender to close in). Today he hit his first couple of shots and felt comfortable so he took those instructions to heart.”
Pottinger was also high in praise for Pierce.
“He was back to his regular form and we need him to get a double-double (double digit numbers in points and rebounds) for us to stay playing at this level.”
Kings still have the opportunity to play for the bronze medal if they win their next game.
Later today the Mount Royal Cougars play Indiens d'Ahuntsic in a semi-final. Cougars defeated Mount Saint Vincent Mystics 81-70 last night.
