NCAA Basketball took Vancouver by storm last week at the inaugural TCL Vancouver Showcase. The purpose-built basketball arena under the sails at the Vancouver Convention Centre East played host to fierce competition in the men’s and women’s tournament and created an atmosphere like no other.
Fans travelled from near and far to take in the action.
Feature: Gopher fans rave about time at NCAA VancouverShowcase, saying people here are “Minnesota Nice”
Women’s Final Re-cap
Shades of last years Final Four, Notre Dame found themselves playing from behind but coming together for a great finish. Junior guard JackieYoung led the attack with her posed play, finishing with 23 points 8 rebounds and 4 assist.
TCL Vancouver Showcase MVP Arike Ogunbowale scored 12 of her21 points in the fourth and Brianna Turner added 21 points and grabbed 9 boards while supporting forward Jessica Shepard tallied up 17 points and pulling down10 rebounds.
Oregon State was in control and had their hand on the game with Destiny Slocum running the show at point. Slocum ended with 22 points. TheBeavers had four players in double figures - Mikayla Pivec(17), AleahGoodman(10) and Kat Tudor with 16 points.
Down the home stretch the Fighting Irish pulled away out scoring the Beavers 23 to 11 ending the TCL Showcase Championship 91-81.
Jackie Young won Player of the Game honors and Arike Ogunbowale received tournament MVP.
Men’s Final Re-cap
It was a pretty fitting match-up between the University ofMinnesota and the Washington Huskies to conclude the men’s side of the TCLVancouver Basketball Showcase. The Gophers went undefeated with buzzer beater win in finals. Washington came into the tournament a preseason Top 25 team and4-1 on the season prior to their finals meeting with the Gophers.
Husky Forward Noah Dickerson showed up tonight with a big 28points and 7 rebounds, topping his 25 point game from the previous night.Dickerson and Nowell combined for 50 of Washington’s 66 points for the game. Both the team’s struggled shooting from the field in the first half, Minnesota 26 percent to the Huskies 37percent but Washington was able to maintain control in low scoring 1st half 25to 20.
Double-double machine Jordan Murphy and Junior swingman AmirCoffey sparked the turn around for the Gophers combining for 35 the of the team’s 68 points with 29 coming in the second half between the two alone. AsMinnesota battled back, point guard Isaiah Washington stepped up and knocked down 4 crucial free throws but it would come down to freshman Gabe Kalscheur’s game winning 3 just before buzzer went off. Kalscheur’s shot would save theGophers winning start to the season putting them at 5-0.
Jordan Murphy was the tournaments Most Outstanding Player and during the TCL Showcase, Murphy became Minnesota’s all time leader in rebounds passing Mychal Thompson. The senior forward is currently averaging 13 points 12rebounds and 4 assist per contest.
See you next year!
