LETHBRIDGE –The RDC Kings defence wasn’t strong enough to hold off a solid NAIT Ooks team at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championships in Lethbridge Thursday.
Without starting forward Daniel Powell, the Kings dropped their quarter-final matchup 106-99 to the Ooks.
RDC hung tough with NAIT in the opening quarter but allowed a 33-point second quarter that helped the number two seed pull away.
Although the Kings stormed back and made the game close in the third, they couldn’t close the gap.
Spencer Klassen, a third-year guard from Red Deer led the way for the Kings with 25 points in the loss. Eric Bakker added 23 points and Omon Edobar chipped in 19.
Edobar, a first-year guard from Calgary was named the ACAC South Division rookie of the year Wednesday before the tournament and was selected first team All-Conference.
The six-foot-three guard had a stellar rookie year, leading the Kings to a 14-7 record and third-place finish in the South Division. In 19 games, he averaged 18.5 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. His points per game ranked sixth in the ACAC.
“We have a trio of very capable rookies, and I thought that one would receive the Rookie of the Year. As the season went on, Omon started to stand out from the group,” said RDC Kings head coach Clayton Pottinger in a press release.
“He was playing the most minutes for us. He was contributing offensively and defensively in multiple positions and showed veteran poise. It’s easy to forget that he’s a rookie when you watch him play.”
Freshman guard Dshawn Tyrell had 12 points in the defeat and was also picked as a first-team All-Conference player.
Tyrell, a Cook Apprenticeship student, finished seventh in ACAC Men’s Basketball with 17.8 points per game. The student-athlete from Malton, Ont. added 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and shot 48 per cent from the field.
RDC will face the Keyano College Huskies on Friday afternoon at the ACAC Men’s Basketball Championships.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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