HAMILTON (Be One Program) The Be One All-Canadian Weekend concluded Sunday with a pair of All-Star Games at McMaster University in Hamilton.
The weekend celebrated and rewarded the accomplishments of top Canadian university (CIS) and college (CCAA) coaches and athletes.
Over the weekend the athletes showcased their skills and were coached by National Team personnel such as Senior Men's National Team Head Coach Leo Rautins and Senior Women's National Team Head Coach Allison McNeill.
The women tipped-off at noon with Canada Red jumping to a 25-18 first quarter lead. Canada Red continued to build on their lead in the second quarter to take a 53-29 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Canada White rebounded in the third quarter holding Canada Red to just nine points while posting 22 of their own to cut the lead to 11 points. However, Canada Red responded in the fourth quarter, outscoring their opponents 17-9 and winning the game 79-60.
UNB's Carolyn Plummer of Canada Red was named game MVP and was the game's high scorer with 17 points and top rebounder with 11. Five players scored in double digits for Canada Red while three players achieved that feat for Canada White including team-high scorers Chiara Rocca of McMaster and Leslie Duncan of Dalhousie with 13 points apiece.
In the men's game it was Canada White that took the first quarter lead, 28-22. The second quarter saw both defences tighten up in an evenly matched contest that saw Canada White outscore Canada Red 13-12 for a 41-34 halftime lead.
The back-and-forth affair continued into the third quarter with Canada White outscoring Canada Red 24-23 before Canada Red pulled away in the fourth quarter to win the game 89-74.
Université Laval and Canada White forward Jean-Philippe Morin was the game's high scorer with 21 points. He also tallied 11 rebounds for his team's only double-double. Cape Breton's Paul Blake paced Canada Red with 16 points. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double.
Devon Campbell and Garry Gallimore were presented with pictures at their respective game halftimes to acknowledge their achievement of being a 2005 National Team player and a 2006 CIS postseason participant.
Over the weekend players also learned about Canada's elite performance system and their opportunities in the game (playing, coaching, officiating) past their university or college eligibility. A highlight of the off-court activities was the opportunity to meet national team alumni such as Leo Rautins, Sherman Hamilton and CIS national team alumni Angela Hrkac, Titus Channer and Andy Kwiatkowski to discuss the commitment needed to play at a national team level and their key learning's about taking that next step to the professional game.
In conjunction with the event, Canada Basketball also held a Be One coaching clinic on Saturday, May 13, at Hamilton's Saint Mary's Catholic Secondary School and McMaster University beginning at 2 p.m. The clinic featured National Team coaches Leo Rautins, Allison McNeill and Dave Smart.
Basketball Canada