Sheridan College's Trevor Williams stuck a dagger in the heart of the Quest Kermodes men's basketball team and their fans with just 6.5 seconds to go on Thursday (March 13).
Williams drilled a three with the game tied at 84 and it proved to be the game winning shot for the Sheridan Bruins after Quest failed to convert on the final play of the game.
The win keeps the Bruins gold medal dreams alive but for Quest it means the best they can now hope for is bronze.
The back and forth game saw Quest pull out to an eight point lead after the first quarter the Bruins closed the gap and then traded leads with the Kermodes for most of the fourth quarter.
Williams struggled in the first half, only making one of eight shots but made eight of 13 in the second half to lead his team to the win.
They were backing in and giving me my shot, he said. I trust my shot and on that play I trusted my shot and took it.
He said the Bruins are used to playing in tight games like the one on Thursday.
We've been in a lot of close games, he said. The OCAA West is a very hard division and every games is a battle they're all close games. I think we're built for games like these.
Quest fans were a factor for much of the game, with chants and effective tactics to throw the Bruins off on the free throw line. Sheridan was nine of 18 from the line for the game, including four of 10 when they were shooting in front of a large group of Quest fans.
The crowd is crazy here, Williams said. But we knew Quest was a good team. They beat Langara and we knew they had a great shooter in #8 [Jose Colorado]. They play with heart and we knew it would be a battle. Our coach told us they were a good team and they proved that today.
Despite the crowd's attempts to throw he and his teammates off, Williams said it was a fun atmosphere to play in.
We're a fired up team and we love engaging with the crowd, he said. At the end of the day there's no hard feelings and it's all love. You have to love team spirit like the Quest fans had.
Williams led the way with 23 points for the Bruins, with Paul Williams adding 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Quest head coach Sean Shook said it was a heartbreaking end to the Kermodes golden dreams.
I'm disappointed for the guys, he said. We had an opportunity to win a game like this on such a big stage I feel bad for them. They're great kids and I love being around them so to see them not have the success I thought they deserved tonight is tough.
Colorado had an outstanding game for Quest, with 27 points including hitting six of 10 three point shots. Guard Cartiea French-Toney added 20 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and three steals.
The Kermodes next take on the Crandall Chargers from New Brunswick on Friday (March 14) at 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, it was a rough start for the Quest women's basketball team at the CCAA women's nationals in Montreal on Thursday. Quest lost 70-58 to the MacEwan Griffins, meaning they're in the same boat as the men and the best they can hope for is bronze.
The other teams advancing in the men's winner's bracket were: the Langara Falcons, Red Deer Kings and Vanier Cheetahs.
Stay tuned to The Chief online for more coverage of both tournaments.
