Game 1 Recap – PEI vs. Variety Village

Variety Village Rebels 72 – PEI Mustangs 48

The Variety Village Rebels defeated the hometown PEI Mustangs 72-48 in the opening game of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The defending-champion Rebels (1-0) took the early lead and never looked back en route to a decisive victory. Variety Village shot 56.9 % from field goal range and made the most of second chance opportunities. PEI showed some resiliency after falling behind on the scoreboard, but a pair of offensive dry spells in the first and third quarter put the game out of reach. Despite the deficit, the Mustangs finished strong, outscoring the Rebels by a 19-9 margin in the final frame.

The one-two combination of Dayton Sopha and Mor Peretz led the offensive charge for Variety Village, scoring 31 and 28 points respectively. Stephen Farquharson and Clary Stubbert were the offensive catalysts for the Mustangs, tallying 17 and 11 points, respectively.

Game 2 Recap – Club ’99 vs. Gladiateurs de Laval

Gladiateurs de Laval 75 – Club ’99 49

The Gladiateurs de Laval defeated Saskatchewan’s Club ’99 75-49 in game 2 of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Gladiateurs (1-0) held the edge on the scoreboard 15-11 after an hotly contested opening quarter. Laval generated a steady offensive output the rest of the way, posting 20 points in each of the remaining three quarters. Club ’99 battled to keep pace with the opposition, trailing by just 12 points to begin the final frame, but could not sustain the offence to end the game.

Marc-Antoine Ducharme dropped a team-high 26 points for Laval, while teammate Carl Pelletier chimed in with 19 points. Blaine Hancock was an offensive juggernaut for Club ’99 with a game-high 40 point-effort.

Game 3 Recap – Douglas College Royals vs. Bulldogs de Quebec

Bulldogs de Quebec 80 – Douglas College Royals 67

The Bulldogs de Quebec defeated the Douglas College Royals 80-67 in game 3 of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Bulldogs exploded with 28 points in the first quarter to take an 17-point lead into the second frame. The DC Royals rebounded in the second and third quarters, outscoring the Bulldogs 19-18 each period as both teams consistently hit the mesh. Douglas College trimmed the lead to nine points in the dying minutes of the final quarter, but the Bulldogs shut down the comeback to secure the win.

Maxime Poulin was a force on the court with 42 points for Quebec. Matt Gee scored a team-high 28 points for Douglas College.

Game 4 Recap – Fredericton Lightning vs. Saint John Mavericks

Saint John Mavericks 62 – Fredericton Lightning 40

The Saint John Mavericks defeated the Fredericton Lightning 62-40 in game 4 of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Mavericks and Lightning traded baskets in a tight opening frame, with Saint John seizing the slight edge 14-13. The Mavericks found their mark in the second quarter, outscoring their New Brunswick rivals 19-7, good enough for a 33-20 lead at the half. Both teams maintained the pace throughout the second half, as the Mavericks held on for the victory.

Bill Hill led the way for the Mavericks with 19 points. Dustin McGouey countered for the Lightning with a team-high 12 points.

Game 5 Recap – Variety Village vs. Gladiateurs de Laval

Gladiateurs de Laval 81 – Variety Village 78

The Gladiateurs de Laval club improved its record to 2-0 thanks to a comeback 81-78 win over Variety Village in game 5 of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Variety Village started the game strong with 18 points in the opening quarter and carried momentum into the half with 38-23 lead after two frames. Laval answered with a monstrous third quarter effort, dropping 28 points and climbing to within three points on the scoreboard. The Gladiateurs would complete the comeback in a back-and-forth final quarter to seize the win.

Marc-Antoine Ducharme continued to display his scoring touch with 32 points for Laval, while Mor Peretz dropped a game-high 35 points for Variety Village.

Game 6 Recap – Club ’99 vs. PEI Mustangs

PEI Mustangs 68 – Club ’99 52

The PEI Mustangs club captured its first win at the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals with a 68-52 victory over Club ’99 at the University of Prince Edward Island, in Charlottetown.

The Mustangs and Club ’99 were both ready to play at opening tip off, as both clubs sought to earn their first victory following losses earlier in the day. The teams battled throughout a tight first half, with the Mustangs clinging to a 1-point lead – 28-27 – to begin the third quarter. PEI turned up the heat in the latter half of the game and pulled away on the scoreboard in the final frame to enter the win column. Shooting accuracy proved to be the difference in the game, as Club ’99 struggled to hit the target shooting 37.9% from field goal range.

Adam Loo led the offensive charge for PEI with a game-high 34 points. Blaine Hancock replied for Club ’99 with a team-high 26 points.

Game 7 Recap – Douglas College Royals vs. Saint John Mavericks

Saint John Mavericks 68 – Douglas College Royals 59

The Saint John Mavericks remained undefeated on day one of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals with a 68-59 win against the Douglas College Royals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Mavericks (2-0) took charge of the game early, tallying 26 points to open the contest for a 16-point lead at the end of the first quarter. The Royals maintained their composure and found their groove in the second and third quarters, narrowing the gap to within five points going into the final frame. However, the Royals could not complete the comeback as the Mavericks outscored them 16-12 to end the game. Foul trouble played a role in the outcome as well, as Saint John had 30 attempts from the free throw line, compared to 12 by the Royals.

Maverick Brian Lawrence scored a game-high 20 points, and teammate Bill Hill contributed 19 points in the victory. Matt Gee dropped a team-high 18 points for the Royals, with teammate Makiko Harada chiming in with 12 points.

Game 8 Recap – Bulldogs de Quebec vs. Fredericton Lightning

Bulldogs de Quebec 59 – Fredericton Lightning 43

The Bulldogs de Quebec recorded its second win on opening day of the 2012 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Open Finals with a 59-43 triumph over the Fredericton Lightning in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The undefeated Bulldogs (2-0) started strong in the opening quarter en route to a 17-7 lead after the first frame. The Lightning responded with some strong play in the second quarter, outscoring Quebec 17-12 to come within five points on the scoreboard at the halfway mark of the game. Quebec picked up the pace in the third quarter with 20 points while limiting Fredericton (0-2) to just eight points. The teams traded baskets in the final quarter as Quebec joined Laval and Saint John as the only undefeated teams at the tournament.

Maxime Poulin delivered another solid offensive performance for Quebec with a game-high 30 points. Dustin McGouey scored a team best 11 points for Fredericton.