$100 Giveaway & Beer Gardens highlight start of ACAC Basketball Season

Time to shine up the sneakers, stretch out the legs and prepare for another fast-paced,
hard-nosed, buzzer beating season of ACAC basketball.

The Cougars men’s and women’s basketball teams will get a chance to showcase their new look rosters as the tip off to the 2010-11 basketball season is just around the corner.

Cougar Women:

Returning only four athletes from last season, the women’s team has had one of the biggest roster turnovers for any of the Cougars teams, as nine new bodies join the Cougars’ lineup.

While that would be a sign of troubling times for most teams, Enevoldson’s new recruits bring a wealth of experience as two juniors have been added to the mix in Emily Larson (University of Toronto) and Kari Youmans (Red Deer College) who add depth and experience to the Cougars lineup.

Meanwhile, fifth-year athlete Jamie Morck (U of C) whom Enevoldson says “gets better every time she steps on the floor” will look add a level of tenacity and rebounding in the paint the Cougars have been lacking in recent years.

With sophomores, Nikki Golding and Carrie Pickering making big strides in the off-season, the team looks poised now more than ever to compete for the ACAC championship.

Head coach Joe Enevoldson says, while it’s been a great pre-season, the team is looking forward to the start of regular season action.

“I think we’re really looking forward to establishing where we are at in league play,” said Enevoldson. “We’ve had a tough non-conference exhibition schedule to start the season, and it’s been a good test to see where we’re at and what we needed to get better at. So I guess this week we’ll see if that came true.”

The Cougars will square off against the Medicine Hat Rattlers in a home and home series starting at Mount Royal on Friday night.

The Rattlers were 7-13 last season, but are not to be overlooked.

Tip-off for the women is at 6:00 p.m. at MRU’s Kenyon Court.

Cougar Men:

Two years removed from claiming their second overall CCAA national banner, the Cougar men will look to regain their championship form as they start the new year.

Leading the charge will be ACAC all-conference gaurds Cam Dodd and Steve Trinidad who pack a powerful 1-2 punch in the Cougars backcourt, averaging a combined 34 points per game last season.

Up front, the Cougars will be hard pressed to replace CCAA Basketball Player of the Year, Brett Kobe, but will look to former Cougar and all-conference player Nick Wiebe , University of Regina transfer Will Tallman and Concordia transfer Jared Cornish to fill the void.

The team will look to continue to play an aggressive style and take advantage of their quickness, athleticism, and experience at both ends of the floor.

Game time for the men is at 8:00 p.m. also on Kenyon Court.

If you’re looking for a great way to kick off the ACAC season, join the Cougars basketball teams as they look to start off on the right foot.

Adding to the night, Cougar Athletics will be giving away a $100 gift card during the evening, as well as hosting our beer and wine gardens on the track level.

Admission is always free for students and staff, so stop making excuses and fill your Friday night with some of the best basketball in the country.

Hope to see you there!