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Rattlers finish just off podium, falling in overtime to Vikings

Mar 3, 2019 | 11:00 AM

LLOYDMINSTER, AB – In a game that came down to the wire, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers men’s basketball team fell just three points short of a provincial medal.

The Rattlers fell 107-104 in an overtime thriller to the University of Alberta-Augustana Vikings on Saturday afternoon in the bronze medal game at the ACAC championship tournament.

A Mason Hunter three-pointer with 33 seconds to go proved to be the difference for the Vikings, as the Rattlers ended their season with a fourth place finish in the province.

Trailing 23-21 after the first quarter, the Rattlers dug themselves into a hole before halftime as Augustana was able to roll with 10 points from Spencer Marion in the second quarter to lead 52-43 at the break.

Medicine Hat came alive in the third quarter however, as Nick Murschell provided eight points and six rebounds over six minutes of play to give the Rattlers a 75-73 lead.

The Rattlers were seconds away from clinching a bronze medal with a Jaamel Slack free throw late in the fourth quarter, however Augustana’s Calen Dubuc was able to beat the buzzer with a jump shot to force overtime.

A Slack jumper with less than three minutes remaining in OT gave the Rattlers a 100-97 lead, but the Vikings did not go away and went on a 5-1 run to jump ahead by a single point.

Newly crowned ACAC South Rookie of the Year Arthur Rosa was able to tie it at 102-102 off a free throw, that was until Hunter’s three point shot gave the Vikings the late lead.

Rosa hit two more free throws to make it a 105-104 contest, but Augustana tacked on a pair of late free throws themselves to earn the bronze medal.

Playing all 45 minutes on Saturday, Rosa had one of his best games of the season in the loss with a game-high 33 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.

Graduating Rattlers Slack and DeAngelo Ashley closed out their ACAC careers on Saturday, with Slack netting 24 points and Ashley picking up nine points himself.

For the first time since re-joining the Rattlers at the start of second semester, Kieron Burgess was held to under a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds on the afternoon.

Following Saturday’s match, both Slack and Rosa were named to the tournament’s second all-star team.

As for the Rattlers women’s basketball team, they defeated the St. Mary’s Lightning earlier in the day 84-77 to take home a fifth place finish in the ACAC.

Medicine Hat College’s athletic season will wrap up this spring with futsal competitions before players head home for the summer.