Men's Basketball Huskies ascend to the top of CCAA, winning the historic first national gold medal

To clinch their first Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Gold Medal in the program’s history, the Keyano Huskies Men's Basketball team had to play a solid 40 minutes against the George Brown College Huskies. While a full 40-minute effort is always debatable based upon the efforts and runs of the opposition – something the OCAA’s Huskies did well in their bid for a victory – the ACAC’s Huskies emerged victorious with a 68-55 win.

“I think it’s going to take some time to settle in, but a lot of hard work over the years, and this group of guys bought in from the beginning,” Head Coach Jeremy Wielenga said. “We came together at the right time and peaked at the right time. We relied on defence, which wins championships. It’s won us two championships in the last three weeks.”

The rosters from previous national bids of 2013 and 2016 had put in their work, come and gone. Wielenga's 14-10 record in 2017-18 was the first, followed by years of regular season dominance, only to battle to overcome a legendary run by one of the Huskies’ historical rivals. Despite those heart-breaking defeats, Wielenga and the Huskies kept coming back each year.  In 2024, it’s all come together to immortalize the team in ACAC and CCAA history.

“The last couple of years, we’ve had heart-breaking defeat; we’ve really been through it,” Wielenga said. “Maybe that’s what built us for this run and gave us the experience we needed to get through it. We stayed calm and composed whenever something came up and found a way to get through it. I couldn’t be prouder of the guys. They’re the ones who made all the plays; they did all the work. They’re the guys that got it done. Hats off to our team, and hats off to our guys.”

Even following the ACAC Championship win, national success was not guaranteed. Many ACAC Champions before them had gone and not come away with gold. All three wins had their learning curves for the Huskies to get comfortable, get into their groove, and push ahead at the right time. 

Think of the Huskies, who, more often than not, dominated the three-point shooting battle. They had six games of double-digit three-point shots in the regular season, made 26 across three games in the ACAC Playoffs, and added 14 in the opening quarter-final matchup against the Camosun Chargers. 

With a CCAA Gold Medal on the line, they made two on 19 attempts on Saturday. That might understandably rattle any team, but not the Huskies. There would be time to reflect – and hopefully celebrate - after the final whistle on Saturday. Until then, Wielenga and the Huskies kept their foot on the gas. “They’ve bought in all year in terms of preparation,” Wielenga added. “Between winning on Thursday night and Saturday, we had six film sessions and two practices, and I think that made the difference tonight. Guys were locked in and ready for everything that George Brown did. They bought in, and defence got it done.”

In the end, the stat line followed a familiar blueprint for a Huskies win. Four players ended up in double digits, led by an 18-point performance by DJ Haynes. Omeechi Williams, who knocked down those two three-point shots, had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Evan Meyer was close with 16 points and nine rebounds. Down five after the first quarter, the Huskies charged ahead in the second with 23 points in an 8:16 span of the second quarter. On the other side of the ball, the Keyano Huskies limited their opponents to five points in the quarter until a three-point shot in the final minute brought the margin to a respectable 10 points at the half. The OCAA's Huskies did close the gap to six in the second half, only to be responded to by a three from Williams seconds later, dampening the opposition's momentum.  

As the Huskies from George Brown College attempted a comeback, they kept it simple. Layup after layup, making good on seven of eight free throw attempts. It all widened the gap and ran time off the clock, a winning combination that filled Wielenga with immense pride.  “I’m very proud to be the coach and work at Keyano College,” Wielenga said. “We just work as hard as we can to try and make everybody proud in the Fort McMurray community. We’ve had a lot of great teams in soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and for us to do it, it means a lot.”

Save a thought for Keenan Miller as well. He played his way into a starting role in his first season in the ACAC and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, averaging 14.33 points per game over the Huskies’ three-game run.  “Unbelievable weekend,” Wielenga commented of Miller. “He really came on strong for us here down the stretch. His defence has been absolutely essential for us to win a championship. In the SAIT game, the St. Mary’s game, we kept giving him bigger and bigger tasks as we went into Camosun, Humber, and George Brown. He deserved it. He wasn’t recognized at the ACAC All-Stars, but we knew he was an all-star. Now he’s the MVP of the national tournament.”

Vanier College will host the 2025 edition of the national tournament in Montreal, Quebec.