Labatt Super Men’s League Divisional Finals 2002-03

Division 1 Championship
MONEYBROKERS CASH IN FOR WIN
For the first time in ten years there is a new Division One champion in Sr. Men’s Basketball in Winnipeg. The Moneybrokers, led by former University of Manitoba standout Ogo Okwumabua’s 24 points knocked off the Studs in a battle for top tier bragging rights in the Labatt Super Men’s League. The Drillers had won the previous nine titles before bowing out in one of this year’s semi-finals. The Moneybrokers were up 35-27 at the break and opened up a 10-point lead half way through the second half. From there the athletic squad, made up predominately of ex-university players, kept the pressure on the Studs and cruised to a 69-55 victory. Chris Lucas and Paul Fust added 13 and 11 points respectively for the Moneybrokers, while Murray Davidson had 20 points and Joe Ogums chipped in with 15 for the Studs.

Division 2 Championship
SLOTHS BETTER BRUTHAS
It was a four-point game early in the second half – but the Running Bruthas couldn’t get any closer as the St.Vital Sloths captured the Division 2 title of the Labatt Super Men’s League with a 89-71 win. The Sloths went into the break with a 46-35 lead, but saw the Bruthas climb back into the contest. An aggressive Sloth squad then pushed the lead back up to 10 points and were up by as much as 20 in the eventual victory. Derrick Shore poured in 30 points for the Sloths and Paul Lodewicks wasn’t far behind with 28. Richard McKuski led the Bruthas with 25 points, while Eli Viera added 13 more.

Division 3 Championship
BULLETS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS IN VICTORY
The Bullets outlasted a wiry bunch of veterans to take the Division 3 title of the Labatt Super Men’s League. Boston Pizza, with a roster boasting many players from one of the formerly longest serving teams in Sr. Men’s ball in Winnipeg – the Rockets – couldn’t muster enough to stay with the Bullets. A younger and quicker Bullets squad led 37-27 at the half and pulled away in the second frame to post an 86-67 win. It was the Bullets third Division Championship in a row. Penner knocked down 20 points to lead the Bullets, while Robson-Flatt added 17 more. Former Wesmen star Blaine Acton had 19 points and Mike Ayotte supplied 18 more for Boston Pizza.

Division 4 Championship
SWEAT HOGS THE BEST IN DIVISION FIVE
Ryan Kangas drained a foul shot to cap a three-point play, putting his team up 61-54 with 1:47 left in the game, and giving the Sweat Hogs the cushion they needed in an eventual 65-57 win over Masons and Bakers in the Division 4 Championship of the Labatt Super Men’s League. The Masons and Bakers, up from Division Five half way through the season, led 29-28 at the half. But a 14-0 run in the first six minutes of the second half gave the Sweat Hogs a lead they would not relinquish en route to the victory. Kangas was tops for the Sweat Hogs with 15 points, while Dave Friesen added 14 more. Luke Campbell and Joel Lindgren had 17 each for Masons and Bakers.

Division 5 Championship
RIM LICKERS HOLD OFF BLUES
In the Division Five Championship played at the Duckworth Centre on Monday night, youth prevailed over experience as the Rim Lickers knocked off the Blues 84-76. The Blues, playing in their 25th season and looking for their third division championship, stayed with the twenty-something Rim Lickers until the final moments of the game, before running out of gas. The Rim Lickers led 39-33 at the half and never trailed the rest of the way in the victory. The team moved up from Division Six at the half waypoint of the season, and is now on their way to Division 4 after capturing the championship. Patrick Gadsby led the Rim Lickers with 26 points while Dave Nykoluk supplied 15 more. The Blues got 26 points, including four three-pointers, from Garth McAlpine, while Scott Martins added 18 points.

Division 6 Championship
SONS OF SWAT ROUT TEAM ID FOR DIVISION CROWN
The Sons of Swat put the boots to Team ID in the Division Six Final of the Labatt Super Men’s League played at the Duckworth Centre on Monday night. Swat, running in their last game together, went out in style, crushing ID 87-57. ID found themselves in the final after posting a one-point upset win over the Swedish Cripplers, the top team in the division during the regular season. But ID was no match for Swat in the championship game, trailing 47-28 at the half and watching the deficit hit 30 points by the end of the contest. Swat was led by Kerry Mohammed’s 16 points, while Neil Armstrong added 15 and Sajjad Hashmi chipped in 14 in the win. Ralf Wagner had 12 points for ID.

Division 7 Championship
CRAZY MONKEYS KINGS OF DIVISION SEVEN JUNGLE
Wesmen Coach Dave Crook’s favourite team took the Division 7 Championship of the Labatt Super Men’s League by defeating Nothing but Net 65-51 in the title game. The Monkeys ran out to a 43-20 half-time lead and kept Nothing in check the rest of the way for the victory. Justin Pursaga led the Monkeys with 15 points, while second banana Ryan Hrynkow added 13 more. Mike Hamm had a game high 30 points for Nothing But Net.