X-Men basketball hold onto No. 6 ranking

February 28, 2012

CIS TOP TEN TUESDAY (#22)
Regina, Carleton top final basketball rankings

OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Regina women and Carleton University men led the CIS basketball weekly rankings from start to finish in 2011-12.

In the 14th and final women’s poll of the season, the Cougars (20-0 / 2-0) remain ahead of defending national champion Windsor (20-2 / 1-0), which sits at No. 2 for the ninth straight week.

After going undefeated in conference play for the first time in program history, Regina opened the playoffs last weekend with a two-game sweep of Winnipeg, 93-52 and 84-70, in the Canada West quarter-finals. The Cougars are now set to host the conference Final Four on Friday and Saturday. The semis will see top-ranked Regina battle No. 8 Fraser Valley (12-6 / 2-0), and No. 3 Saskatchewan (15-5 / 2-0) face No. 4 UBC (15-3 / 2-0).

In the final men’s poll, the reigning CIS champion Ravens (22-0 / 1-0) stay in front of the Lakehead Thunderwolves (20-2 / 1-0), ranked second for the seventh consecutive week.

Carleton, which finished the regular season with an unblemished record for the second straight year, beat Laurentian 87-66 in OUA quarter-final action over the weekend and will now travel to Waterloo for the conference Final Four. In Saturday’s semifinal round, the Ravens will square off against No. 8 McMaster (17-5 / 1-0), while the T-Wolves face Ryerson (13-9 / 1-0). Lakehead upset Carleton 77-62 in last year’s OUA Wilson Cup final.

In other national rankings released Tuesday, UNB remains at No. 1 in men’s hockey, while Guelph (women) and Windsor (men) hold on to the pole position in track and field.

In men’s hockey, the reigning University Cup champion Varsity Reds (20-5-3 / 2-0) took a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five AUS semifinal series against No. 9 UPEI, winning the first two contests 4-3 and 5-1. UNB, which will host the CIS championship in Fredericton from March 22 to 25, can eliminate the Panthers on Thursday night.

In track and field, there are only nine days left before the start of the CIS championships, which will be held at the University of Manitoba from March 8 to 10. The Windsor Lancers swept the OUA team banners last weekend and hope to repeat as CIS women’s and men’s champions next week in Winnipeg.

Despite their No. 1 ranking, the Guelph women settled for third place at the OUA championships.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (final poll of season)
(regular season / playoff records) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Regina (20-0 / 2-0) / 204 pts (17) / (1)
2. Windsor (20-2 / 1-0) / 187 / (2)
3. Saskatchewan (15-5 / 2-0) / 168 / (3)
4. UBC (15-3 / 2-0) / 153 / (4)
5. Carleton (17-5 / 1-0) / 134 / (5)
6. Ottawa (19-3 / 1-0) / 119 / (6)
7. Acadia (17-3) / 96 / (7)
8. Fraser Valley (12-6 / 2-0) / 91 / (9)
9. Alberta (13-7 / 0-2) / 65 / (8)
10. Cape Breton (15-5) / 50 / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: Calgary (40).

MEN’S BASKETBALL (final poll of season)
(regular season / playoff records) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Carleton (22-0 / 1-0) / 516 pts (43) / (1)
2. Lakehead (20-2 / 1-0) / 473 / (2)
3. Saskatchewan (16-4 / 2-0) / 430 / (3)
4. Fraser Valley (13-5 / 2-1) / 362 / (4)
5. Victoria (14-4 / 2-1) / 322 / (5)
6. StFX (16-4) / 306 / (6)
7. Alberta (14-6 / 2-0) / 266 / (8)
8. McMaster (17-5 / 1-0) / 223 / (9)
9. Concordia (14-2) / 167 / (NR)
10. UBC (13-5 / 0-2) / 112 / (7)

Other teams receiving votes: Acadia (43), Ryerson (38).

MEN’S HOCKEY
(regular season / playoff records) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. UNB (20-5-3 / 2-0) / 167 pts (14) / (1)
2. McGill (22-4-2 / 4-0) / 145 (3) / (2)
3. Manitoba (20-5-3) / 134 / (3)
4. Western (21-4-3 / 4-0) / 107 / (4) *
5. Alberta (20-6-2) / 107 / (5)
6. Saint Mary’s (18-7-3 / 1-1) / 82 / (6)
7. Saskatchewan (19-6-3 / 2-0) / 74 / (7)
8. Moncton (18-9-1 / 3-2) / 55 / (8)
9. UQTR (19-7-2 / 4-2) / 27 / (10)
10. UPEI (18-10-0 / 2-3) / 19 / (9)

* Moncton (over Alberta) was awarded the higher ranking based on number of higher placed votes.

Other teams receiving votes: Calgary (12), Windsor (6).

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Guelph 82.5 pts / (1)
2. Windsor 73.5 / (2)
T3. Western 66.5 / (3)
T3. Toronto 66.5 / (4)
5. Saskatchewan 54.5 / (5)
T6. Calgary 42 / (6)
T6. York 42 / (7)
8. McMaster 41 / (9)
9. Alberta 38 / (8)
10. Sherbrooke 31.5 / (10)

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Windsor 116 pts / (1)
2. Guelph 81.5 / (2)
3. York 77 / (4)
4. Ottawa 76 / (3)
5. Western 63.67 / (5)
6. Toronto 37 / (8)
7. Dalhousie 35 / (10)
8. Sherbrooke 33 / (6)
9. Laval 31.33 / (7)
10. Saskatchewan 27.5 / (9)

-CIS-