Olds College Broncos basketball teams went winless last week at the New Year's Classic basketball tournament hosted by the college.
The men's Broncos I team lost to Lethbridge Community College 75-56, 76-74 to King's University College and 84-74 to Grande Prairie Regional College, all Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference teams, a step up from the Alberta Colleges Athletic League in which the Broncos currently play.
Sergey Shchepotkin, the Broncos coach, said he was pleased with the team's effort, considering the competition was much better than what they are used to playing at the ACAL level.
"It was a very good tournament because teams who play in ACAC have very good experience. We played tight games with all teams and we had chance to win a couple games. I'm very happy with the improvement of the team,î he said.
In the team's final game against Grande Prairie Regional College, the Broncos led at the conclusion of the first half, on the strength of 10 points from Colton Short, who finished with a team-high 21 points. Sam Kirkness added 16 points for the Broncos, including 12 from beyond the three-point arc.
Meanwhile, the men's second team lost to a much better Concordia University College team (which plays in the ACAC) 103-28 and Ambrose University College 79-56.
Stephen Anthony, the Broncos second team coach, said in the game against AUC the team came out with much more intensity, but couldn't stop the Lions from beyond the arc, as they hit 12 three-pointers.
"We met a team that hit 12 threes and took a big lead early on us and just couldn't recover,î he said.
One of the positives that Anthony took from the game was the Lions only scored 11 points in the third quarter ñ and only two field goals.
"Overall, the weekend was good. We saw some great competition and (the pending) ACAC squad worked really well together as a group,î he said.
One of the challenges for the team, Anthony said, will be replacing three players the team lost prior to the beginning of this semester. He said there will be a need to identify a leader for the team going forward.
"Moving forward, we've challenged the guys to come with the intensity and the desire to win and to figure out as a group how they're going to be able to unite,î he said.
On the women's side, the Broncos I team lost 86-48 to Lethbridge College, followed by a 72-61 loss to Kings University College. Meanwhile, the Broncos II team opened with a 99-41 loss against Lethbridge College, followed by a 59-52 defeat at the hands of Kings University College.
"We played tight games with all teams and we had chance to win a couple games. I'm very happy with the improvement of the team."Sergey Shchepotkin, Olds College Broncos, men's basketball coach
