The SAIT Trojans claim top spot in the 2018 Cora breakfast and lunch ACAC men’s basketball championship. With an 88-77 win over the Lakeland Rustlers the Trojans clinch their second consecutive provincial win.

The high-scoring first quarter saw both teams trade back and forth buckets, before closing out with SAIT leading by a narrow margin of two.

The intense game play continued with the Rustlers running every play with power and hunger, and SAIT countering with impressive defense and amplified tenacity in their rebounds.

At the half the Rustlers had secured a seven-point lead, however the third quarter and the impressive 16-point run by SAIT would push them into a dominating double-digit lead closing out the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Rustlers put on a comeback push and moved Lakeland back within two points of the Trojans.

The crew from Lloydminster couldn’t capitalize on that comeback, as SAIT’s Charlie Conner scored five-straight points to restore the SAIT power.

SAIT closed the match by drilling a deep three with one minute remaining on the clock to secure the Trojans victory over the Rustlers.

Lakeland’s Prentice Gardner and SAIT’s Charlie Conner were named ACAC players of the game. Gardner added 17 points and four rebounds to the Rustlers final tally while Conner locked in an impressive 33 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four three pointers.

Trojans fifth-year Murphy Beya was awarded with top honours as he was named tournament MVP.

Both the Trojans and Rustlers move on to, the CCAA National Championship Tournament, March 15 to 17 at Collège Montmorency in Laval, Que.