Men's Basketball Championship Quarter-finals - CUE vs SAIT - recap

Lloydminster, AB (March 5, 2026) - The second quarterfinal matchup of the tournament was between the undefeated SAIT Trojans (21-0) and the North Division 4th seed, the Concordia Thunder (8-12). Each team brought their all, but the result was quickly in hand.

SAIT started the quarter off strong with good movement resulting in a corner 3 from #0, but Concordia answered with one of their own by Roka Phalen-Baker. The Trojans continued to push, quickly gaining the lead with very nice moves and smooth transitions, ending the opening quarter with a 33-16 lead.

With smart passes and good communication, the Thunder's  Keellaa Gatwech and Roka Phalen-Baker scored tough baskets to try to bridge the gap between scores. Even though Concordia showed great effort in defending SAIT's aggressive pursuit to score, they were unable to stop the continuous pressure of their offence. Marcus Masters of the Trojans ended the half with 17 points from 3's alone, showcasing his accuracy and strength.

Coming into the second half, Phalen-Baker scored multiple baskets to assist the Thunder in shortening the Trojans' lead. SAIT pushed on, leading 87-56 going into the final quarter and came out strong, showing their defensive abilities. Concordia continued to fight throughout the game, showing great resilience and composure despite the difficult competition they faced from the SAIT Trojans. The SAIT Trojans finished the game with a score of 113-73 to win the game. Players of the Game were earned by Killian Yopa of SAIT and Keellaa Gatwech of Concordia.

The Thunder will face Briercrest in the consolation semifinals tomorrow, while the Trojans will take on the Keyano Huskies in the first semifinal at 6:00 pm.