The Jr. Dinos rode into Saskatoon carrying a perfect record against U-17 opponents. And the ride home was that much sweeter as they captured the Prairie Dog Classic, and capped their U-17 season at 18-0!

The tournament started against the Lakeland College U-17 team. The Dinos started slow after a long day of travel, but quickly regained their legs and disposed of their opponent early in the first half. The Jr. Dinos won going away, 100-27. Adam Lonseth led the way for the Dinos with 20 points, while Adam Shaw had 19, Andrew Wytsma added 14, Brennen Fule 12, and Dave Ness 11. The win set the Dinos to play the Westside AAA from Calgary, a team that normally plays in the U-19 division.

The Westside AAA team out of Calgary proved to be the Jr. Dinos toughest opponent of the summer. In a game which saw both teams pressing and shooting well, the Dinos were able to push the tide late in the game to capture a squeaker, 89-85. The Dinos were led by the hot hand of Adam Shaw, who scored a torch like 20 points for the game high. Dave Ness had another solid game with 14, Adam Lonseth 12, Jared Laird 11, and Matt Urbanowski scored 10. The Jr. Dinos showed their toughness, resilience, and the athleticism that has gotten them through the summer.

In the night game, the Dinos faced the Regina Spartans who really offered no challenge. The Jr. Dinos ended up blowing them out, 104-62. Most of the players in the game were begging to get in because of the mosquito bombardment happening on the bench. Adam Lonseth led the way with 27 points, while Adam Shaw had 20, and Matt Urbanowski had 14.

The Jr. Dinos defensive intensity remained high as they took on Birch Hills in the Sunday Morning game. The Dinos won easily by 70, but the scoring remained balanced. Adam Lonseth led the way with 22 points, while Cam Perry had 18, Jared Laird 15, Andy Wytsma 13, and Brennen Fule 11. This win set the stage for the Dinos to take on the Edmonton Hoopsters in the final.

The Final saw the Dinos play their toughest opponent yet. The Edmonton Hoopsters are well coached, disciplined, and play great defense. They were led by their excellent guard play, and were in good enough shape to be able to run with the Dinos the entire game. The Dinos wound up taking the game 95-87. The Dinos were once again led by Adam Lonseth who had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Brennen Fule had a great game scoring 20 points including 4 three pointers. Doron Nand, Jared Laird, and Andy Wytsma all scored 10 points for the Dinos as well. The game was sealed by Doron’s two made free throws in the final seconds of the game. Doron has becom Mr. Clutch on the team this summer scoring game winners against the Trojans, and free throws against the Spectres and Hoopsters!

The Dinos next action will be in the RMC at the U of C this weekend in the U-19 division.

Recovering from an early morning game, and playing against all of the top competitors from Southern Alberta, the University of Calgary Jr. Dinos captured the Stampede Shootout. The Dinos speed, athleticism and toughness allowed them to roll through the competition, defeating the Calgary Seclects 92-65 in the finals to capture the tournament title.

The tournament began on Friday, July 1 against the Fury from Calgary: a team the Dinos had not faced up to that point in the season. Starting quickly, and finishing the same, the Jr. Dinos looked strong and confident to start the tournament defeating the Fury 111-42. 6 players scored in double figures for the Dinos led by Adam Lonseth who finished with 18 points. Jared Laird, the St. Francis post player had 16, Logan Armstrong 14, Brennen Fule, 13, Dave Ness, 11, and Andy Wytsma had 10. Playing in their first tournament in Calgary, the Dinos proved to everyone watching that they would be the team to beat in the tournament.

The second game of the tournament saw the Jr. Dinos in action against the Jr. Cougars also from Calgary. From the start, it was apparent that the Jr. Dinos would dominate the action. An early 27-1 run was marred only by a technical free-throw made by the Cougars prior to the game for a dunking violation. The halftime score: 64-7! The dogs were realed in slightly in the second half, as the Dinos started to concentrate on offensive and defensive execution. However, taking off the press made it hard for the Jr. Dinos to mentally stay in the game, but still managed the 95-34 victory. 5 players scored in double figures including Cam Perry and Andy Wystma with 14, Adam Shaw with 12, Logan Armstrong with 12, and Jared Laird with 10. By winning both games in their pool, the Dinos were matched up with their rival, the Jr. Trojans who finished 2nd in their pool.

Hungry and determined, the Jr. Dinos were 100% “focused” against the Jr. Trojans in the Saturday afternoon game. Every player was ready and willing to play at their highest level for the victory. The intensity started from the tip as the Dinos successfully completed a tip play off of the jump ball for an easy two points. The rest of the game followed in the same manner. Running, shooting, diving, and playing great defense, the Jr. Dinos totally frustrated and tormented the Jr. Trojans in both halves winning easily, 123-75. The Jr. Dinos were led by the dominating performance of centre Jared Laird. Jared scored 28 points, grabbed 15 rebounds including 8 offensive in leading the balanced Dino attack. Andy Wytsma added 13 for the Dinos, while Logan Armstrong and Adam Lonseth both had 10 to round out the double digit scorers. However, Adam Shaw had 9, Brennen Fule had 9, and Cam Perry and Doron Nand both had 8. Strong defensive efforts were had by Dave Ness and Mike Haggerty who slowed down key players for the Jr. Trojans. This victory set up a game against the Spectres of Calgary, a team the Jr. Dinos had not faced.

Following a strict game plan, and slowing the pace to their liking, the Spectres provided a tough test for the Jr. Dinos in a 8 am game on Sunday, July 3. The semi-final game was played on a small court at SAIT, and at an un-godly hour. Playing with no excuses, the Jr. Dinos pulled out a tough 74-67 victory. The Dinos were led by Jared Laird who once again dominated inside with 19 points. Adam Shaw, who over all had a very strong tournament, scored 10 points including a couple of key hoops down the stretch. However, it was the foul shooting of Doron Nand which sealed the game for the Dinos who had a hard time keeping the Spectres star player, Steve Trinidad in check. A gutsy win, the Dinos were ready to face the Calgary Selects in the finals of the Stampede Shootout.

The final marked the first formal meeting between the Jr. Dinos and the Calgary Selects who met in exhibition action earlier in the summer. Once again crippled by a slow start, the Selects led the Dinos early, 21-9 with under 10 minutes to play in the opening half. The zone offense proved to be confusing for the Jr. Dinos who also missed some easy shots, and were facing a confident and ready team. However, after a quick time out, the Jr. Dinos proceeded to finish the half on a 29-8 run to lead 37-29 at the break.

In the second half, it was much of the same. The half started with a 16-4 run by the Jr. Dinos, and they did not look back. Their intensity, running, and staggering defense stopped a very talented Selects team. The key was the defensive work by Mike Haggarty who stifled the Selects best player which allowed the Dinos to capitilize on turnovers and fast break oppurtunities. The Dinos captured the tournament 92-65 and were led by the outstanding play of Adam Lonseth who had a game high 29 points in the finals. Big games were also had by Adam Shaw, with 12, Doron Nand with 11, and Jared Laird with 10. The win also topped the Jr. Dinos record at 13-0 at the U-17 level for the summer. The Dinos were outstanding in the Finals, and played their most complete half of the season against the Selects.

The Jr. Dinos will once again be in action in Saskatoon, on the July 8-10 weekend for the Prairie Dog Classic.