QUEBEC'S GOLD-MEDAL MIRACLE

 By Isaac Eniojukan

Special to QHoops.net
 

It was probably one of the most dramatic finishes in Canadian basketball history as Quebec scratched and clawed to beat Nova Scotia in the Canada Games basketball finals. 

At the tip off, Quebec had back-to-back steals and jumped out to a 10-0 lead. It was a high-tempo game with Quebec starting off hot and scoring nearly all of its points off of fast breaks and transition baskets.

Quebec led by as many as 20 points in the first quarter before Nova Scotia went on a run, cutting Quebec's lead to 10 by halftime.

Nova Scotia came out in the second half with a sense of urgency. Their leading scorer, Deontay "DJ" Smith, had four consecutive three-pointers and Rodell Wigginton tied the game with an emphatic two-handed slam.

 Momentum clearly shifted and Quebec was on its heels for the first time in the entire tournament.

Nova Scotia owned the third quarter and built a three-point lead heading into the fourth.

Kemy Osse was the hero, draining

a last-second J to give Quebec the win.

The Scotians looked like they were going to upset yet another powerhouse, as they maintained a four-point lead down to the last 30 seconds.

Coming out of their last time out with 12 seconds left, Quebec scored off a steal and caused Nova Scotia to turn the ball over with four seconds left. With the game tied, Kemy Osse spun off his opponent, threw up an off balance-shot and scored, causing the crowd to erupt.  The final score was 105-103.

 A GAME TO REMEMBER
 Quebec was a powerhouse at the Canada Games and was a clear favorite to win the gold medal. At the start of the game, it looked like the match would be a walk in the park as Quebec took a huge lead. Throughout the whole tournament Quebec had beaten every team by at least 26 points. But Nova Scotia stepped up and turned up the heat, making Quebec sweat by the end of the game.  The Scotians had a lot of momentum and confidence coming off a buzzer-beating upset against Ontario.

 The player of the game was Osse. Not only did he score the game-winning bucket, he scored nearly all of Quebec's points in the third quarter. 

Quebec celebrates the gold ...

 Osse put the team on his back, and kept Quebec in the game during Nova Scotia's run. He finished with 26 points.
 "It feels great, (winning) was our goal," a smiling Osse said after the game.

Quebec Head Coach Pascal Jobin expressed his elation.

"It is an amazing feeling," said Jobin, whose squad won gold at the U17 nationals last year.

"We believed that we could do it," he added.

"Nova Scotia had enthusiasm and worked hard. At the end it was who wanted it more."

OTHER STANDOUTS
 Quebec had the deepest bench in the whole tournament. Nearly all of the guys can put the ball on the floor and lead the fast break. Kenny Fred Cherry was a delight to watch.

... while Nova Scotia feels the pain of silver.

He gets to the lane with one or two dribbles and pulls up with a nice jumper. He was also solid behind the arc.

Nova Scotia's Deontay Smith was as smooth as butter. He was a crowd pleaser and changed the dynamic of the game with his four straight treys early in the second half. Nova Scotia is a good defensive team, recording at least seven blocks while owning the offensive and defensive boards.

The game was a good testament to the growth of Basketball in Canada. All of the players were talented, athletic and scrappy. Keep your eye out for Kemy Osse. His game has been compared to Joe Dumars. He's got solid ball handling skills, strength and he can take it to the hole or hit the mid-range jumper.

Osse, Kenny Fred Cherry and Jonathan Thsibuy will be reunited again down south this season.

All three Quebecers play for Archbishop Carroll H.S. in Washington, D.C.

Check out this Canada Games photo gallery!

Canada Games basketball summaries