It wasn't the way the Cape Breton Capers hoped to finish their Atlantic University Sport season.
The Capers were seconds away from advancing to the AUS championship tournament semifinals when a buzzer-beating shot by New Brunswick Reds Marcus Masters bounced off the backboard and into the net with no time on the clock, making the score 77-76.
The shot not only clinched the No. 3 seed Reds an appearance in the semifinals, but it also ended the season for the No. 6 ranked Capers, who finished the campaign with an 8-12 record.
It's a heartbreaking loss for the Capers.
The win likely would have marked the biggest upset of the men's tournament — but who knows what the outcome might have been if Cape Breton would have won and played St. Francis Xavier X-Men, who went on to beat UNB by seven points.
The loss comes with learning lessons and one coach Matt Skinn and the players may have already talked about.
Cape Breton held a 20-point lead in the third quarter of Friday's playoff game, but allowed New Brunswick to battle back, scoring eight unanswered to cut the Capers lead to 12. It was a three-point buzzer-beater by UNB's Daniel Pitcher to end the third, which swung the momentum in favour of the Reds.
No, a team shouldn't let a 20-point lead slip away, but it happens. It's easy to criticize, but the lesson of knowing a lead is never safe, especially in university basketball, was very much learned Friday.
It may have been lost by the buzzer-beater headline, but the Capers gained valuable experience from this defeat. It's cliché in sports, but experience can't be taught and this should be a stepping stone in the rebuild process.
What basketball fans easily forget, prior to Skinn returning to the Capers for the 2018-19 campaign, Cape Breton had missed the AUS championship in back-to-back years in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
In one year, 2018-19, Skinn was able to guide the team back to the AUS championship tournament and even a semifinal appearance — it could have been back-to-back appearances in the semifinals if it wasn't for Masters' heroics.
The majority of these players now have two years experience at the AUS championship. It will only help them moving forward.
Another thing lost in the headline for Friday's game is the play of third-year player Osman Omar, who dropped a game-high 31 points in the loss.
Omar continues to get better and better every year. More AUS championship tournament experience like this year is only beneficial for the Mississauga, Ont., product.
The Dalhousie Tigers went on to win the AUS championship and will play in the U Sports championship tournament this week in Ottawa. The Tigers were the favourites to win the AUS title after posting an impressive 19-1 record and didn't disappoint.
In the AUS women's division, the Capers were also eliminated in the AUS quarter-final by the New Brunswick Reds, losing 64-59.
In a year which was considered a rebuild, with only two players having four or more years experience, making it to the AUS championship tournament is a success for the young team.
Glace Bay's MacKenzee Ryan continued to progress this year for the Capers. The third-year guard led the team in points per game, averaging 17.6.
A player who really took advantage of her opportunities was Marion Bridge's Hailey MacLeod. She started the season coming off the bench, but still managed to finish the year with 11.9 points per game.
MacLeod appeared in all 20 games for the Capers and surprised many with her play. She was named the AUS rookie of the year for her efforts.
Although the loss may hurt now, the real benefits will be felt in months and years to come with the experience gained.
Jeremy Fraser covers sports for the Cape Breton Post. If you have a column idea, sports story or would like to give feedback about this week's Sports Chat, contact Jeremy by emailing [email protected] or follow @CBPost_Jeremy on Twitter.
