Kieron Burgess is fouled as he goes for a layup in the Medicine Hat Rattlers men's basketball season opener Friday night against the Lethbridge College Kodiaks at the Family Leisure Centre. Burgess would finish the night with 21 points, but Medicine Hat College lost 92-67. -- NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Rattlers men’s basketball team fell behind early and lost their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference season opener 92-67 to the Lethbridge College Kodiaks on Friday at the Family Leisure centre.
It was the first game in over a season for the Rattlers, and head coach Richard Humphrey says his team picked up knowledge in the loss for their rematch with the Kodiaks on Saturday.
“We know what they are now,” Humphrey said. “Gave some of our younger guys experience in the third and the fourth once we had a couple key players go down with technical fouls.”
Rattler’s Paul Adonri had a technical with five minutes left in the third quarter and Kyler Dutka was T’d up with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter.
Lethbridge led every quarter of the game as they jumped out early with a 48-35 lead at the half. Medicine Hat had a 16-4 run in the third that brought them back to within two at 56-54, but they could not muster any more of a comeback.
The Kodiaks rounded out the win with a 21-11 fourth quarter.
The Rattlers out-rebounded Lethbridge 37-36 and made 38.2% of their field goals. Lethbridge’s advantage came from behind the line, where the Kodiaks made 49.3% of their three pointers to the Rattlers 38.2%.
Jordan Bigger was named the Rattlers player of the game with 16 points and eight rebounds while shooting 6-for-17. Kieron Burgess was Medicine Hat’s top scorer with 21 points over 33 minutes on the court. Burgess had seven rebounds and shot 7-for-13.
The Rattlers girls basketball team got their season underway after the men’s game, also against Lethbridge College. That game was not completed by press time.
Medicine Hat hits the road Saturday for a rematch with the Kodiaks. Their next home action is next Friday when they host Red Deer College.
Volleyball
Over in Lethbridge, the Rattlers men’s volleyball team opened its season with a straight sets loss to the Kodiaks (25-19, 25-17, 25-23).
Jovan Stepanovic led the offence with 10 kills – matching a game-high shared by Lethbridge’s Cameron Piers and Nolan Moes.
Mitchell Beaupre had 26 assists for Medicine Hat in the loss, while Jaxson Bos had three blocks and Jay Hill had seven digs.
The Rattlers women’s volleyball team took the floor to face the Kodiaks later Friday evening, however the game did not finish by press time.
MHC’s volleyball teams return to Medicine Hat for their home openers against Lethbridge on Saturday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
