SAIT Trojans overcome Keyano College to claim ACAC championship

The SAIT Trojans men's basketball team made up for a couple of tough years Saturday night.

After winning the ACAC title in 2019-20, they couldn't go to nationals because the pandemic hit.

That continued when last year was completely wiped out, at the same time the team was hit by tragedy when friend and former teammate John Smith was gunned down outside a Calgary bar one night and died.

The Trojans were the underdogs going into the championship game Saturday night, facing the top-ranked Keyano College Huskies, the powerhouse out of the north, but they showed resilience, and were able to pull out a 91-88 win.

"I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and you know, we came in with a game plan," said Trojan assistant coach Pat Boulin.

"The guys executed the game plan flawlessly," he said, continuing. "But at the same time, it's March and you know we call it March Madness, happens in the NCAA, you see upsets all the time – you know all coaches were on the edge of our seats were just really into the game."

The championship banner is already hanging from the wall in the SAIT gym. It's the fifth consecutive ACAC championship for the Trojans and you could tell the post-game locker room celebration was a highly emotional one.

That's partly because the season was dedicated to Smith, who was gunned down outside a Calgary nightclub in October, 2021, when he tried to protect two women who were being sexually harassed.

Jesse Michael Martinez has been charged with second degree murder and is awaiting trial.

John Smith moved to Calgary from Washington State to pursue basketball at SAIT. (Courtesy SAIT)

Smith remained on Trojans players minds all season and they knew he was watching from above. He would have approved of what he saw.

"I guarantee you he was smiling," said Boulin. "He was doing his dance way up above."

"We knew that he'd be watching us and he's here with us. And so we took that (emotion) going into the game – and so that game was exactly what John would've wanted: two top teams, two high level teams, two highly-competitive teams going at it. We battled right to the end. That's the type of game that John wanted and that's the type of game that we went out and set out to play."

The season was dedicated to former Trojan John Smith, who was gunned down outside nightclub in October, 2021, when he tried to protect two women who were being sexually harassed.

Now it's off to the national championships, at Toronto's Humber College from March 24 to 27. The Trojans will have to be at their very best if they want a national title.

"We always said that we needed to be perfect," said Boulin. "And to win nationals, you've got to be perfect. One little slip up – one little slip up in the first game can cost the championship or it can cost you a medal."

The Trojans leave next week for the nationals.