Brandon University Dick and Verda McDonald Sports Wall of Fame
The Brandon University Bobcat men’s basketball team cemented their place in Manitoba sports history by winning three consecutive national championships from 1987-1989 under the guidance of legendary coach Jerry Hemmings.
The program’s first-ever title victory was built around five-time first-team all-Canadian John Carson. Carson’s emphatic slam dunk in the closing moments of the 1987 final was the exclamation point in BU’s 74-66 win over the UBC Thunderbirds. Carson concluded his Bobcat career with a game-high 38 points and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Carson and the Bobcats defeated the Concordia Stingers in the quarter-finals and the McMaster Marauders in the semifinals to reach the national title game.
Carson also played an instrumental role in the Bobcats qualifying for nationals through the front door. His 34-point performance powered the Bobcats past the Winnipeg Wesmen 100-88 to claim the Great Plains Athletic Conference banner.
The Bobcats dominated in 1988 to claim back-to-back national crowns. Brandon went undefeated in GPAC and crushed the Regina Cougars 95-72 to secure the conference title and enter nationals as the top seed. Brandon opened the tournament with an 82-69 quarter-final win over the Carleton Ravens and followed that up by knocking off the Western Mustangs 73-65 in the semifinals. BU triumphed over the Acadia Axemen 81-68 to cap off the season on a 30-game winning streak. Tournament MVP Whitney Dabney poured in a game-high 29 points and six rebounds in the final.
Brandon ruled GPAC again in 1989 and claimed the conference title for the eighth time in 10 years. Joey Vickery scored 21 first-half points as the Bobcats rolled past Regina 95-75 to sweep the best-of-three league final.
The Bobcats reached the national final with a quarter-final victory over the Concordia Stingers and a semifinal win against the Toronto Varsity Blues.
BU completed the championship hat trick by edging long-time rival the Victoria Vikes 74-73 in the final. The Bobcats saw a 16-point lead trimmed to two in the closing minutes before two-time national player of the year Patrick Jebbison rose to the occasion with a critical blocked shot. Vickery had an outstanding performance with 20 points, six steals and three rebounds to become the first-ever recipient of the Jack Donohue Trophy as tournament MVP.
