The 1996 Brandon Bobcat National Men's Basketball Championship Team will proudly celebrate the 20
th anniversary of their amazing accomplishment by taking their rightful place in the BU Sports Wall of Fame.
Legendary coach
Jerry Hemmings guided the Bobcats to a stellar 17-and-2 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference as they rolled into the national tournament in Halifax with major momentum.
The Bobcats played with determination, poise and confidence as they beat the Acadia Axemen and the Toronto Varsity Blues to secure their spot in the national final against the reigning champions the Alberta Golden Bears.
It was a championship game of great plays as the Bobcats beat the Bears 79-72 to claim their fourth national title in 10 seasons.
Shawn Gray made a great block on break-away layup by Alberta's Greg Devries, Euan Roberts hit a baseline runner with the shot clock expiring and Demetrius Floyd had a put-back dunk with less than two minutes to play that was dubbed the 'TSN Turning Point' during the nationally televised contest.
Balanced scoring was also big for the Bobcats with six players reaching double figures including Brandon's own Jason Scott scoring a team-high 16 points.
Team captain Keith Vassell was named tournament MVP and clutched the championship trophy in his arms during an emotional TSN interview knowing it was his final game in a Bobcats' jersey.
Fellow 2016 Wall of Famer Shawn Gray also got the nod as a tournament all-star for the '96 Bobcats, who were inducted into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
