SHERIDAN CAPS 2011 WITH BACK-TO-BACK WINS OVER OUA SQUADS

TORONTO - After being nearly four weeks removed from their last game action, the Sheridan Bruins men's basketball team (16-7, 6-3 OCAA) was back on the court and wound up with a 2-1 record - and fifth place finish - in the Ryerson National Invitational Tournament.

"It's nice after the break to come out and get a positive result," head coach Jim Flack said. "Ryerson runs a great event here and we're glad to have been invited. This was a good way for us to put a positive finish on 2011 and then try to start 2012 on the right foot."

After dropping their tournament opener to Ryerson 101-79, the double-blue rebounded to beat Guelph 79-71 and Waterloo 89-71.

The club was buoyed by the return to the roster from a couple big men in Michael Selkridge and Matt Cosby.

Bruins 89 Waterloo 71

It was a short-handed Sheridan squad that took on Waterloo, with only nine men on the Bruin bench.

And the game was close - featuring 12 ties - until the final quarter, when the double-blue opened on a 25-2 run to build a 26-point advantage and went on to win the quarter 27-12.

Khalid Abdel-Gabar had a game-high 26 points, while Denmark McDonald (17) and Orlando Palmer (10) also hit double digits.

Bruins 79 Guelph 71

An 11-0 run late in the first quarter helped push Guelph to a 17-13 lead after the first 10 minutes.

The Bruins would quickly pull level with a 4-0 run in the first 29 seconds and would win the quarter 22-10 to lead 35-27 at the half.

In the second half the double-blue would lead by as many as 10 and as few as two, but never relinquished the lead.

Abdel-Gabar once against paced the club with 26, while McDonald had 23.

Ryerson 101 Bruins 79

The double-blue held a 16-14 lead with 2:23 left in the first quarter, but saw the host team close the frame on an 11-0 run to build a 25-16 advantage.

The Bruins were able to cut their deficit to seven (36-29) midway through the second quarter, but saw Ryerson once again close the period strong, this time with a 15-4 run that created an 18-point difference at the half.

In the second half, Sheridan was never able to bring the margin back to single-digits and trailed by as many as 31 before the eventual 22-point loss.

Four Bruins were in double figures: Abdel-Gabar (20), Allan Anderson (16), Selkridge (14) and McDonald (11).

They will now welcome in three teams -- Niagara, George Brown and Centennial -- on January 4 for the Belair Direct Holiday Series.

The one day competition will see the Bruins square off against George Brown in the morning and Centennial at night.

Blue notes: The win against Guelph secured the fifth straight year in which the Bruins have beaten at least one OUA opponent. It was the third straight season that Sheridan and Ryerson have played with the Bruins winning the previous two match-ups -- a 93-91 overtime win at Sheridan Homecoming last year and a 95-86 win in Ryerson's gym in the 2009-10 season. All three opponents provided some sort of Sheridan connection, although former Bruins Kareem Malcolm (Guelph) and Greg Osawe (Ryerson) didn't play against their former school, while Zach Angelini -- son of women's soccer coach Paul Angelini -- had a team-high 16 points for Waterloo.

Source: Sheridan I.T.