1940-1941
Junior Roster: P. Lacosse, H. Cartwright, G. Benoit, J. Richer, R. Hare, G. Valois, A. McWatters, F. Labrosse
Ottawa University Cagers Even City League Finals: Garnet, Grey Team Upsets Sailors 42-34 with Exciting Last Half Offensive
Three points behind at the end of the first half, Ottawa University rallied in the last half to defeat Sailors, defenders of the Journal Trophy, by 42-34 in the Ottawa University gym on Saturday night to even their best-of-five series for the Senior City Basketball title at one game apiece. The third game of the series will be played on Wednesday night in the same gym with the fourth game slated for Saturday night. The winners will advance into the Canadian play-downs against the Quebec champions.
The last half when the garnet and grey pulled out their victory produced the most exciting basketball of the season. They quickly tied the score and with a brilliant display of passing and shooting, moved in front to stay. Sailors tried doggedly to untrack themselves in the closing minutes of the game but Ottawa University held them in check until the finish.
Bert Nolan, Bob Bayne and Jeff Mortimer were the big guns in Ottawa University's win. Nolan collected 11 points while Bayne had nine and Mortimer eight. Bayne's four field goals came from near the centre of the floor. Hubert Lacasse and Johnny Dufour each scored six points.
"Bun" Wiseman was the star for the Sailors. Winner of the league's scoring championship, Wiseman picked up an even dozen points on six field goals. Bob Douglas was next best with seven points.
The box score:
Sailors - FG - FTM - FTS - TP
Douglas 2-3-3-7
Coombs 3-0-0-6
Irvine 1-2-1-3
Avery 0-3-2-2
Shapiro 0-1-1-1
Wall 1-2-1-3
Wiseman 6-1-0-12
Ruddy 0-0-0-0
Totals 13-12-8-34
Ottawa University - FG - FTM - FTS - TP
Mortimer 4-3-0-8
H. Lacasse 3-1-0-6
Bayne 4-3-1-9
McLean 0-0-0-0
Whelan 0-0-0-0
Dufour 2-2-2-6
Nolan 5-3-1-11
Y. Lacasse 1-0-0-12
Totals 19-12-4-42
Referees: Ted Edwards and J. Pullen
1942-43
Junior Roster: H. Lacasse, B. Benoit, T. Labrosse, G. Valois, J. Rochon, R. Parisien, M. Rochon
Ottawa and District Junior Champions
Eastern Canadian Junior Champions
The Junior Varsity Team won their division and then went on to defeat St. John's 89-41 in a two game total points series for the Eastern Canadian crown on May 12, 1943. During the season, two exhibition games were played against the University of Montreal with split decisions.
1943-44
Roster: W. Nixon, P. Lacasse, G. Valois, J. Richer, R. Parisien, F. Wansborough, T. Edwards, B. Benoit, R. Hare
Coach: R. Lefebvre
Ottawa and District Intermediate Champions
Eastern Canadian Intermediate Champions
After winning the Ottawa and District championship the team pressed on, trouncing the Montreal representative 85-44 in two games and then gaining the Eastern Canadian Intermediate crown upon the University of New Brunswick's default. In the Canadian Basketball Association Intermediate playdowns the Ottawa team was beaten by the York Belting team, 115-78.
1944-45
Roster: F. Wansborough, P. Lacasse, J. Richer, L. Lefaive, B. Benoit, G. Valois, L. Lacasse, R. Parisien
Coach: R. Lefebvre
Only exhibition games were played.
1945-1946
Roster: M. Rochon, G. Valois, G. Donogue, G. Murray, H. Lacasse, L. Richer, R. Parisien, M. Kearney, J. Biron, L. Lefaive
Ottawa earned victories over Glebe Grads, Dawson, Loyola, Tech Grads, Toronto Hustlers, Georgians, Commerce Grads, Laval, Montreal, and University of Montreal. Notably, Ottawa scored a 104-36 victory over Laval in the postseason, going on to also defeat Sir George Williams in a two-game series with wins of 53-43 and 75-41.
Ottawa U Sports Fine Record in Quest for Cage Honours
Father Tom Marcoux's Ottawa University cagers are now carrying Ottawa's last hopes for a Dominion championship in a winter sport as they head into the semi-finals of the Dominion Intermediate basketball playdowns against the Maritime champions here next week. The Maritime title is being decided between Glace Bay and Saint John in a total-points series to be played tonight and tomorrow night.
The winners fo the East coast finals will arrive in Ottawa on Sunday ready for the two-game, total-points, Dominion semi-final series, which will be played in the Ottawa U gym on Monday and Tuesday nights. The local champs are at present awaiting the arrival of the Easterners with quiet confidence, satisfied that they have the ability to take the series and advance into the Dominion finals against the winners of the Niagara Falls-Windsor series.
There is no team entered in the intermediate playdowns from the West, so that the championship will be determined in the East. The winners of the series here will entrain for Western Ontario immediately following the second game of the series, and will play the final games next Thursday, Friday and Saturday if necessary, in a best-of-three series.
Niagara Falls Orphans are at present leading their best-of-three series with Windsor Walkers, by virtue of a six-point margin in the first game last Saturday night in Niagara Falls. The second game will be played tomorrow night in Windsor, and a third game, if necessary, will be played in London next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Father Marcoux's charges are resting up before what promises to be a strenuous week if they manage to keep their winning streak intact through this next series. The Garnet and Grey are a powerhouse quintet with lots of balance and strength. They specialize in a rapid passing-game, working the ball into opposition territory until they are sure of their shots before making them.
Their skill at this type of play is well-vouched for when one takes a look at their scoring record for the past season. In 23 games played to date, they have netted 1,325 points, or an average of more than 57 points per game, which is enough to win most games. Incidentally, they won 22 of their 23 games through the season.
One of the main difficulties to this type of game is the amount of practice required to attain any degree of perfection. The writer had a look at some of the players ragging the ball ariound the other day and came away quite convinced that if these boys are not as good as any in the country, the best must really be something.
Their individual scoring records attract quite a bit of attention also. Led by their captain, Gates Valois, the team as a whole have remarkable individual records. Valois is far in front of the rest with 319 points racked up in 21 game so far, which adds up to the terrific average of 15.2 points per game. (How to get those .2 points is not something explained here.)
The records of four more of the players all show averages between seven and 10 points per game for Jerry Donoghue, Lou Lefaive, Mark Rochon and Dick Parisien. Hec Lacasse is another strong point in the team at his guard position. He has established an "iron man" reputation, through playing nearly full time of all 23 games this year. That's a lot of basketball, son, and furthermore, Hec has scored 127 points or almost six per game.
Note: this article originally appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on Friday, April 12, 1946.
Ottawa U Five Nips Saint John In Cage Series Opener, 52-43
Playing heady basketball and making th most of their foul shooting, Father Tom Marcoux' Ottawa University cagers recorded a 52-43 decision over Saint John in the first game of their semi-final series in the Dominion Intermediate Basketball playdowns, played on the Ottawa U court last night. The Ottawa students thus carry a nine-point lead into the second game of the series which will be played tonight on the same floor, starting at 8:30.
The Maritime champions gave the Ottawa titlists a terrific battle, led by their star forward, Rip Seely. Seely is one of the best cagers to show around here in a long time, having a deadly shot which netted him 20 points. He travels around the floor at terrific spped and kept well away from Ottawa U gaurding. His scoring effort was the best for the night on both sides.
Ottawa U's Gates Valois was kept well in check, but George Murray stepped into the high-scoring role for the Ottawans as he rapped home 15 points. Valois and Mark Rochon each snapped 10 points in for second honors.
The visitors were handicapped by the loss of Ken Vallis, who pulled a back muscle in practice yesterday morning and could only play a few minutes of the first period.
Ottawa U went into the lead early and stayed ahead throughout the game, although the Maritimers threatened to tie things up on several occaisions. Ottawa led by 26-20 at the half-way mark, and collected another 26 points in the second canto, while Saint John came up with 23.
Lou Lefaive turned in a terrific effort for the local champs. Lefaive went into the game with a temperature of 101 and proceeded to play as hot a game of basketball. He popped in six points to swell the Ottawa total, and broke up many a Saint John rush with his effective guarding.
The Ottawa five made the most of all their opportunities to collect free points. They had 21 penalty shots at the Maritime basket, and clicked on 12 of them for more than their margin of victory. The visitors made good on only three shots out of 10.
Doug Costello's Maritimers lived up to their reputation of being a fast-breaking team. Time and again they had a man up the floor all alone and only alert guarding by the Ottawans kept them from finding the mark more often. The visitors had a busy evening of it, however, as they tried to keep track of the ball. The Ottawans were tossing it around like a hot potato, and making sure of their shots. In the half-time intermission, the Ottawa U juniors gave evidence of their skill as they wound up their foul-shooting contest. A. Lamoreaux won the contest by sinking six of ten shots.
Before the game, Gates Valois recieved the Phil Cornellier Trophy on behalf of the team. The trophy is emblematic of Ottawa U's intercollegiate championship which they won this year in a league with University of Montreal and Laval University. Father Laframboise presented the trophy to the Ottawa U cage captain.
The box score:
Ottawa U - FG - FS - PF - Pts.
Valois 3-4-1-10
Lefaive 3-0-2-6
Rochon 5-0-0-10
Parisien 1-1-2-3
Lacasse 0-1-1-1
Donoghue 3-1-1-7
Biron 0-0-0-0
Murray 5-5-1-15
Totals 20-12-8-52
Saint John - FG - FS - PF - Pts.
Thorne 3-0-1-6
Seely 10-0-2-20
Vallis 0-0-2-0
McLeod 0-0-0-0
Fitzpatrick 1-0-4-2
Boyle 3-2-4-8
MacDonald 3-1-4-7
Totals 20-3-17-43
Officials - Lorne Gillespie and Ted Edwards, both of Ottawa.
Note: this article originally appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on Tuesday, April 16, 1946. It was written by Bob Abra and accompanied by the photo of Lou Lefaive.
This photo appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday April 20, 1946.
1946-47
Roster: Nixon, Valois, Rochon, Lefaive, Robertson, Parisien, O'Keefe, Lacasse, Bernier
Coach: A. Garland
The team recorded a 5-3 record including wins over Sir George Williams (44-30), McGill (47-38), and Queen's (41-30).
1947-48
Roster: F. Labrosse, L. Lefaive, G. Valois, H. Lacasse, M. Rochon, M. Anthony, R. Parisien
Coach: Ted Edwards, M. Kearney (manager)
1948-49
Roster: J. Brennan, A. Bonneau, J. Lesseur, R. Parisien, D. Reaume, M. Rochon, G. Smith, A. Williamson
Coach: G. Valois, M. Kearney (manager), C. Pelletier (equipment)
Ottawa posted a league record of 7-1 against Queen's, RMC, and Carleton, defeating Carleton all three games they faced eachother in this first season (58-50, 52-38, 56-50). The team also played an extensive exhibition schedule, including a 56-27 loss to McGill, a pair of wins (29-27 and 56-29) win over Loyola. The Gee-Gees won the Cornellier Trophy.