Dorsey has Capers soaring

You may never see a better basketball weekend than Jimmy Dorsey put together in Sydney.

The Cape Breton Capers guard had a triple-double with 20 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds to help the Capers over UPEI on Saturday and netted a team-record 49 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds and three steals in Sunday’s win over Acadia.

The fourth-year guard from Maryland, a two-time AUS first all-star, has helped his team to an two-game winning streak and a shot at a first-round playoff bye.

"He was pretty spectacular, no doubt," CBU head coach Thom Gillespie said Monday. "Over the last 20 years as a player and a coach I’ve seen some pretty outstanding performances, but the one yesterday versus Acadia has to be in the top five all-time."

Dorsey, an all-Canadian candidate, leads the conference and is third in the nation in scoring at 23.1 points per game. He is fifth in rebounding (7.8), first in assists (8.9), second in steals (2.7) and first in successful three-point shots (3.4).

This wasn’t supposed to be Cape Breton’s year after they lost three key seniors — Paris Carter, Phil Nkrumah and Scott Jaspers-Fayer — off last year’s team and their head coach, Jim Charters, resigned in the fall. Gillespie stepped in just days before the start of the regular season.

But Dorsey, who is battling a troublesome knee, said the Capers have emerged as a contender through gradual, consistent progress.

"We came to realize we can be a good team and possibly win the AUS," Dorsey said. "I’ve tried really hard over the last few weeks to get my body in shape and get my knee healthy. We’re all starting to come together as a group and believe in each other and that’s what’s helping us get these wins.

"They’ve got my back in everything I do. It doesn’t matter how many times I shoot it or what I do with the ball, so they give me all the confidence in the world to help me do what I do."

All this success and he missed games in mid-January at Saint Mary’s and St. Francis Xavier with the bad knee. Cape Breton lost both days.

In the four games since he’s been back, he’s averaging just shy of 30 points per game.

"I don’t think it’s any secret that he’s the motor that makes our team run," said Gillespie. "Certainly we’re not nearly as effective without him in the lineup."

Dorsey said the knee troubles made him smarter.

"It’s made me play safe and more under control," he said. "I’ve been resting it as much as I can, but this time of year there isn’t much rest."

Gillespie cautions there is more to the Capers than Dorsey.

"You can’t discount the fact that other guys are making shots and working hard.

"Al Alilovic and Julian Smith each had a good game over the weekend. Our bigs A.J. Geugjes and Meshack Lufile have provided some quality minutes alternating in and out. So we’re getting contributions all around.

"Jamie Glasgow and Kelson Devereaux do a fair amount of defensive work for us and don’t get a whole lot of credit for their efforts. So despite the fact it seems like a one-man show, other guys are pitching in and doing their part."

Dorsey said having teams have lower expectations for the Capers has been a help.

"It kind of makes it easier to play when you are the underdog," he said.

"People don’t really expect you to do as well so they take you lightly. I think that coaching change made us come together more."

The Capers can jump into a three-way tie for first place with a home win over St. Francis Xavier on Wednesday at Sullivan Fieldhouse.