Shaun White kicked a 43-yard field goal and his BC Lions extended their season with a 33-30 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the West Division semifinals on Saturday.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 223 yards on 16 of 23 attempts and contributed a rushing touchdown to the win.
Jeremiah Masoli added a one-yard rushing major for BC, Robert Carter Jr. ran 95 yards up the field for a kickoff return touchdown and White made four field goals for the Lions, including the game-winner.
Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. totaled 334 passing yards against his former team, completing 23 of 33 attempts, including passes to Clark Barnes and Jalen Philpott. Quincy Vaughn added a rushing major for the Stamps, and Rene Paredes kicked two field goals, including one from 50 yards.
The Lions will now face the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Division final in Regina on November 8th.
Earlier on Saturday, the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a 42-33 win in the East Division semi-finals, securing a spot in the East final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, also on November 8th. The winners of the two division finals will compete at the Gray Cup in Winnipeg on November 16.
McGee's seven got the game started with a thrilling 55-yard kickoff return for the Lions, but the Stampeders defense responded with a pair of solid stops.
BC turned to veteran kicker White, who kicked a 40-yard field goal to open the scoring.
Both teams traded plays throughout the first quarter, with Paredes ending the frame with a 50-yard shot through the uprights to tie the game at 3-3.
Both sides stepped up their offense in the second quarter, starting with Rourke throwing a long pass to Justin McInnis about three minutes into the frame. The Canadian receiver added a pair of steps for a 29-yard gain before being picked off at the Calgary 41-yard line.
The Lions moved steadily down the field and Rourke connected with senior Keon Hatcher to drive BC deep into the red zone.
Short-yardage specialist Masoli took over the quarterback role and weaved through a mass of bodies to get into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. White added a convert to give the Lions a 10-3 lead.
The Stampeders responded with a solid run of their own, including Adams throwing a 24-yard pass to Barnes to give Calgary a first down at the BC 32-yard line.
The home team disrupted the play, with Deontay Williams picking off Adams' pass to Tevin Jones and Levi Bell picking off the quarterback on the next play.
Calgary settled for Paredes' 35-yard field goal to cut BC's lead to 10-7.
The Lions extended their lead late in the quarter when White attempted a 35-yard field goal through the uprights.
With 45 seconds left in the first half, the visitors rushed forward.
Adams connected with Dominic Rhymes on a 28-yard pass to put Calgary in scoring position as the Stampeders called a timeout to strategize.
Once play resumed, Adams jumped out of the pocket for a first down, then threw a pass to Jones near the end zone, only to see the receiver go down as time expired.
BC led 13-7 at halftime.
The Lions continued their scoring drive in the third, with Rourke rushing seven yards into the end zone for a touchdown 3 1/2 minutes into the quarter.
Adams and the Stampeders answered mid-frame when the QB threw a rainbow to Philpott, who caught the ball as he dove across the goal line for a 30-yard major. Paredes' kick for the extra point was good, cutting Calgary's lead to 20-14.
BC took a few seconds to respond.
An unmarked Carter caught Paredes' kick and raced down the field 95 yards to catch another Lions major.
Calgary added another big player before the end of the third after Adams handed the ball to Mills, who rushed 43 yards before Williams picked him off at the BC six-yard line.
The Stampeders remained patient and, down to third, Adams threw a calm pass to Barnes in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown. Another Paredes convert cut BC's lead to 27-21.
Calgary tied the game midway through the fourth after Adams threw a 40-yard pass to Barnes, putting the Stampeders on first down at the BC 12-yard line.
Vaughn capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, but Paredes missed, leaving the score 27-27 with 7:46 left on the game clock.
The Lions committed a crucial turnover with less than two minutes left in the fourth when Calgary's Eric Brooks fumbled a kick return and Kieran Poissant intercepted the ball in Stampeders territory.
BC struggled to capitalize on possession and relied on White's 39-yard field goal to take a 30-27 lead with 67 seconds left in the game.
The motivated Stampeders went to work, with Adams throwing a 42-yard pass to Philpott that brought Calgary within striking distance. The quarterback's next two attempts fell incomplete, and Paredes tied the game again at 30-30 with a 38-yard field goal.
