Dunstone and Gushue reach 1-2 game at Brier, Jacobs and Carruthers into 3-4 game

The path to a Montana's Brier title remains long for Alberta's Brad Jacobs after he split a pair of qualifier games Friday while back-to-back losses ended Mike McEwen's brief playoff run in Kelowna, B.C.

Manitoba's Matt Dunstone beat McEwen 6-5 in the afternoon and Canada's Brad Gushue topped Jacobs 7-4 to earn berths in the Page playoff 1-2 game.

Jacobs rebounded with a 10-6 victory over Nova Scotia's Owen Purcell in the evening to reach the Page playoff 3-4 game.

McEwen's Saskatchewan side was eliminated after a 6-4 loss to Manitoba's Reid Carruthers. A potential five-point swing in the sixth end was the difference.

McEwen tried a double-takeout for three but hit it thin and gave up a steal of two.

"We controlled the game and we outplayed them the entire game," McEwen said. "But we made a catastrophic error."

By losing the early qualifier, Jacobs must claim three more must-win games in a row to raise the tankard. 

"It's a very steep mountain to climb," he said.

Jacobs will continue that quest Saturday afternoon against Carruthers. The losing team will be eliminated while the winner advances to the semifinal Sunday against the loser of the 1-2 game.  

Gushue and Dunstone, meanwhile, will play Saturday night with the winner advancing directly to Sunday's final.

The latest chapter in the decade-plus Battle of the Brads rivalry was a back-and-forth matchup with singles exchanged over the first six ends.

Jacobs blinked in the seventh when his in-off attempt caught the stone a tad thick leading to a Gushue steal. Gushue forced Jacobs to one in the eighth and the defending champion used hammer in the ninth to score three.

All four members of the Gushue rink threw at least 91 per cent with the skip leading the way at 98 per cent.

On the next sheet over, the top-ranked Dunstone was at his fist-pumping best as he used two mid-game pairs to take a 5-3 lead into the seventh end.