During university, Pasquale led the University of Victoria to 5 straight national championships.[1][2][3][9] Pasquale was the university's all-time leading scorer when he graduated.[1][4][5][7][10] In 1984, he was awarded the Mike Moser Trophy as the male Canadian university player of the year.[2][7][9][11] Pasquale was a three-time First-Team All-Canadian (1981-1984)[2][4][7][9][10][12] two-time CIAU national tournament MVP (1981, 1983),[2][7][9][13] three-time CIAU tournament all-star (1981, 1983, 1984)[14] and five-time first team Canada West all-star.[7]
International career
Pasquale was a member of the Canadian men's national basketball team for over 15 years.[1][3][4][5][9][10] Pasquale was the starting point guard and co-captain of this Canadian team in what was arguably Canada's greatest era of basketball.[2][6][7]
Pasquale represented Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.[1][2][3] The 1984 Olympics were notable because Canada finished 4th overall, narrowly missing a medal.[1][2][3][8] In 1988, Canada finished respectably in 6th.[2][3][4][5][7]
This 1984 bronze-medal game constituted the only time in 80+ years where Canada had a legitimate chance of winning an Olympic medal in basketball.[8] In this bronze medal game was highly competitive, being tied 18 times with 12 lead changes, with Canada being within one point with less than a minute of play remaining.[8] Pasquale played well in this crucial game in Canadian basketball history, leading Canada in points (16) and assists (5), while also obtaining 6 rebounds.[8]
Pasquale represented Canada in the 1983 and 1985 World Student Games.[2][3][7][9] In the 1983 World Student Games hosted in Edmonton, Alberta, the Canadian team won the gold medal.[2][3][6][7][9][10] This constituted one of the finest moments in Canadian basketball history, being the only time in which Canada has won the gold medal in an international basketball tournament.[15] In the semifinals of this tournament, Canada defeated a talented US team led by future NBA legends Charles Barkley and Karl Malone.[2][3][6][7][9][10] In the 1985 World Student Games, Canada won the bronze medal.[3][7]
Pasquale competed for Canada in four FIBA World Championships,[3][5] where in 1982, Canada placed 4th.[1][10] Pasquale also competed for Canada in two Pan American games where in 1983, Canada finished fourth and in 1987, Canada finished 5th.[2][4][5][6][7]
After a 5-year absence, in 1997 Pasquale represented Canada in the Tournament of the Americas that qualified Canada for the 1998 FIBA World Championship.[1][5][6][7][9][10]
Professional career
In 1984, Pasquale was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 5th round as the 106th overall pick.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][9][10] He played three exhibition games with the team before being released.[4][7][10] The following year, Pasquale nearly made the Chicago Bulls, who were looking for someone to play in the backcourt beside Michael Jordan.[7] Pasquale had impressed the Bulls, but ultimately, they chose with American John Paxson.[7] Pasquale was their final cut.[7]
Pasquale played in the Amateur Athletic Union for Seattle and the Los Angeles summer pro league.[7][10] He played professionally in Argentina (in 1986), in West Germany (in 1989) and in Switzerland (in 1990).[5][6][7][10]
University
Legendary coach Ken Shields described Pasquale as "the face of UVic basketball".[3] Pasquale played for UVic for 5 years, leading the team to 5-straight national championships.[1][2][3][4][7][9] Pasquale is believed to be the first athlete in all of Canadian university sports history to win five consequtive national championships.[2][7] He is only one of five athletes to win five national titles in Canadian university sports.[5][7][9] Pasquale and his UVic team were five-time Canada West champions as well, going 75-5 against Canada West teams in regular season play during his time at UVic.[3]
Pasquale was the all-time leading scorer at UVic when he graduated.[1][4][5][7][10] In 1984, he was awarded the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy as CIAU's outstanding men's basketball player.[2][7][9][11] Pasquale was a three-time First-team All Canadian (1981-1984),[2][4][7][9][10][12] two-time CIAU national tournament MVP (1981, 1983)[2][7][9][13] three-time CIAU national tournament all-star (1981, 1983, 1984)[14] and five-time Canada West first team all-star.[7]
In 1982, he was named the BC University Athlete of the Year.[7][9] Twice, he was named UVic's top male athlete.[7]
Post career
Pasquale was inducted into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.[1] In 2021, he was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame.[2] He was inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame in its 2020-21 induction class.[3] In 2005, he was inducted into the University of Victoria Athletic Hall of Fame.[9] Similarly, in 2006 his jersey number, 13, was retired by the university, being only one of three athletes thus honored by the university.[2][4][7][9] In 2014 he was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and in 2008 he was inducted into the Sudbury Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.[10]
Additionally, the 1979-86 UVic Men's Basketball teams were inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame (2019-2020 induction class); the 1979-80 UVic team was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame (2020); and the 1982-1983 UVic team was inducted into the University of Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (2023), with Pasquale being recognized as a team member of each of these team inductions.[16][17][18]
In retirement, Eli focused his time on his young family and his immensely popular basketball camps.[7] Beginning in 1985 and right up to his passing in 2019, he ran youth development camps all over BC, particularly in Victoria.[2][6][7][10] Thousands of BC kids got their start in basketball through Eli’s camps.[2][6][7][10]
Personal life
Pasquale was born on August 24, 1960 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.[1][2][5][7][10] He grew up in Gatchell, Ontario, a predominantly Italian neighbourhood of Sudbury.[10] He played his first organized basketball in Grade 8 on his school team, St. Francis School.[10] By grade 10, Pasquale's height was a mere 5 feet, 3 inches.[10]
On November 4, 2019, Pasquale passed away from esophageal cancer.[3][5][6][7]
