MEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Western holds off Guelph for a 74-72 win
Brock 56 @ Waterloo 83
At times, the Waterloo Warriors men's basketball team has been forced to rely on one player to carry the bulk of the offensive load. On Wednesday night at the PAC, they found strength in numbers.
Five Warriors scored in double digits, and Waterloo halted a four-game losing streak with a dominating 83-56 win over the Brock Badgers at home Wednesday night.
Wayne Bridge (North York/Eastern Commerce) led the way for the Warriors with 23 points, including a 4-for-6 showing from three-point range. Jaspreet Gill (Oliver) had 14 points in only 17 minutes, while Warriors guard Mike Helsby (Waterloo) also pitched in with a double-double, earning 11 points and 10 boards as the Warriors pushed their record to 3-14 on the season.
Waterloo native and rookie sensation Dani Elgadi was as-advertised for the Badgers, notching game highs in scoring (24 points) and rebounds (15). The Waterloo Collegiate grad was nearly unstoppable all night, but it wasn't enough for the Badgers, who fall to 2-15 on the year.
Offensively, the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders. They put up 23 points in the game's opening quarter, building a 7-point lead in the process. The Warriors followed that up with a dominating defensive quarter, as the Badgers scored just 9 points in the frame and were down 40-25 at the half.
The visitors came out harder in the third, but they weren't able to draw the deficit to single digits before Waterloo pulled away once again in the fourth.
Waterloo shot a sparkling 45.5% from beyond the arc, and they were able to limit the Badgers and force them into mistakes on the defensive side of the ball – the Warriors forced 21 Brock turnovers, while committing only 6 giveaways themselves.
The Warriors will now turn their attention to a weekend matinee on the road, when they travel to London to take on the Western Mustangs. Tip-off is slated for 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
Source: Waterloo Sports Info
Guelph 72 @ Western 74
LONDON, Ont. – A game-high 23 points from Greg Morrow, including a game clinching basket in the final minute, led the Western Mustangs men's basketball team to a thrilling 74-72 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Wednesday night at Alumni Hall.
With the win the Mustangs boost their regular season record to 7-10 and are tied with the Laurier Golden Hawks for third place in the OUA West Division. The Gryphons fall to 5-12 on the year and currently sit in sixth place in the OUA West, only four points behind Western and Laurier.
Although the playoffs are rapidly approaching Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell says the team is staying focused on their remaining regular season games.
"We aren't focused on the playoffs just yet," said Campbell. "We're just focusing on the next game because those that get better during the season will do better in the playoffs."
Morrow once again led the Mustangs in scoring, and his 23 points marked the sixth time this season that the London native posted more than 20 points in a game. Including Morrow four of the Mustangs five starters scored in the double digits with George Johnson, Peter Scholtes, and Eric McDonald each scoring 13 points in the win. Daniel Dooley and Andrew Grant led the Gryphons scoring efforts with 15 and 12 points respectively.
The Mustangs defence came out strong in the first half forcing 16 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and causing the Gryphons to rely on their outside shooting. Although the Gryphons outshot the Mustangs in the first half, sinking 42% of their shots compared to a 38% success rate for Western, the home side took the lead just under three minutes into the first quarter and held onto it for the remainder of the first half, taking a 37-33 lead into the break.
While the Mustangs started off strong in the first half it was the Gryphons who gained an early advantage in the second, tying the game less than 90 seconds into the third quarter and taking only their second lead of the game just prior to the three minute mark en route to an 18-8 run to start off the second half.
Western began to turn things around in the dying minutes of the third as Scholtes picked up three points off of a layup and the ensuing free throw to kick start a 9-0 run to give the purple and white a 54-51 lead after three quarters.
Both sides traded points throughout the final ten minutes, with the biggest lead being six points, and the game would be decided in the final minute as a pair of free throws by Dooley cut the Mustangs lead to 72-70 with only 1:38 left. Following a Western timeout Morrow put the Mustangs up by four with only 42 seconds left, Trevor Thompson responded for the Gryphons less than 10 seconds later, however that would be the game's final basket, giving Western a 74-72 victory.
The Mustangs return to the court this weekend as they host the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall as part of Mustang Days. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. and fans can watch all the action live on Mustangs TV. Â
Source: Western Sports Info
Laurier 80 @ Windsor 94
WINDSOR, Ont.- Â Lien Phillip recorded his 10th straight double-double, including a team-best 22 points, and the CIS No. 7 ranked Windsor Lancers men's basketball team earned their fifth-straight win, a 94-80 triumph over the Laurier Golden Hawks at the St. Denis Centre on Wednesday night.
Phillip, who now garners 13 total double-doubles on the season was 50% (9-of-18) from the floor, and combined with fellow big-man Evan Matthews to dominate the paint throughout the contest, as the Lancers feasted on Laurier in the post-game. Matthews picked up 15 points and Enrico Diloreto added 18 for the Lancers (12-5). William Coulthard led all players with 34 points, including six baskets from beyond the arc in a losing cause for the Hawks (7-10).
The Lancers jumped out to a 9-4 lead topped off with a dunk from Matthews off a Golden Hawks' turnover. Phillip knocked down a jumper from mid-range, but Jamar Forde's three brought the visitors back within four. Diloreto notched a lay-in to push the Windsor lead to five. The men held an 11-point advantage after one quarter.
Matthew Chesson converted on a three-point play after being fouled, and a quick Lancer turnover allowed Laurier to cut the lead to two after putting together a 9-2 run. Phillip responded with a strong move in the low post, as the home side responded with six in a row.
Matthews and Phillip continued to dominate Laurier under the basket, while the Golden Hawks chose some perimeter shooting to stay within striking distance. Matthews notched two more lay-ups while Coulthard drained a three followed by a running jumper down the middle.
After Coulthard's second three-pointer of the period evened the game, Phillip showcased his repertoire beyond the arc, knocking down a long-range jumper to put Windsor back in front. Windsor held a 41-39 lead at halftime.
Windsor shot 50% in the opening two quarters, while the Hawks were 44.4% from the floor.
The Lancers streaked out of the gate in the second half, going on a 6-0 run before Max Allin's corner three got Laurier on the board. Coulthard continued where he left off in the first half, draining his first three-point attempt of the second half as the visitors came within two of the lead.
However, Josh Collins knocked down his first points of the game, a long three. Following a Golden Hawks turnover, Khalid Abdel-Gabar sank an open lay-in off a flagrant, converting his foul shot. Windsor kept possession, and Phillip grabbed two more points while taking a foul, spreading a once small lead to 10 and prompting a timeout from the visitors. Collins and Abdel-Gabar then nabbed long-rangers of their own, but Coulthard sunk a buzzer-beater to end the third with Windsor up by nine.
The squads traded points through the first five minutes of the fourth, with Rotimi Osuntola Jr. draining a three. Enrico Diloreto added four points, spreading the lead to 12 with five minutes left in regulation. A long three from Alex Campbell off a pass from Collins was followed with a Diloreto lay-up, as Windsor maintained its double-digit spread into the final minute of the contest, snuffing out any opportunity for a late Hawks bid.
The hosts shot an impressive 52.7% from the floor, while the guests managed a 41.7% shooting efficiency. The Lancers, who extended their winning streak to a season-best five games, outscored Laurier 50-20 in the paint and outrebounded the Golden Hawks 43-37.
Windsor travels on Saturday afternoon to face the Guelph Gryphons for a 4:00 p.m. tip-off, and are back at the St. Denis Centre next Wednesday, February 5 to host the Western Mustangs at 8:00 p.m.
Source: Windsor Sports Info