AROUND OUA: No. 3 Rams defeat Lions in regular season finale

The Gee-Gees men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a 102-79 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs in Sudbury, Ont., on Saturday night. Ottawa concludes the season with a 17-2 record while Laurentian sits at 5-14. Both teams qualify for the OUA playoffs, which are set to begin on March 2.

Ottawa will receive a bye for the opening round of the playoffs, and as the no. 2 ranked team in the conference's overall RPI standings will host a quarter-final game at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.

Saturday's contest saw the Voyageurs push Ottawa through the first half, with the score knotted at 40-40 with two minutes left before halftime. The Gee-Gees gained momentum in the third quarter, going on a 13-3 run to turn the tide. The lead carried over into the fourth quarter as Ottawa drained six three-pointers in the final frame.

Nathan McCarthy was crucial to Ottawa's success at both ends in the third quarter, and tallied a season high of 18 points alongside six rebounds and two blocks. McCarthy finishes the regular season with the OUA lead in blocks with 39, which also ranks second in the CIS.

 "Nathan was solid all weekend," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. "He set the tone with some big defensive rebounds and was going after it on the offensive glass. His rim protection is crucial for our defensive system - we can funnel people in to him and he does a great job of staying up straight. His blocks ignited our game in the second half tonight, and he was great all season."

Caleb Agada led the squad with 23 points, Mike L'Africain dropped 22. Second-year wing Brandon Robinson also logged a career-high with 18 points off the bench.

"Friday he had some really good looks and just didn't make them," noted Derouin on Robinson. "Tonight he was aggressive and stepped into his shot.  He was very good all week in practice and it was good to see that pay off." 

For Laurentian, it was Anthony Iacoe connecting on 5-of-8 from downtown to lead his team with 23 points.

Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees

Veterans lead the way in Senior Day win over Algoma

LONDON, Ont – On a night that saw the Mustangs honour their graduating seniors, a trio of Western veterans scored in the double digits to help the purple and white take a 72-58 victory over Algoma at Alumni Hall.
 
"We started the game well in the first quarter and ended it well. It was a little messy in the middle but a win is a win" said head coach Brad Campbell. "To our credit, our defence really shut the door in the fourth quarter and we got some good scores off our defence, too. It was a good fourth quarter."
 
"It feels good to get the win. It's a pretty surreal moment right now" said fifth year guard Greg Morrow. "It's my last regular season game but it might be my last game at home. It's a crazy moment with few emotions going through my head right now. At the end of the day I'm happy we got the win."
 
The Mustangs end the season with an 11-9 record solidifying their second place finish in the OUA West. The Algoma Thunderbirds record updates to 5-14, placing them in fourth place of the OUA West with one more game remaining on their schedules.
 
The veterans played strong on Senior Day with Greg Morrow leading the pack for his final regular season home game with 16 points. Alongside Morrow, Peter Scholtes finished his regular season career with 11 points and led the Mustangs defence with 10 rebounds. Tom Filgiano was a defensive specialist all game making smart moves on the defensive front to grab nine rebounds as well as contribute 12 points.
 
Despite facing strong defenders, Andre Barber was able to capitalize on shooting in the last half of play with 16 points, nine of which were made at the three-point line. Fellow senior Brett Zufelt followed with 12 points and Reng Gum led all Algoma players with eight rebounds.
 
The Mustangs made it clear they were seeking revenge for their loss to Algoma back on January 15 as the purple and white started the game with a 15-0 run that lasted for the first seven minutes of the contest. Western's strong defence in the paint prevent the Thunderbirds from getting any clean shots from in close, and the home side led 18-5 after one.
 
After Western dominated the first 10 minutes, the Thunderbirds bounced back in the second quarter, outscoring the Mustangs 24-19 in the frame. Starting a full court press early, the Thunderbirds were able to turn the tables and prevent the Mustangs from making it through the key, catching up to pull within eight, with Western leading 37-29 going into the half.
 
Algoma continued their strong play in the third quarter, taking their first lead of the game just past the five minute mark off of a basket from Barber. Western trailed for the remainder of the frame until Morrow scored on a layup at the buzzer to put Western in front 52-51.
 
That lead would prove to be one that the Mustangs would never relinquish, as they outscored 20-7 in the final quarter, thanks in large part to eight points from Spiridis and six from Scholtes. At the final buzzer the Mustangs walked away with a 72-58 victory.
 
"The most important thing is we got the win." said Campbell. "The one thing I can say about all of our fifth-year guys is that they are team guys first and that's what they care about the most. That's what was important today."
 
"It's a little bit emotional to know it's your last game, but its a weird situation where you know it's your last regular season game but there's more left." said Scholtes. "For [the playoff game] we just got to make sure we're defensively all talking and making sure guys are aware, focused and 100% into the details defensively."
 
"It feels good to contribute to the program" said Morrow on his final season as a Mustang. "I think I can say I left no regrets in my time here at Western. I always like helping Western try to help improve the program and create a positive atmosphere around it."
 
The Mustangs will now advance to the first round of the OUA playoffs on Wednesday, March 2. Check back to westernmustangs.ca on Monday when the full OUA playoff schedule is revealed.

Source: Western Mustangs

Mavety sinks a season-best 23, Queen's tops Toronto to close out regular season

KINGSTON, Ont. (February 27, 2016)- Andrew Mavety scored a season-high 23 points, and the Queen's Gaels men's basketball team closed out their regular season with an 81-73 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues on senior's night at the Athletics and Recreation Centre Saturday evening.
 
Mavety, who was honoured along with fellow seniors Mark Paclibar (Minesing, Ont.) and Ryall Stroud (Toronto) before the game, was 8-of-13 from the field and a formidable 5-of-6 from behind the three-point line. Sukhpreet Singh and Tanner Graham each tallied 15 points, and Graham added 12 rebounds for a double-double to go along with a game-high four blocks for the Gaels (11-8).
 
Queen's shot just under 50% and used an explosive fourth quarter offensively where they scored 29 points to command of the lead against a desperate Toronto team needing a win to squeak into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.

With the victory, it is likely that the Gaels will be hosting their first home playoff game in six seasons. The last time Queen's hosted a post-season contest was the 2009-10 season when they defeated Ryerson in the OUA East quarter-finals by a score of 79-76 in overtime.
 
GAME FLOW
The opening quarter was full of streakiness, beginning with the hosts missing their first 10 shots, which allowed the Blues to jump ahead with a 9-0 lead at the 5-minute mark. Mavety (Vancouver, B.C.) ended the slump with a corner three, and sparked the men on an 11-2 run that the fourth-year guard polished off with another three from the opposite corner to give Queen's its first lead.
 
The momentum then swung back in favour of the Blues over the rest of the quarter. The Gaels went quiet in the final minutes offensively, while Toronto heated up, scoring nine in a row to take an 18-11 lead into the second period.
 
Mavety began the second with another three, but Blues rookie Devon Williams took over soon after, notching three-straight baskets from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions in just over 90 seconds to stretch the Toronto advantage into double-digits. Williams would go 5-for-5 on his three-point attempts in the first 20 twenty minutes, and finished with a half-high of 15.
 
The Gaels managed to cut into the Blues lead after gaining a bit of momentum at the offensive end of the floor, shooting 60% (9-13) in the second quarter. Baskets from Singh (Toronto) and Graham (Kingston) brought the deficit down to seven going into halftime. Mavety led the Gaels with 13 points at the break.
 
Queen's picked up four-straight points in the third quarter to pull within a single-possession of the lead, but a timely three by Manny Sahota momentarily stopped the Gael tide. The hosts persevered, going on a 9-2 run topped off with a great move in the post any lay-in from Mike Blumel (Waterloo, Ont.) to pull the Gaels within a point of Toronto. The Blues held onto a 54-52 lead at the end of three quarters.
 
Mavety continued his potent shooting early in the fourth, nailing two three's that book-ended a three-point play on a tough drive and basket by Singh, giving the Gaels their first lead since the first quarter just over a minute and a half into the final quarter.
 
The Gaels offence continued rolling through the fourth, and as a result the men were able to slowly build up as much as a nine-point advantage late in the contest. The Blues twice came within a shot of tying the game, but their offense went cold late, as the guests missed five shots in a row on two possessions with under three minutes left.
 
During that same span, four-straight points from Stroud, which included two important free-throws, and a three-point basket from Graham gave the Gaels an eight-point lead with just over a minute and a half left. Mavety and Singh iced the game from the foul-line in the final 30 seconds.
 
FINAL SAY
"We had a home playoff spot on the line, so our focus was on our urgency," said Head Coach Stephan Barrie. "We've worked really hard all year, it would be a shame not to have a home playoff game. I thought we came out with some nervous energy and missed a lot of easy shots early. So we had to settle a bit. In the second half we got into rhythm and, most importantly, the difference between last night and tonight was once we got the lead we closed it out and did the things we have to do to put teams away. It was a great finish for us to that end"
 
On Mavety's performance
"Andrew's parents are going to have to come to the playoff game; he seems to play unbelievably when they are here. I'm just happy for him, he's worked really hard and come back from so many injuries. He's had a tough career with a lot of bad luck in it. So for him on his senior night to have that game is well-deserved, and the guys couldn't be happier for him"
 
On hosting a playoff game
"These games have been few and far between, and our guys are working hard to change that and make them happen every year. But you have to take the first step and get that first one. So it's a step for us, and an important one. Now we have to take advantage of it, and get hungry for one more win."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
47.6%- The Gaels offensive efficiency, nearly five points higher than their average and sixth highest single-game percentage in conference play
51.6%- Andrew Mavety's three-point field-goal percentage, ranking him first in the OUA
11- It was the 11th game where Queen's scored 80 or more points in the regular season
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels, who finish second in the OUA East, begin their playoff journey next week. The men's seeding and opponent will be determined based on their RPI rating. Stay tuned to gogaelsgo.com for more information.

Source: Queen's Gaels

Top ranked Ravens roll past Lakers

(NORTH BAY, ON) — It was certainly not the men's basketball team's best display of the 2015-16 season, but the Carleton Ravens (16-3) are returning home with a second Northern Ontario road trip win following a 68-39 victory in the regular season finale over Nipissing (3-16) on Saturday night. The Ravens endured a slow start and a rough finish, but in the end Carleton captured its sixteenth win of the season – a sixth straight win overall, along with a first-round OUA playoff bye into quarter-finals.

Five Ravens players scored an identical 10 points in the win, including fourth-year guard Kaza Kajami-Keane (Ajax, ON), who made his mark on the score sheet with a 10-point, 6-assist, 5-rebound evening.

The low-scoring affair got off to a rocky start for both sides. Carleton was held to its lowest first-quarter point total (11) this season following a sluggish start to the game. Nipissing fared no better, as they could only muster 10 points in the first ten minutes.

The Ravens awoke in the second quarter, as Guillaume Payen Boucard (Montreal, QC) tallied 6 points in the frame to provide Carleton with a 24-7 advantage which helped them take a 35-17 scoreline into the locker room.

Rob Smart's team kept their focus heading into the second half as the Ravens managed another 24 points in the third quarter to deny the Lakers of any possible comeback. Ravens rookie Taj Lall (Cambridge, ON) had the top performance of his debut season, erupting for 7 of his 10 points against Nipissing in the third. Lall finished the game  with a season-high 23 minutes, connecting on 4 of 8 from the floor and going 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.

While the Ravens were outscored in the last quarter, 12-9, the game was already a formality as the starters took to the bench in the fourth.

Carleton held Nipissing to only 39 points, the fewest number of points that the Ravens have allowed an opponent to score in a game all season.

The Ravens did not shoot particularly well from outside throughout the game, as they finished 4-for-22 3PM-A. It was their fewest number of 3-pointers in any regular season game in 2015-16.

The team will need to rediscover their best shooting strokes in a week's time when they are set to begin the OUA playoffs.

With the knock-out season set to start, Carleton will have to be at its best if they hope to make it back to another OUA Final 4 and CIS Final 8. The Ravens will received first-round bye and host a quarter-final game next Saturday, March 5.

Source: Carleton Ravens

Gryphons season comes to an end at the hands No. 7 Brock

Guelph, ON - The Brock University men's basketball team defeated the Guelph Gryphons by the score of 65-62 Saturday night on the road.

Brock trailed 14-9 after one quarter. They opened the second quarter on a 13-2 run to go up 22-16 with 6:33 left in the half. Guelph rallied back and held a one-point lead after 20 minutes 34-33.

The score was deadlocked 39-39 with 7:54 left in the third, before Guelph put together a 12-5 run, highlighted by three straight three-pointers, to lead 52-44 with four minutes left in the quarter. The Badgers trailed 56-51 at the end of 30 minutes.

Brock rallied back in the fourth quarter, going on an 8-2 run to take a 59-58 lead with just under four minutes left in regulation. Guelph's Ahmed Haroon answered right back with a jumper to make it 60-59 Gryphons. The Badgers closed out the game with a 5-2 run in the final two minutes for their 26th victory of the season.

The Badgers had four starters in double figures led by Dani Elgadi (Waterloo ON) who recorded 21 points, eight rebounds and five blocks . Ryan Bennett (Toronto, ON) contributed with 13 points , while Johneil Simpson (Toronto, ON)  (11 points, six rebounds) and Matt Marshall (Burlington, ON) (10 points, 13 rebounds) rounded out the leaders.

 Leading the Gryphons with Jonathan Wallace and Taylor Boers who recorded 14 and 13 points respectively in the loss.

For the game, the Badgers shot 30.8% 20-for-65 from the field, 11.1% (2-for-18) from beyond the arc and 74.2% (23-for-31) from the charity stripe. Guelph went 23-for-72 (31.9%) from the floor, including 7-for-19 (36.8%) from long range and 9-for-14 (64.3%) from the free throw line.

Brock will host a first round OUA playoff game Wednesday, March 2nd at the Bob Davis Gymnasium.

Source: Brock Badgers

'Wolves lose but advance to the playoffs

The men's basketball team got run down by the Windsor Lancers on Saturday night, dropping in a 81-60 loss.

With their own playoff destiny in their hands, the Lakehead Thunderwolves hung tough for the first quarter, down 17-14 following a Windsor three that beat the buzzer.

It was more of the same in the third quarter, with Campbell hitting shots and finding open team mates. As the Windsor lead stretched to 20+, coach Furtado went to his bench, who once again showed their promise in the OUA and clawed Lakehead back within 11 points with four minutes left to play. A three by Campbell in response removed all doubt as the final four minutes elapsed.

Lakehead shot 22% from beyond the arc (8-for-37) to Windsor's 34% (11-for-32).

"Defensively we need tighten up if we want any chance of beating Western. You never want to put your fate in someone else's hands and tonight Brock did us a huge favour."

Source: Lakehead Thunderwolves