AROUND OUA: Lakers pull off a thriller over No. 6 Brock
The Nipissing Lakers men's basketball team didn't make it easy, but they sure did make a 69-66 win over the Brock Badgers exciting.
SCOREBOARD
McMaster 87 @ Laurentian 95
Queen's 77 @ Windsor 78
Ottawa 87 @ Laurier 58
Lakehead 64 @ Toronto 74
Brock 66 @ Nipissing 69
York 71 @ Western 81
Guelph 76 @ Ryerson 98
Carleton 101 @ Waterloo 60
Lakers pull off a thriller over No. 6 Brock
The Nipissing Lakers men's basketball team didn't make it easy, but they sure did make a 69-66 win over the Brock Badgers exciting.
The Lakers got off to a great start, gave up the lead, bounced back and locked the game down in the final seconds, grabbing a weekend split and earning their fourth win of the season.
After an almost perfect start, Nipissing built up a 19-4 lead after one quarter of play thanks to a strong offensive game, some solid shooting and impressive defending.
But the second quarter was a different story.
After pushing their lead to 22-9, Brock began to fight back.
The Lakers held the lead 24-23, but Brock continued to come on and took a 25-24 lead before Nipissing closed out the half with a Kalil Langston three-pointer and some solid defending to take a two point lead into the break.
The teams played an even second half, with the Lakers posting 42 points, compared to the Badgers 41.
Brock held a 24-21 edge in the third quarter and actually took a 49-48 lead into the final quarter.
Thanks to their halftime lead and a four point advantage in the fourth, the Lakers were able to close out the game.
Down 60-58, Nipissing turned things around and grabbed a 61-60 lead and didn't look back.
The game was sealed by a Marcus Lewis steal and an Ismael Kaba layup.
From there, strong defending gave Nipissing the victory.
Kaba led the way with 18 points, Lewis had 16 and Justin Shaver added 12 in the win.
From here, Nipissing will travel to our Nation's Capital to battle Carleton and Ottawa this weekend.
Source: Nipissing Lakers
Laurentian shocks No. 9 McMaster 95-87
The McMaster men's basketball team was unable to come back after a late third quarter run by the Laurentian Voyageurs, as the Marauders fell 95-87 Saturday night. The loss puts Mac at 4-5 on the season.
McMaster struggled to get things going early, while Laurentian managed to start hot with contributions from all their starters. However, Rohan Boney managed to keep the Marauders close scoring the first 14 points for Mac. At the end of the first the teams were tied at 20 apiece.
Mac began to get things going in the second, but Laurentian responded to each Mac basket with one of their own. By intermission, the Marauders held a slim two-point lead at 40-38.
In the third quarter Laurentian began to pull away early. Mac was able to respond and keep it close, but in the final 17 seconds of the quarter Laurentian knocked down two triples to give the Voyageurs an eight-point lead going into the final quarter.
The Marauders fought hard in the fourth. After trailing by as much as ten they were able to cut the lead to just three, but a strong run by Laurentian put them back on top. McMaster couldn't get it together in the last few minutes of the game and came out with a loss for the fourth time in the last five games.
Boney dominated for McMaster scoring 32 points with seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Laurentian had no answer for him in the low-post. However, the Marauders couldn't contain David Aromolaran who scored a season high 26 points for the Voyageurs.
After finishing their northern road-trip 1-1, Mac will head back home and prepare to face Laurier at McMaster on Wednesday evening at 8-pm.
The game can be streamed online on oua.tv or followed on radio on 93.3 CFMU-FM.
Source: McMaster Marauders
Windsor edges Queen's in afternoon tilt
The Lancer men's basketball team narrowly edged the visiting Queen's Gaels 78-77 on Saturday afternoon at the St. Denis Centre.
The win moves the Lancers into sole possession of first place in the west division standings with a 6-4 record, while the Gaels drop to 6-2 and remain tied for second in the east division.
Up by 18 points late in the third, the Lancers saw their lead get chipped away as the Gaels took six minutes to erase the Lancer advantage and go ahead by one with seven minutes to go.
With the Gaels up by five with five minutes to go, Windsor pushed back to tie the game and send the game's decision into the final seconds. With the Lancers up 78-77 the Gaels gained possession of the ball with eleven seconds remaining, however pressure at the top of the key from the Lancer defense caused the Gaels to travel, turning the ball over with a second on the clock to give the Lancers the win.
Mitch Farrell led the Lancers with 25 points and six rebounds, while going 5-for-10 from the three-point line. Mike Rocca had another solid day for the Blue & Gold going 4-for-8 from the three, finishing with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 of the team's 16 assists. Lucas Orlita came off the bench to score 13.
Queen's was led by Tanner Graham with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Windsor will host the Western Mustangs on Rivalry Night this coming Wednesday, January 11th at 8:00pm. The game can be seen live on CogecoTV and www.oua.tv.
The Lancers will also be hosting a Beach Party that night, and fans are encouraged to dress in their Hawaiian gear.
Source: Windsor Lancers
Double-doubles power Gee-Gees over Laurier
The Gee-Gees men's basketball team closed out their Waterloo road trip with a 87-58 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday night. Ottawa utilized a seven-point charge led by Adam Presutti in the first five minutes to jump out to an early lead, then overpowered the Hawks throughout to take the 29-point victory.
Caleb Agada again shepherded the Ottawa offence, posting a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jean Emmanuel Pierre-Charles also racked up a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while Brody Maracle fell just short with a crucial 15-point, nine-rebound performance.
"They're big time players for our team," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. "They grind on both ends of the floor and set examples for the type of play that we strive for."
The Gee-Gees defence had their hands full with rookie Laurier guard Tevaun Kokko, who has been the team's best scorer this season. Utilizing their size advantage, the Ottawa bigs punished Laurier in the paint and on the boards. Pierre-Charles and Maracle helped the team out-rebound the Hawks 53-39 on the night.
In the third quarter Derouin shifted to a lineup consisting primarily of reserve players, providing extended playing time for the younger side of the roster. Gage Sabean and Brandon Robinson capitalized on their increased minutes, posting 10 and seven points; Robinson also pulled down six rebounds.
"It's always good to be in a spot to give the young guys some extra minutes," said Derouin. "We can find more things for them to improve on, and it's key to have them step up and lead while they're on the floor."
The key to success for the team seemed to be taking advantage of second chance opportunities and mixing attacks to the net with open looks from behind the arc.
The win was also particularly special as it was the team's first against former lead assistant coach Justin Serresse, who is in his first year at the helm of the Golden Hawks after spending six seasons at Ottawa.
"I'm very proud of his maturation as a coach," said Derouin. "He's a young guy and has a very bright future in this league. It really shows in the way he's coached his team this season."
The Gee-Gees return home for a series against Laurentian and Nipissing next weekend.
Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees
Johnson leads Blues over Thunderwolves
Fifth-year forward Devin Johnson led all players with 28 points and 10 boards as the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team topped the Lakehead Thunderwolves 74-64 on Saturday night (Jan. 7) at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
With the win, the Blues improve to 7-3 and move into sole possession of second place in the OUA East division, while the Thunderwolves drop to 2-7 and are fourth in the Central division.
Johnson went 8-for-14 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 9-for-10 from the free throw line, notching his third double-double of the season.
Fourth-year guard Reilly Reid had another solid night, recording 12 points, eight boards, three steals and three assists, while third-year guard Sage Usher tallied 11 points and three assists in the victory.
Usher held a hot hand in the early goings, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc as Toronto narrowly trailed Lakehead 21-20 after the first quarter. The two teams went back and forth and the Blues held a 34-31 advantage at halftime.
The see-saw battle ensued as Lakehead took a 54-53 lead into the final frame. From there, back-to-back baskets from Johnson put the Blues up by seven with four minutes to go and the Thunderwolves were unable to come back.
Barcarius Dinkins led the Thunderwolves with 18 points and five boards, while Mor Menashe had 17 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
The Varsity Blues are back in action next Friday, January 13 as they travel north to take on the York Lions in a School Day game. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues
Mustangs take down Lions Saturday night
LONDON, Ont - Five Mustang players recorded double digits as Western defeated the York Lions 81-71 on Saturday night at Alumni Hall.
"The win is good. Hopefully that does some good for our confidence" said head coach Brad Campbell. "There are some things we still need to do a lot better at the end of games that still showed itself today. But we were aggressive, we caused a bunch of turnovers and we had a nice balanced effort."
"I think we're getting a little bit better at moving the ball." said Alex Coote on the team's victory. "We got a lot of teammates involved. The good thing tonight was not one or two guys who won it for us, it was everybody, a team effort."
The victory ends the Mustangs five-game losing streak, improving their record to 2-8 placing them in a tie for third with Algoma in the OUA West. The loss is York's sixth, moving their record to 2-6, and keeping them in fourth in the OUA East.
The Mustangs were led by Coote and Omar Shiddo who recorded 14 points, while Eriq Jenkins and Cam Morris contributed 11 points for the purple and white and Eric McDonald scored 10 points. Morris and Jedson Tavernier led with six rebounds, while the team collectively tallied 15 steals including five from McDonald.
Brandon Ramirez recorded a game-high 34 points for the Lions, while teammate Jayden Frederick notched 17 points and Julio Vazquez added. Ramirez led with eight rebounds while Yonathan Kristos grabbed five.
Struggling to take control to start the game, the Mustangs momentum completely shifted midway through the frame when Jenkins turned two back-to-back steals into points to propel the Mustangs into the lead. With a strengthened defence, including four steals from McDonald and an overall 64.7% success rate in field goals, the Mustangs went on a 15-4 run to finish the frame with a 27-12 lead.
The Lions refused to back down and tightened their defensive game, grabbing 10 rebounds in the second quarter to prevent the Mustangs from extending their lead. Led by Frederick who sunk nine of the teams 19 points in the frame, the Lions tied the Mustangs in scoring in the frame, but Western led 46-31 after the first two quarters.
Coote made an impression on the court in the third, scoring eight points to keep the Mustangs in the lead. However, the Lions began to connect with their plays, eventually closing to within four points before the Mustangs answered back and ended the third frame up 65-54.
The two teams traded baskets in the fourth, with the Lions holding a slight 17-16 advantage, but the Mustangs closed things out with an 81-71 win.
"We've got to build, we got to take what we learned from this game. It's always nice to teach some things in a win other than a loss." said Campbell. "We've had a lot of close games where we didn't close out in the fourth quarter and we have to get over the hump, we have to learn."
The Mustangs hit the road to face the Windsor Lancers on Wednesday, January 11 at the St. Denis Centre. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. and can be watched live on OUA.tv
Source: Western Mustangs
Diressa and Small lead Rams past Gryphons
TORONTO - Ammanuel Diressa and Keevon Small had career nights to lead the No. 5 nationally ranked Ryerson Rams men's basketball team a 98-76 victory over the visiting Guelph Gryphons on Saturday night.
BOXSCORE
Diressa (Toronto, Ont.) tied his career-high with a game-high 30 points, while Small (Montreal, Que.) established a new career-high with 26 points. Diressa was 12-for-22 from the floor, including 4-for-8 from behind the arc, while Small went 9-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from three point range.
Adika Peter-McNeilly was the only other Ram in double-digits, scoring 14 points, while adding a team-high eight rebounds and six assists.
Ryerson jumped out to 52-33 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Gryphons had four players who registered double-digit points, including Jonathan Wallace (Malton, Ont.) with a team-high 15 points. Taylor Boers (Belleville, Ont.) and Ahmed Haroon (Mississauga, Ont.) each added 12 points for Guelph, whose record drops to 3-5.
Ryerson improves to 9-0 on the season and return to action next Friday night when they visit the Queen's Gaels (6-2). That game will be live on OUA.tv starting at 8pm.
Source: Ryerson Rams
Ravens dominate Warriors on the road
WATERLOO, ON — It was business as usual for the Ravens men's basketball team on Saturday evening, as Carleton won its seventh regular-season game in a row with a 101-60 triumph over the Waterloo Warriors at the PAC Gymnasium.
For a second consecutive game, the Ravens had an offensive explosion of more than 100 points en route to victory. Connor Wood (Guelph, ON) led the team with 22 points (7-18 FG), while senior guard Kaza Kajami-Keane (Ajax, ON) packed the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
The Ravens had an extraordinary start, pasting 31 points on the Warriors in the first to lead 31-16 after one. Carleton went on a 14-0 run to begin the game with Wood and Kajami-Keane leading the way. The Ravens were deadly from beyond the arc in the opening ten minutes, converting on six three-point plays in the quarter, including two from guard Joe Rocca (Sarnia, ON).
Carleton's tempo slowed in the second, but a pair of triples from Connor Wood ensured the Ravens would hold a comfortable halftime advantage, 52-30, over the OUA West's Warriors. Wood's 19 first-half points (4-8 3PT-FG) led the way as Carleton shot 48.6% from the floor and 52.6% (10-16 3PT-FG) from distance in the first half.
With a substantial lead in hand, Carleton continued to add to their margin in the second half. Mitch Wood (Guelph, ON) got in on the action in the third by knocking down a few jumpers early in the quarter to help sustain the Ravens' double-digit score after three.
Ahead 68-34 with one period remaining, a lethal offensive display by Carleton continued to click against Waterloo, whose scoring defence ranked near the bottom of the league coming into the matchup. The Ravens tallied 31 points in the fourth, including eight points from rookie Eddie Ekiyor (Ottawa, ON), to deliver the knockout blow.
Carleton shot 45.9% (17-37 3PT-FG) from downtown, a season high, against Waterloo, and received a massive 50-point contribution from its bench. The Ravens dominated possession as well, outrebounding the Warriors 55-26 on the night.
Eddie Ekiyor earned his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, while veteran forward Cam Smythe (Vancouver, BC) finished with season highs of eight points and eight rebounds.
The Ravens (7-0) remain undefeated in the regular season and will now prepare for the arrival of two division rivals – Nipissing (Jan. 13) and Laurentian (Jan. 14) – who both sit at 4-6 and hold playoff aspirations.
Source: Carleton Ravens