OUA Men's Basketball Roundup (Jan. 29)
January 24, 2018
McMaster 75 Laurier 71
The McMaster Marauders men's basketball team continued their six-game road trip in Kitchener, taking on the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks at the Kitchener Auditorium Wednesday afternoon.
In yet another strong performance in hostile territory, the Marauders came out with a second straight road win, defeating the Golden Hawks 75-71 and improving to 4-12 in OUA play.
Riding their new-found confidence after upsetting the Western Mustangs in London Saturday, the Marauders faced the Golden Hawks in their second and final matchup of the season series.
Laurier had won their first meeting of the season 79-64 less than two weeks ago at McMaster's Burridge Gym.
Miles Seward (Toronto, ON) led the Marauders in scoring for the day, finishing the game with 25 points, while adding eight rebounds and four assists.
The victory was a result of a balanced effort, however, as four of the Marauders starters finished the game with double-digit point performances. Matt Quiring (Cambridge, ON) and Kareem Collins (Hamilton, ON)both contributed 16 points of their own, while David McCulloch (Hamilton, ON) added 11.
Laurier's Kemel Archer enjoyed a strong performance, despite his team's loss. He led Laurier in scoring for the game, racking up 23 points from 7-11 from the field. He was a force for the Golden Hawks inside the paint and drawing fouls, shooting 9-12 from the foul line.
McMaster pushed the tempo early, getting much of their starting five involved in the offence.
Despite being outperformed in turnovers, the Marauders were the ones making the most of their opportunities, scoring 12 points off of turnovers and 16. points on second chance opportunities.
The Marauders led for majority of the game, fending off brief bursts of momentum from the Golden Hawks.
In the fourth quarter, Laurier finally started to find their rhythm, as they made a late surge in a desperate attempt to cut into the Marauders lead.
The hosts tied things up at 69-69 following an Ali Sow layup in the closing minutes of the game.
Seward put the Marauders up 73-71 with 14 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Golden Hawks wouldn't make much of their ensuing timeout, coughing up an inbounds play and allowing the Marauders to quickly move the ball up court in transition.
The Golden Hawks were forced to foul, letting Kareem Collins and Miles Seward both hit foul shots and the clock run out on Laurier's chances for a comeback.
Source: marauders.ca
Guelph 80 Brock 93
The No. 2 ranked Brock University men's basketball team topped the Guelph Gryphons by the score of 93-80 Wednesday night in front of a capacity crowd inside the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
Brock opened the game with a 16-4 run and led 22-16 after one quarter. Early in the second quarter, Guelph brought it to within three points 24-21, before Brock answered with a 12-6 run, to take a 36-27 lead at the half.
Guelph would bring the score to within six points three more times, but that would be as close as they would come as Brock extended their win streak to six games.
The Badgers had four players in double digits led by Tyler Brown who finished with a game-high 19 points seven assists and three rebounds. Dani Elgadi collected the double-double adding 16 points and 11 rebounds while Cassidy Ryan and Noah Lapierre chipped in with 14 and 10 points respectively.
For the game, Brock shot 47.8% (33-69) from the field 33.3% (7-21) from three-point land and a season-high 95.2% (20-21) from the charity stripe. Guelph went 25-68 (36.8%) from the floor, 6-11 (54.5%) from long range and 24-34 (70.6%) from the free throw line.
Guelph's offense was led by Banky Alade who recorded 18 points. Also in double figures were Taylor Boers (14), Tommy Yanchus (13) and Rasheed Weekes (10).
Source: gobadgers.ca
January 26, 2018
Carleton 97 Toronto 53
TORONTO, ON – The Ravens showed no mercy on Friday night in Toronto, outscoring the Varsity Blues 26-2 in the opening 10 minutes. Carleton rode the sizeable early lead to a 97-53 victory to boost their record to 17-0 heading into Saturday’s game against the Ryerson Rams.
Third-year guard Stanley Mayambo (Fredericton, NB) registered 20 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting from three-point land, while also collecting four rebounds and dishing out two assists in an efficient 17 minutes of action.
GAME FLOW:
After sitting out the previous two games, sophomore forward Eddie Ekiyor (Ottawa, ON) returned to the lineup. Third-year guard Yasiin Joseph (Ottawa, ON) got things started for the Ravens by scoring six consecutive points to help Carleton pave an early 11-2 lead three and a half minutes into the game. Also clicking early were point guard Munis Tutu (Windsor, ON) and fifth-year forward Cam Smythe (Vancouver, BC). Tutu and Smythe worked the pick-and-roll brilliantly in the first quarter, which opened up three-point opportunities for Smythe, or daylight for Tutu to take foul line jump shots. Joseph, Tutu and Smythe accounted for 23 of Carleton’s 26 first quarter points.
Momentum snowballed in the second quarter. A three-pointer by guard Marcus Anderson (Brampton, ON) pushed the lead to 35 at the 6:15 mark of the frame, but with the lead rising steadily, the Varsity Blues mounted their best scoring spurt of the game thus far. A jump shot and a three-pointer from Daniel Johansson, as well as a pull up jumper from Reilly Reid trimmed the score to 46-13. Sage Usher managed to get a desperation jumper to fall in the quarter’s final moments to settle the score at 51-16 at halftime.
Anderson broke the ice in the second half with a three, which pushed the lead to 38. But Toronto responded with a 7-0 run that was capped off by a three from Usher. Carleton pushed back thanks to back-to-back corner three-pointers from Mayambo. Mayambo added one more long-distance mark before the end of the quarter to support a 78-32 lead for the Ravens heading into the fourth quarter.
Head coach Dave Smart used the final 10 minutes to rest his starters and give valuable playing time to the reserves. Mayambo, who was scorching hot in the third, continued his torrid performance by dropping five straight points early in the fourth. Two straight three-pointers by guard Troy Reid-Knight (Vaughan, ON) brought the score to 97-44 before a late 9-0 run by the Varsity Blues closed the game out with a final score of 97-53.
Source: goravens.ca
Western 89 Algoma 80
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Omar Shiddo and Marko Kovac combined for 48 points to help lead the Western Mustangs to an 89-80 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Friday night at the George Leach Centre.
The win gives Western a 10-7 regular season record and maintains the team's spot in second place in the OUA West, two points ahead of the Laurier Golden Hawks. Algoma is tied for sixth place alongside the McMaster Marauders, with both teams holding 4-13 records.
Both Shiddo and Kovac scored 24 points to lead all players on Friday night. Kovac went 8-14 from the four including three baskets from beyond the arc, while Shiddo connected on 7-14 shots from the floor with five three-pointers. Kovac also led the Mustangs rebound efforts, grabbing 12 boards in the win. Two other Mustangs also scored in double digits, with Eriq Jenkins and Alex Coote recording 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Nathan Riley led the way for Algoma, tallying 15 points on 4-6 shooting while also going 7-8 from the free throw line. Four other Thunderbirds made significant contributions on the score sheet, Cailum White recorded 12 points, while both Brandon Dwyer and Elijah Butler scored 11, and Reng Gum finished the night with 10. Riley and Gum also made their marks in the rebounding game, grabbing 11 rebounds each.
After trading baskets in the opening two minutes, the Mustangs began to build a lead near the midway point of the frame, with Western going on an extended 21-5 run to build up a 16-point lead late in the quarter. Kovac led the way for the purple and white during the run, recording seven points, including back-to-back three pointers towards the end of the run. Algoma began to battle back in the final minutes, cutting the Mustangs lead to 30-19 after 10 minutes of play.
The second quarter was a more closely contested affair with the Mustangs outscoring their opponents 19-16 in the frame. Neither side was able to break through an extended run, with each team's longest scoring run going for just five points each. The back and forth half ended with the Mustangs up 49-35.
Algoma came out strong to start the second half, going on an 8-0 run that ended with back-to-back three pointers from Pedro Costa and Lyle Jermaine to cut the Mustangs lead to six points. The Mustangs were undaunted by the Thunderbirds strong start, responding with a 10-0 run of their own, led by seven points from Jenkins to put Western back in front by 16. The Thunderbirds fired back in the final three minutes of the frame, recording 12 consecutive points to cut Western's lead to 68-57 entering the fourth quarter.
The Thunderbirds continued to push in the final frame, pulling to within six points just over 90 seconds in, however that would be as close as things would get, with the Mustangs walking away with an 89-80 win.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Nipissing 75 York 71
The York University Lions men's basketball team welcomed the Nipissing Lakers to home court Friday night. In an eventful fourth quarter it looked as though the Lions were going to pull ahead to claim a long overdue win, but in the final seconds of the game the Lakers added a couple more points to win 75-71.
Gianmarco Luciani kicked off the scoring for the Lions with a three-pointer early in the first quarter. After the Lions set-up a seven-point lead, the Lakers went on a 17-0 run to take a big lead of their own. The Lions trailed by eight points at the end of the first at 19-11.
The Lions made some big plays early in the second quarter that allowed them to close the gap established by the Lakers. Stefano Spagnuolo made three three-pointers, which played a big role in the Lions tying up the score 26-26 with three minutes to go. The rest of the quarter remained close and finished 35-28 for the Lakers.
After halftime, the Lions continued to work hard and brought the score at the end of the third quarter to a two-point difference of 53-51. They continued to hang on at the start of the fourth quarter and even took a one-point lead, but the Lakers eventually found themselves with another 10-point advantage. In the final two minutes of play, the Lions reduced this gap to three points and came within one, but the Lakers took advantage of some late free throws to win the game.
Luciani led the Lions in points with 17. Ricky Hudson led the team in rebounds with eight. Leading for the Lakers was Marcus Lewis with 22 points and he added nine rebounds
Source: yorkulions.ca
Lakehead 78 Windsor 101
The Windsor Lancers men's basketball team took to the court Friday night looking to make quick work of the 2-14 Lakehead Thunderwolves after a tough loss to the second ranked Brock Badgers. The Lancers did just that beating the Thunderwolves handily, 101-78.
GAME STATS
Damian Persaud led all scorers, pouring in 19 points for the Lancers on nine for 11 shooting. The Thunderwolves were led by Nahshon Hurst and his 13 points on six of 12 shooting.
The Lancers offense shot an impressive 50 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from beyond the arc. The Thunderwolves shot just 35 per cent and 33 from three.
Despite the loss, the Thunderwolves outrebounded the Lancers 39-37
The Lancers wasted no time in establishing their offense as the game's first points came off of a Mike Rocca three. Rocca led the Lancers from the beginning and under his lead, immediately began building and increasing a lead. While the Windsor offense was humming along, their defense was also putting forth an impressive effort, forcing the Thunderwolves to shoot a less than stellar 32.5 per cent from the field over the first half. Behind a 43 per cent shooting performance from behind the arc, the Lancers went into the break up big, 52-34.
In the second half it was more of the same as the Lancers offense hummed along with good efficiency. The Lancers continued their effort on the defensive end as well as they kept the Lakehead offense off pace and off the board. Despite Lakehead's adjustments, the Thunderwolves could not figure out the Lancers long ranged assault from beyond the arc. Despite the game being four quarters this one was decided a l lot earlier as the Lancers won handily, 101-78.
Source: golancers.ca
Ottawa 92 Ryerson 95
TORONTO - The Ryerson Rams knew they had to turn the tables on the Ottawa Gee-Gees this weekend, but they didn’t set out to completely flip their previous matchup.
The Rams bested the Gee-Gees 95-92 in overtime Friday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Their performance, a slow start and strong second half, were the complete opposite of the previous matchup between the two OUA powerhouses.
Sitting tenth in U SPORTS national rankings, defeating the ninth overall Gee-Gees is a massive boost for a hard charging Rams team heading into tomorrow’s match against undefeated country leaders, the Carleton Ravens.
Lately the highest scoring figure for the team, Manny Diressa (Toronto, Ont.) continued his trend as he put up a game high 41 points. More impressive, the Gee-Gees only held him to four points in the first quarter. Diressa fought back to put up 25 in the second half, putting up a higher scoring half than any Gee-Gees full-game performance.
“Manny had a special second half,” Rams assistant coach Borko Popic said. “That certainly changes the flow of the game. We were able to maximize that and guys were able to step up; numerous guys at different times. It was a totally different second half for us.”
While Diressa dominated the second half, Adam Voll (Kitchener, Ont.) consistently remained an anchor for the team throughout the entire game. Consistently landing threes (3-5), putting up a season-high 17 points, and dominating defensively, the fifth-year senior showed why he is a leader on the team.
“For me, it’s always starting on defence,” Voll said as his teammates passed, chanting “MVP”. “We looked a bit flat in the first half. Coming out to the second, we were hungrier, and we wanted to protect; protect our house.”
While Manny’s comeback and highlight reel threes to tie the game and go ahead in overtime had the crowd ignited, Voll’s consistency was just as essential.
“That’s fifth-year leadership,” Popic said of Voll’s performance. “Defensively, just battling with their big guys inside, and just having that calming presence at the back of your defence to communicate and help when necessary. His impact is bigger than his stat line.”
Tomorrow, the Rams host the U SPORTS number one Carleton Ravens for their second match of the season, closing out Gold Rush weekend. The match marks a rematch not only for the Ravens’ 89-80 win over the Rams in January, but for last year’s U SPORTS gold medal match. With the Rams’ current streak and hot off of the victory over the Gee-Gees, the team knows there is no time like the present to face the country’s top team.
“[We need to] get ready mentally, physically recover, and go to battle tomorrow,” Popic said. “They’re undefeated. Number one team in the country. We’re excited! It’s in our home court, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Source: ryersonrams.ca
Laurier 97 Waterloo 78
WATERLOO, Ont. (January 27, 2018) – The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men’s basketball team produced one of their best offensive performances of the season on Friday night as four players scored in double figures en route to a 97-78 victory over the Waterloo Warriors.
After dropping the first matchup of the season against Waterloo at the Athletic Complex back in December, the Hawks rolled into their home away from home, the Physical Activities Complex on the campus of the University of Waterloo, and proceeded to shoot nearly 45 percent from the floor while connecting on 12 of their 31 three-point attempts to pick up the season series split.
Leading the way for the purple and gold was second year guard Ntore Habimana of Mississauga, Ont., who had the best game of his Laurier career. Habimana finished the contest with 19 points, including an emphatic dunk in the final minutes to put an exclamation mark on the victory, to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Tevaun Kokko of Markham, Ont., was back to his usual self offensively for Laurier after a tough outing on Wednesday against McMaster. The second year guard poured in a game-high 25 points while pulling down six rebounds, dishing out four assists and picking up three steals.
Bench production also proved to be a big factor in the victory for the Hawks as Laurier’s reserves outscored Waterloo’s 37-17.
Rookie Ali Sow of Ottawa, and fourth year Chuder Teny of Kitchener, Ont., were key in that success, finishing with 16 and 15 points respectively.
Although Waterloo got production from their big two in Simon Petrov and Nedim Hodzic, both of Waterloo, Ont., who finished with 23 and 20 points respectively, Laurier managed to shutdown the remainder of the Warriors who combined to shoot just 11 of 32 from the floor.
The victory was a crucial one for Laurier as it gives them some breathing room in the OUA West division standings over their cross-town rivals. The Hawks move to 9-9 on the year and sit four points ahead of the Warriors (7-10) with a game in hand. The 19-point victory also gives Laurier the edge in any potential tiebreakers with Waterloo should the teams end up tied in the standings heading into the playoffs.
Source: laurierathletics.com
Laurentian 89 Queen’s 69
It was the second time the Voyageurs have faced the Gaels this season and a very different story then the previous nail biter of a match. After just barely coming away with an overtime win on home court, this time (and with leading scorer Kadre Gray in the lineup) Laurentian took their 14th victory of the season handedly with a 89-69 win after a dominating second half.
Again, rebounding and shooting percentage appeared to be main contributing factors to the Voyageurs' success who had 46 boards and shot 46.2% from the field compared to their opponents' 36 rebounds and 40.3% success rate.
The leading contributor for the Voyageurs was second year guard Kadre Grey who made up for his lost minutes from last time's Gaels match up, this time around playing all 40 minutes of the game and earning a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Other notable performances from Laurentian came from fifth years players David Aromolaran and Nelson Yengue who earned 18 and 17 points respectively.
Leading scorer for Queen's was Jaz Bains with 18 points.
Source: luvoyageurs.com
January 27, 2018
McMaster 80 Guelph 83
GUELPH, Ont. – With just three weeks remaining in the OUA men's basketball regular season schedule, each win from here on out will be considered precious for the Gryphons as they battle for their playoff lives in the OUA West. Saturday afternoon on their home court, the Gryphons picked up one of those precious victories thanks to a dramatic, come-from-behind 83-80 victory over the visiting McMaster Marauders. The Gryphons, who trailed by as many as 13 late in the third quarter, stormed back in the fourth quarter, outscoring McMaster 24-13 en route to the three-point victory. With the game tied at 80-80 with :39 seconds remaining in regulation, Gryphons fifth year guard Drew Walford knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Gryphons a lead they would not relinquish.
"It was a huge, character win," said Gryphons head coach Chris O'Rourke. "We're fighting for our playoff lives here. The guys really dug in late and showed a lot of character. The bench gave us a big spark today and we were able to come up with some big stops defensively down the stretch. This was one we needed in order for us to control our own playoff fate."
The Gryphons bench outscored the McMaster reserves 45-19 with rookie Rasheed Weekes leading the way for U of G. The first year man out of St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga poured in 15 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds. Third year guard Tommy Yanchus added 14 points off the bench and was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Second year guard Jake Chaput (Guelph, ON) and third year guard Kieran Naus (Elliott Lake, ON) were also amongst the cast of Gryphons who came on in a reserve role to make a major impact on the game. With the Gryphons trailing 61-48 late in the third quarter, Chaput subbed into the game and completed a three-point play to trim the deficit to 61-51 with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter. Gryphons third-year guard Kieran NausThat bucket by Chaput would spark a 26-12 run by Guelph over the next 7:02 of game play as the Gryphons turned at 61-48 deficit into a 74-73 lead thanks to the cast of Chaput, Weekes, Yanchus, Naus and Daniel Dooley. Dooley finished the night with a team-high 16 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting from the field (3-of-3 from three-point range and 5-of-5 from the free throw line).
With the game tied at 80-80 with :55 seconds remaining, Kieran Naus stepped up for the Gryphons and drew a charge against McMaster guard Miles Seward to get the ball back for the Gryphons. Following the two made free throws by Walford, the Gryphons would lock down defensively, forcing the Marauders into several contested shots to preserve the U of G lead. The 80-points were the fewest allowed by the Gryphons since a 70-63 win over Toronto on November 18.
Source: gryphons.ca
Laurentian 89 York 80
The Voyageurs men's basketball team finished up their weekend on the road visiting the York Lions who were looking for their first win since November. After a 23-12 first frame in favour of the Voyageurs, the Lions responded by increasing their tempo in the following three quarters making it a competitive match until the final minutes of gameplay. Despite York's battle, the #7 Voyageurs once again came out victorious earning their 15th win of the season with a final score of 89-80.
The Voyageurs shot 42% from the field as a team to go along with another dominating performance on the boards which continues to be a strength for the team, this time out-rebounding their opponent 47-26.
Top performer for Laurentian was second year guard Kadre Gray who was one assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists. Another solid contribution came from senior forward Nelson Yengue who earned a double-double with his 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Top scorer for the Lions was Gianmarco Luciani with 26 points.
Source: luvoyageurs.com
Ottawa 84 Toronto 75
Despite a career night from Christopher Barrett, the Varsity Blues men's basketball team fell 84-75 to the No. 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, January 27 at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
Toronto got within three points late in the fourth quarter, but weren't able to get any closer. Their record drops to 9-9; however, still hold the final playoff spot in the OUA East division. On the other hand, Ottawa improves to 13-5 on the season.
Barrett, a third-year guard from Vaughan, Ont., went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc for a career-high 19 points, while adding seven assists and three steals in the loss.
Fourth-year guard Sage Usher wasn't too far behind with 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Reilly Reid and Nikola Paradina also hit the double-digit mark with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ottawa's Calvin Epistola led the way with 14 points and Brody Maracle chipped in 13 points of his own in the victory.
A track meet ensued right from tip off as both teams drained over 50 percentage from the field. Usher led the way with eight points, while Barrett registered six points and dished out three assists in the opening 10 minutes.
The Blue and White's hot touch didn't stop in the second quarter. They opened on a 7-0 run to capture the lead and were able to hold on, heading into the locker room up 42-40. Led by Barrett, the team shot an impressive 44% outside and 54.8% from the field in the first half.
U of T got cold in the third quarter though. They combined to go 2-of-12, which allowed the Gee-Gees to rally off a 12-4 run to retake advantage 56-51 heading into the final quarter.
Toronto leaped out a 10-2 run early in the fourth to cut the deficit five points. They got as close as three points (71-68) with 2:36 left, but failed to complete the comeback.
Source: varsityblues.ca
Carleton 84 Ryerson 61
TORONTO, ON – The Ravens entered the Mattamy Athletic Centre with the difficult task of neutralizing the reigning OUA player of the week in Rams guard Manny Diressa, who dropped 50 points just nine days ago in a win over York. Carleton was able to lure Diressa into being a volume shooter and pulled out an 84-61 victory over Ryerson on Saturday night.
Third-year point guard Munis Tutu (Windsor, ON) had his finger prints all over this ball game. Tutu finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 38 minutes of court time.
GAME FLOW:
After falling to the Ravens 89-80 last time out, the Rams were determined to show that they could hang around with their OUA rival, especially after claiming the Wilson Cup in the OUA championship last year and coming up short against Carleton in last year’s U SPORTS final.
Both teams traded baskets early, but Carleton broke out to an early 9-5 lead following a layup by forward Cam Smythe (Vancouver, BC) off a missed shot by Tutu. Sophomore forward Eddie Ekiyor (Ottawa, ON) checked into the game and provided a welcome dose of physicality in the paint. Ekiyor poured in eight points in the quarter, including a last-second tip-in off his own miss in the final seconds of the frame to give Carleton a 25-18 lead entering the second quarter.
The lead continued to climb in the second. A corner three-pointer by Tutu gave the Ravens a 12-point lead three and a half minutes into the frame. Smythe added a three of his own minutes later to push the lead to 15. Ryerson’s leading scorer Diressa managed 10 points in the half, but it came on 3-for-11 shooting. The Rams’ bench offered just five points in the opening 20 minutes in support of the starters, while the Ravens’ second unit pitched in 19 to fuel a 48-29 lead by halftime.
Myles Charvis got Ryerson off on the right foot to begin the third quarter with a three, but it seemed that the Ravens had an answer each time the Rams showed signs of making a run. Charvis’ three was quickly answered by a three from guard Marcus Anderson (Brampton, ON) and a baby hook in the lane from Cam Smythe. A fierce dunk from freshman forward Tanor Ngom cut the score to 58-45, but third-year guard Yasiin Joseph (Ottawa, ON) snuffed the late quarter rally out with a pull up three-pointer.
But the Rams weren’t quite done yet. Diressa struck early in the final quarter with a step back three that brought the deficit back down to 13 and Filip Vujadinovic followed suit with another three on the next possession. With the lead down to 10, Carleton dug in. Tutu and Joseph each hit a three-pointer on back-to-back possessions to bolster the lead, which was followed by a timely slam dunk by Ekiyor that forced Ryerson to call a timeout. Ryerson was unable to claw back into the game and ultimately fell the Carleton 84-61.
Source: goravens.ca
Lakehead 75 Windsor 95
The Windsor Lancers men's basketball team hit the floor with a special goal in mind as head coach Chris Oliver was going for his 200th OUA career win. The Lancers were able to achieve their goal as they beat the Lakehead Thunderwolves handily, 95-75.
Game Stats
Lucas Orlita was the game's top scorer, scoring 21 points for the Lancers. The Thunderwolves were led by Nick Burke and his 16 points.
Both teams shot in the same ranges Saturday night. The Lancers posted a 47 per cent mark from the field and 32.5 from deep. Lakehead shot 45 per cent from the field and 35.5 from deep.
The battle on the boards was a close one too as the Thunderwolves slightly edged the Lancers in the rebound department 35-34.
GAME FLOW
The Thunderwolves came out battling, trying not to repeat the previous night in which they were jumped on early and never quite in the game. The Lancers offense enjoyed hitting an impressive 55 per cent of their shots in the first half as they slowly but surely began to build a lead. The only problem for the Lancers was the Thunderwolves were also hitting on an unprecedented 55 per cent of their shots and actually out shooting the Lancers from deep by 15 per cent. The Lancers went into the break with a 55-42 lead however it was apparent adjustments would need to be made.
In the second half, those adjustments were not made, as the Thunderwolves continued to shoot better than the Lancers, however, the Lancers lead continued to grow. Despite shooting just 23 per cent in the third quarter the Lancers took a 22-point lead into the final frame. Lucas Orlita lead the Lancers as the best shooter for the Blue and Gold as the Lancers continued to stay well ahead of the visiting Thunderwolves. The Lancers went on to win 95-75.
When asked how he felt about reaching such a tremendous milestone, Coach Oliver credited his coaching staff. "It means I've coached a lot of really good people," said Oliver reflecting on his 200 wins in the OUA. "I have had the pleasure of working with so many great coaches, including Barry Amlin who has been with me since I came to Windsor, and has helped me build and nurture this program. And thank you to my wife, family, and to the many supporters of Windsor Basketball."
Source: golancers.ca
Western 95 Algoma 91
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – A season-high 27 points from Marko Kovac helped the Western Mustangs pick up their second straight win over the Algoma Thunderbirds with a 95-91 overtime victory on Saturday night at the George Leach Centre.
The win gives Western an 11-7 record and maintains their position in second place in the OUA West standings, with a four point lead over the third place Laurier Golden Hawks and Windsor Lancers. The loss moves Algoma to 4-14 on the year, with the Thunderbirds in a three-way tie with Guelph and McMaster for sixth in the West.
Kovac's 27 points comes just a day after the forward put up 24 points in the Mustangs 89-80 win over Algoma on Friday night. Saturday night's effort saw Kovac go 12-22 from the floor including hitting going 3-6 from beyond the arc, while once again leading the team with eight rebounds.
Two other Mustangs scored in double digits on Saturday, with Omar Shiddo adding 25 points to his 24 points from Friday night, while Jedson Tavernier added 16 points in the win.
Reng Gum and Nathan Riley led the Thunderbirds on the score sheet with 16 points each, while Ian Nash and Cailum White both scored 14 points, and Damian Okungbowa added 10. Gum also led all players on the boards, grabbing 15 rebounds in the loss.
The Thunderbirds started out strong in front of their home crowd, kicking off the game with a 7-0 run. From there the quarter proved to be more even with both sides trading baskets as the Mustangs chipped away at the Algoma lead. Kovac led the way for the purple and white, scoring 10 points in the opening quarter that ended with Algoma up 28-22.
Western continued to close the gap early in the second, with the Mustangs tying things up midway through the frame on a three pointer from Shiddo to set the scoreboard at 34-34. With the game even again at 41-41, Shiddo hit the final basket of the half to send the Mustangs into the third quarter with a 43-41 lead.
The game continued to be a tightly contested affair as the two teams returned from the break, before Algoma was able to build up a slight advantage with a 9-2 run near the middle of the frame on their way to taking a 66-60 lead into the fourth quarter.
Algoma extended their lead to 11 points in the opening minutes of the fourth, before Western began to cut into the lead with a little more than seven minutes remaining. The trio of Tavernier, Shiddo, and Kovac sparked the Mustangs offence in the fourth, recording seven, six, and five points respectively to help set the scoreboard at 84-84 at the end of regulation.
After trading points to start things off, the Mustangs began to pull away with just under three minutes remaining, as back-to-back baskets for Kovac tied the game then put the Mustangs in front for good. Fittingly enough as the game's leading scorer, Kovac rounded out the scoring with one final basket to give Western a 95-91 win.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Nipissing 68 Queen’s 80
KINGSTON, Ont. (January 27, 2018)- The Queen's Gaels (10-8) won a hard fought contest against the Nipissing Lakers (7-10) 80-68 on Saturday night at the Queen's ARC.
GAME FLOW
Tanner Graham (Kingston, Ont.) opened the game with a three-pointer, followed by another short jumper. The Lakers kept it a close contest, creating plenty of opportunities. The Gaels passing gave them the early lead in the game, despite Nipissing being the more dominant team on the boards. The Lakers quickly flipped things by going on a 7-0 run. Tanner Graham ended the drought with a quick jump-shot, but a three-point play by the Lakers tied the game up late in the first. Jaz Bains (Brampton, Ont.) ended the first quarter with back-to-back threes and gave the Gaels the lead 25-21.
Mike Shoveller (Arnprior, Ont.) knocked down a hook-shot, to open the second quarter. Both teams were stagnant, for most of the second frame. Mat Elcock (Waterdown, Ont.) was finally able to sink a triple after going 0-3 in the second quarter. Shoveller was a key player this quarter, recording four rebounds, and six points in the frame. Both teams were very evenly matched, without either pulling ahead. A steal and layup by Vincent Wood (Toronto) gave the Gaels the lead, once again, but the Lakers would soon even it up again. A clutch three by the Lakers gave them the lead heading into halftime.
Bains opened the third quarter with a fadeaway jumper, followed by a layup. The Gaels were also playing air-tight defence, but the Lakers had just a little more juice and managed to score on tough shots. Jesse Graham (Kingston, Ont.), who recorded a technical in the previous possession, rallied his team back, with a tough layup, and a free throw. A late run by the Lakers would make it an eight-point game, at the end of the third quarter.
Matt Elcock got open and sank a three to open the last quarter. Tanner Graham had a huge role on defence, locking down the paint and collecting rebounds. He finished with 12 on the night. A hard-fought rebound by Graham led to Bains running down the floor for an and-one play. Tanner Graham would get the lead for the Gaels, with his own and-one. The Gaels had all the momentum in the fourth quarter, and they were taking advantage of it. Tanner Graham could not be stopped, grabbing a steal for a dunk, soon followed by a three-pointer. With two minutes left up by seven, Tanner Graham launched a prayer with the shot clock winding down and drained it. A driving layup by Bains sealed the win for the Gaels.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Other Scores:
Waterloo 58 Brock 101