Badgers Keltos, Ravens Pandi earn OUA Athlete of the Week honours
Burlington, Ont. – Samantha Keltos and Lloyd Pandi have been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Athletes of the Week for the period ending March 1, 2020.
Female Athlete of the Week – Samantha Keltos, Brock Badgers, Basketball
A player dreams of being able to step up for their team when the bright lights come on, which is exactly what Samantha Keltos did for the Brock Badgers in their triumphant Critelli Cup performance.
It was a night to remember for Keltos and the Badgers, as the third-year centre put forth one of the all-time great championship performances to help lead her Brock team to victory. Before stepping on to the Mattamy Athletic Centre floor, however, Brock first needed to navigate the top-ranked team in the OUA playoffs in their semifinal. In doing so, Keltos poured in an important 17 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds, but she truly saved her best for last when it came to the OUA finale.
Right from the opening tip, the St. Catharines, Ont. native was poised to lead her hometown school to their second conference championship in program history. Keltos came out of the gates with a 10-for-15 shooting performance in the opening half, good for 26 points with another 20 minutes still to play. Her diverse skill set caused the Ryerson Rams headaches in the opening half and beyond, as the home side simply couldn’t find a way to control the second team all-star. Keltos kept her sharp shooting going after the break connecting on another 50% of her shots, including four from beyond the arc. All-told, Keltos would finish nearly perfect from three-point range, hitting 8-of-9 from downtown.
Keltos, who would wind up with the lululemon Player of the Game honours for her masterful outing, finishing with 42 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, and a pair of assists to lead Brock to the 84-71 win.
Male Athlete of the Week – Lloyd Pandi, Carleton Ravens, Basketball
Add another OUA championship to the mantle for the Carleton Ravens, who turned to one of the best newcomers in the country – Lloyd Pandi – to help anchor their quest for a third straight Wilson Cup championship.
Pandi was instrumental to the Ravens success this season, and despite the deep cast that the Carleton crew possesses, the OUA Rookie of the Year has shone throughout the season. That all-star calibre play continued into Pandi’s foray into the always challenging quest for the Wilson Cup, but just like the rest of the season, the first-year forward was up to the task.
In limited minutes on Wednesday in their semifinal session with Ottawa, Pandi registered an efficient nine points on 50% shooting. Despite seeing just 12 minutes of floor time in what was a convincing 96-61 victory for the black birds, the Ottawa, Ont. native was right back to a starring role in the championship affair. The nation’s leader in field goal percentage was up to his usual tactics on the court in his Wilson Cup debut, shooting a near spotless 8-for-9 from the field. The freshman featured as Carleton’s leading scorer when all was said and done, turning in an 18-point performance. His contributions went beyond the bucket, however, as he also pulled down 10 rebounds to secure the double-double and was often clinical in his passing en route to four high-quality assists.
Pandi picked up Kitch MacPherson Player of the Game honours, sponsored by lululemon, for his championship effort, and after leading his Ravens to their third consecutive Wilson Cup title, Pandi will now turn his attention to similarly victorious run at the U SPORTS Final 8.
