MBB | Voyageurs Upset Gaels at the Buzzer
After a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks on Friday night, the Laurentian Voyageurs men's basketball team looked to end the weekend with a split when they welcomed the Queen's Gaels to town for their annual game at the Sudbury Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Right from the start, however, it was Queen's who would be on the front foot. After starting the game quite evenly, with the score at 9-8, Queen's went on a 12-0 run in the middle portion of the first quarter, ending it with a 27-13 lead.
From there, Laurentian began to settle into the game, as the second quarter was much improved from their perspective. Aided by 10 points from the bench and seven points from starter Shawn Bartelemy, the Voyageurs managed to cut the lead down to 10, heading into halftime with the score at 43-33.
Coming out for the third quarter, the Voyageurs appeared to be a team on a mission. They played some of their best basketball of the season, cutting the lead to six points with just minutes remaining. Laurentian then put up 10 consecutive points to take their first lead since the first quarter. They finished the third by outscoring Queen's 21-9, taking a 54-52 lead into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter had every fan on the edge of their seat. At one point, Laurentian managed to extend the lead to as many as eight points, but as the minutes wore on, the Gaels fought back, cutting the lead down to just two points with 40 seconds left. From there, Laurentian missed a layup, which was followed by a Queen's basket with just 1.8 seconds remaining on the clock. The Voyageurs called a timeout, and from the inbound, they turned to 6th man Phillippe Fandio, who had 15 points off the bench. He received the ball well beyond the three-point line, and with only a second to shoot, he launched a shot from way downtown. The shot swished perfectly through the net, sending the Sudbury Arena into a frenzy as the Voyageurs pulled off the upset in the most dramatic fashion, winning the game 72-69.
Laurentian's top performers included Nginyu Ngala and Shawn Bartelemy, who finished the game with 19 and 11 points, respectively. Special recognition goes to Fandio, who, in 24 minutes off the bench, ended with 18 points, five assists, and four steals.
The Voyageurs are back in action on Wednesday night when they host their rivals, the Nipissing Lakers, at the Ben Avery Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in the Nickel City.
- Andrew Lemieux