February 4, 2013
M-BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Battle heats up for postseason positions
Friday, February 1
Carleton 99 @ Queen’s 57
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 1, 2013) – The Queen's Gaels (10-7) men's basketball team was in action Friday evening against the Carleton Ravens who currently sit atop the national rankings. The Ravens offense was efficient from beyond the arc shooting an impressive 40%, and grabbing 43 total rebounds—both game highs as they beat the Gaels 99-57.
Queen's third-year forward Nikola Misljencevic (Ottawa) was able to open the scoring for the tricolour giving them the early lead. It was short lived however as Carleton was able to knock down four consecutive three-pointers to build an early lead. Gaels rookie guard Roshane Roberts (Vaughn, Ont.) kept Queen's on the board in the first, netting a three-ball and a timely jump-shot over the Raven's big defenders. Roberts finished the game with a team high 12 points, earning him the Domino's “Dominator of the Game” title.
Despite strong efforts from Mackenzie Simpson (Ottawa) and Roberts, who contributed on each other’s three-point shots; Queen's was unable to build any consistent offensive productivity. The same could not be said of Carleton who continued their dominance, going on a 32-17 run in the second quarter. The scoring spree was led by Thomas Scrubb (Richmond, B.C.) who had 11 points on the night.
In the third quarter the Gaels found themselves in foul trouble, sending the Ravens to the free throw line on multiple occasions. Queen's was able to make a push late in the quarter going on a 7-4 run started by a pair of Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) free throws.
It was too little too late however, as the Ravens continued their offensive trumping in the final frame, outscoring the Gaels 25-16. Tyson Hinz (Ottawa) was the game leader in points and assists with 18 and six respectively.
The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team looks to keep their push for the post season as they host the No. 8 Ottawa Gee-Gees (12-4) on Saturday evening.
Source: Queen’s Sports Info
Laurentian 84 @ Toronto 65
The Varsity Blues men’s basketball team fell 84-65 to the Laurentian Voyageurs on Friday, February 1 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
Toronto drops to 2-13 and remains in seventh place, while the Voyageurs improve to 9-7 and sit in fifth place in the OUA East division.
Fourth-year Blues guard Alex Hill (Toronto) tallied a team-high 18 points, while both Nick Irvine and Laszlo Schuetz added nine in the loss.
Four Voyageurs hit double digits on the night. Georges Serresse led all players with 19 points, seven board and four assists, with Alex Ratte recording 14 points. Jamie Weldon and Manny Pasquale totalled 10 and 11 points, respectively, in the win.
Laurentian shot 49% from the floor and hit 11 three pointers, while the Blues were 36% shooting with only five from beyond the arc.
The Varsity Blues return to action tomorrow night as they host the York Lions at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
Source: Toronto Sports Info
York 69 @ Ryerson 73
TORONTO - Five different players scored in double digits for the No. 7 Ryerson Rams as they got past the York Lions by a score of 73-69 to earn their third straight win on Friday night.
Ryerson's Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.) had a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds to record the double-double in the victory.
The York Lions came out with energy and accuracy, shooting well from the floor to jump out to an 8-2 advantage just over two minutes into the game. Back to back three pointers extended their lead to 14-5 and they closed the quarter holding a 17-10 lead.
Ryerson shifted the momentum in their favour early in the second, scoring the first eight points to take their first lead of the game at 18-17 before Ostap Choliy (Oakville, Ont.) nailed a three pointer to give the Rams a four point lead half way through the quarter.
A long range three ball from Akeem Isaac (Scarborough, Ont.) with ten seconds remaining in the quarter brought the teams to a 28-28 tie heading into the locker rooms at the half.
The Rams looked to have the momentum in the third after Jahmal Jones (Mississauga, Ont.) penetrated the lane for a free layup to give the Rams a 36-30 lead but York responded with three straight three pointers to take a 39-36 edge with 5:50 remaining in the quarter.
The Lions extended their lead to four when Paul Petruccelli's (Hamilton, Ont.) long jumper went down, but a three pointer from Juwon Grannum (Mississauga, Ont.) and an offensive put back from Greg Osawe (Mississauga, Ont.) gave the Rams a 49-48 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Ryerson opened the fourth on an 11-2 run to open up a ten point lead at 60-50 with 6:30 to go, but the Lions paraded to the charity stripe where they were able to scratch their way back into the game.
A Nick Tufegdzich (Tecumseh, Ont.) free throw brought the Lions within two at 63-61, but Jahmal Jones then knocked down a free throw of his own. Following a York timeout, Jeremiah Wheatle (Brampton, Ont.) stole the inbounds pass and sprung Jones for a wide open layup which gave Ryerson a 66-61 lead and all the momentum with two minutes to go.
The Rams were clutch from the free throw line down the stretch, going 5-for-6 in the last minute of play to secure the 73-69 victory.
On top of Best's 21 point performance, Bjorn Michaelsen (Otterburn Park, Que.) had 13 points, Jones and Choliy each had 11, and Grannum finished with ten.
Aaron Rados (Ottawa, Ont.) had a team-high 17 points in the loss while Tufegdzich added 14 and David Tyndale (Mississauga, Ont.) had 12 for York.
The win runs Ryerson's record to 13-2 on the year and the Rams now sit alone in second place in the OUA east standings. York drops to 5-11 on the year and remain in sixth.
The Rams are back on the court Saturday night when they take on the Laurentian Voyageurs at 8:00 p.m.
Source: Ryerson Sports Info
Lakehead 87 @ Guelph 55
GUELPH, Ont. - The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team slumped 87-55 to the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves in the first phase of this weekend's double-header. The loss drops the Gryphons to 5-11 and boosts the Thunderwolves to 11-5.
The Gryphons were led by Trevor Thompson (Burlington, ON) with eight points on the night. Lakehead was led by Ryan Thompson (Oakville, ON) with 22 points.
To open the game, Kareem Malcom (Brampton, ON) sparked an early Gryphon burst by striking first from beyond the arc. His attack was complimented by Dan McCarthy (Guelph, ON) to stretch a 7-0 Gryphon lead. But, despite the strong start from the Gryphons, the offence fell out of synch with the defensive effort to allow the Thunderwolves to mount a comeback to steal the lead at 12-11. However, the Lakehead lead was cut short with three seconds left as Zach Angus (Burlington, ON) unleashed for three to take a 14-12 lead to end the first.
The last second offensive surge carried through into the second with Trevor Thompson charging the paint for two to stretch the Gryphon lead. However, with the quick field goal, both offensive units stalled until Nathan Wainright attacked for his first three of the quarter to reboot the Lakehead offence to take their first lead of the quarter. Good use of offensive and defensive rebounds allowed the Gryphons to check the Lakehead attack, but missed attempts kept the lead out of Gryphon reach as the half wound down at 35-23.
The Gryphons' offensive woes continued into the third as Lakehead marched ahead with a quick two-play drive to extend the lead by five. Michel Clark (Burlington, ON) and Zach Angus combined to keep the Gryphon unit alive, but Ryan Thompson continued his third quarter attack as he scored his 13th point of the quarter to push the Thunderwolves ahead 70-33.
Ben Johnson (Pictou, NS) carried the Lakehead tempo into the final quarter with a deep attack for three. Clark was quick to respond with his own three, and was followed shortly after by Dan Thompson (Burlington, ON) to kick-start the Gryphon offence which outshot the Thunderwolves 22-17 for their most productive frame of the night. Unfortunately the offensive drive came too late as the clock wound down to give the Thunderwolves the 87-55 victory.
The Gryphons face off with the Thunderwolves for redemption tomorrow night (Feb. 2) at the W.F Mitchell Centre. Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm.
Source: Guelph Sports Info
Saturday, February 2
Brock 71 @ Windsor 96
WINDSOR, Ont.- Josh Collins recorded a game-high 24 points, leading the Windsor Lancers men's basketball team to a 96-71 victory over the Brock Badgers on Saturday afternoon on "Get Your Pink On" day at the St. Denis Centre.
The Lancers (14-3) used a productive third quarter where they dropped 32 points and a defensive stand in the fourth where they limited the Badgers to just 12 points to help guide them to their seventh straight victory.
Enrico Diloreto tallied 20 points and Lien Phillip (Grenada) picked up a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, while Jameson Tipping led the Badgers with 20 points and eight boards.
Diloreto (London, Ont.) picked up four points early, and a three from Collins gave the Lancers a 13-8 advantage midway through the opening quarter. The Toronto product drained another jumper from beyond the arc, and Phillip picked up his own rebound following a Badgers turnover as the Lancers looked to extend the advantage. Tshing Kasamba knocked down a corner three to keep the visitors within striking distance, but Nana Ntim responded with a long jumper on Windsor's next possession. The Bradford, Ont. native grabbed a steal on Brock's next possession and took it end-to-end for another two points.
The Lancers pushed the lead into double-digits early in the second, prompting a timeout from Badgers coach Brad Rootes. The Badgers came out of the break energized, picking up seven straight points and cutting into the lead. A layup from Mike Luby was followed by two more points by Mark Gibson, and suddenly the Lancers advantage was down to just one. Gibson gave Brock its first lead of the game and followed that with a three.
Evan Matthews (Tecumseh, Ont.) picked up a three-point play, recording a layup and ensuing free throw. Michael Petrella then forced a steal under the basket and notched a lay-in after slicing through the Badgers defence. The Lancers were able to rally to take a 42-35 lead at the half.
The men exploded out of the gates in the second half, going on a 14-5 run to take a commanding 16-point lead. Diloreto notched four straight points in a matter of seconds after some high pressure defence forced another Badgers turnover. The Lancers led by as many as 27 points in the period, but some late points from Brock courtesy of Tipping cut it down to 15 heading into the final quarter.
Tipping started the fourth with a dunk after cutting through the middle of the lane. However, the Lancers picked up the next four points. Then, Collins drained two straight three pointers, once again giving Windsor a 20-plus point spread and preserving the victory.
Windsor shot 45.6% in the game, compared to 42.2% from the Badgers, who turned over the ball on 31 occasions in the loss.
The Lancers will head to Thunderbay, Ont. next weekend to take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves in battle of the top two teams in the West division. The men will take on the Western Mustangs on February 13 in their final home regular season game of the year.
Source: Windsor Sports Info
Waterloo 75 @ Laurier 84
WATERLOO, Ont. (February 2, 2013) - A Wilfrid Laurier team that had lost three straight and five of their last six games finally got back on track Saturday afternoon as the Golden Hawks defeated the Waterloo Warriors 84-75.
The victory was due in large part to William Coulthard of Oakville, Ont. who had fantastic performance, making eight three-pointers to tie a Laurier single-game record, en route to a 34 point performance.
The first quarter had been a stumbling block for a Laurier for much of its losing streak but this was not the case on Saturday. Laurier jumped out to a 22-11 point lead, using a 9-0 run midway through the quarter to pull away and a buzzer-beating, three-quarter court three pointer from Maxwell Allin of Chatham, Ont.
Waterloo was able to narrow the lead in the second, outscoring the Hawks 23-21. A fantastic quarter by Coulthard was the only thing keeping the Warriors from cutting into the Laurier lead even more. Coulthard had 12 of his 34 points in the second frame.
The third quarter saw Waterloo make a game of it the Warriors went on a 9-0 run in the frame to actually tie the game with just over five minutes left in the quarter. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter, and were tied at 55-55 with the quarter coming to a close. However a buzzer beating three pointer by Coulthard gave Laurier a 60-55 edge heading into the final quarter.
Waterloo was unable to make any attempt at a comeback in the fourth, as the trio of Coulthard, Allin, and Garrison Thomas of Burlington, Ont., combined for all but three of Laurier's 24 points, giving the Hawks their 84-75 win.
Allin had another strong game, pulling down eight rebounds and adding nine assists in addition to his 23 points. Thomas, a rookie guard, also played well, finishing with a career-high 11 points.
Waterloo was led by Jaspreet Gill of Oliver, Ont., who had 22 points and Denham Buchanan of Toronto, who added 17 points.
Laurier will be back in action on Wednesday night as they wrap up their home stand against the Brock Badgers. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Athletic Complex.
Source: Laurier Sports Info
McMaster 91 @ Western 59
LONDON, Ont. - Nearing the end of their season, the Western Mustangs men’s basketball team was looking for a win against the McMaster Marauders at Alumni Hall. With a stadium full of enthused Mustang fans, the men took to the court energized and ready to play. McMaster, ranked third in the OUA West, promised to be a true challenge for the Mustangs.
After a hard fought game, the McMaster Marauders claimed the match with the final score 91-59 in their favour.
The Mustangs started off the game playing tough defense, forcing the Marauders to make their free throws. Full court pressure from McMaster led to forced errors by the Mustangs in which the Marauders capitalized. Peter Scholtes continued to play well inside, fighting for rebounds and finishing shots from the block. McMaster was able to move the ball well on offense leading to many scoring opportunities. Mustangs Ryan Higgins kept his team alive with a clutch three-pointer followed by a nice jumper in the lane. The first quarter ended with the score 22-14 in favour of the Marauders.
The second quarter started with a great steal from Elliot Dooley who was able to then execute a coast-to-coast layup. McMaster continued to play a full court press on defense, disrupting the Mustang offense. As well as a number of Mustang turnovers allowed the Marauders to continue to execute their offense. The Mustangs were getting beat on the inside and struggled to not only maintain possession of the ball, but also to stop the McMaster post players from making easy inside layups. Andrew Van Camp did his best inside to pick up the pieces, but could not compete with the size of the McMaster players. An inability to rebound combined with poor shooting inhibited the Mustangs from pulling ahead on the scoreboard. The first half ended with the score 43-21 in favour of the Marauders.
Western started the second half with tough defense leading to a five second inbound violation by McMaster. The Mustangs searched for a way to overcome the tough full court press from McMaster, but struggled to initiate a dangerous offense. George Johnson stepped it up offensively and made a few key jump shots for Western, but unfortunately it was not enough to reduce the margin. After continued success at the post, the Marauders were able to build on their lead and the third quarter ended with the score 66-34 in favour of McMaster.
Struggles continued in the fourth quarter for the Mustangs, as they could not control the success that McMaster was finding from beyond the arc. Their ability to find the open man outside was crucial in building a comfortable lead. However, Western continued to battle and two consecutive steals by the Mustangs led to easy full court layups. Western began to move the ball quickly up and down the court and made many shots off of the fast break in an attempt to utilize their speed.
Two consecutive threes from Quinn Henderson and continued effort from Higgins brought a glimmer of hope to the Mustangs. Western fought hard up until the final seconds of the game, but were unsuccessful and the McMaster Marauders claimed the 91-59 victory.
Even though it has been a struggle for the Mustangs this season, Coach Brad Campbell had some insight on where they will go from here.
“Right now we have to focus on our next games and the wins we can get out of those. It would be great to end the season on a good note,” Coach Campbell said. “Individually, hopefully some players can continue to show great improvement leading into a good off season.”
The Mustangs prepare for their next game on Wednesday, February 6 against the Waterloo Warriors on the road. Tipoff is at 8:00 p.m.
Source: Western Sports Info
Ottawa 99 @ Queen’s 80
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 2, 2013) – In their second match in as many nights, the Queen's Gaels (10-7) were in action Saturday evening against the No. 8 Ottawa Gee-Gees (13-4) in the Marco W. Alessio Memorial Alumni Game at the ARC Main Gym, where Queen's was routed 99-80.
Marco William Alessio was a member of the Gaels men's basketball team from 1987 to 1989, and while working abroad he was tragically killed in Madagascar on February 23, 2009, during a time of political upheaval. Mark is remembered as a man of tremendous spirit and character, who brought energy and optimism to everything he did. Mr. Alessio lived with urgency, benefiting his short time on earth; being a man of great integrity, humour and intellect. He is remembered annually at the Marco W. Alessio Memorial Game and a scholarship has been established in his memory.
It is granted annually to a member of the team based on athletic and academic excellence. This year's award winner is third year guard James Asefa (Toronto), who is having a career year—recording personal bests in minutes played, points and rebounds. Asefa was awarded the scholarship and a commemorative plaque from the Gaels coaching staff and Marco Alessio's teammates at Queen's.
“James is a great teammate. One thing we stress in our program is dedication, and not just on the floor but also in the classroom and life,” Coach Stephan Barrie said of his guard. “Jamie is a great role-model for our new players coming in, both on and off the court; excelling at both the game of basketball and his academics.”
Third year forward Nikola Misljencevic (Ottawa) got Queen's on the board first with a series of free throw shots. Ottawa was quick to respond with guard Johnny Berhanemeskel (Ottawa, Ont.) hitting a three point shot a minute into the match. The Gaels and Gee-Gees proceeded to exchange points throughout the quarter with Queen's taking a slim lead after one, 26-24. The Gaels rookies were effective from beyond the arc in the first, with Roshane Roberts (Vaughn, Ont.) and Andrew Mavety (Vancouver) both making two three-pointers a piece in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for Queen's, Ottawa's perimeter shooting was sparked in the second quarter, with the Gee-Gee's going six-for-seven from three-point range. Guards Johnny Berhanemeskel (Ottawa) and Mohammed Ismail (Hamilton, Ont) notched a pair of three-pointers to give the Gee-Gees their biggest quarter scoring difference, 29-14.
Despite strong efforts from the Gaels early in the third, with Roberts driving hard to the hoop for a basket and guard Cy Samuels following up with two additional lay-ups, the Gaels could not slow Ottawa's offensive efforts. Leading the way for the Gee-Gees was veteran guard Warren Ward (London, Ont.) who was the game leader in points, rebounds and assists—finishing with 28, 12, and seven respectively. Ward was a force to be reckoned with along the glass putting away many second chance baskets. On a positive note for the Gaels, four of their rookies reached double digit points. This included Gaels Player of the Game Cy Samuels (Vaughn, Ont.) with 14, Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) with 11, Roberts with 12, and Mavety recording 10 off the bench.
The fourth quarter proved to be a strong quarter for the Gaels, after being dominated throughout most of the second and third. Queen's was able to match Ottawa's scoring with all of the Gaels starters contributing at least two baskets.
The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team looks to pick up two important road wins to close out the regular season and gain some momentum heading into playoffs. The Gaels travel next weekend to Sudbury and Toronto, where they will face the Laurentian Voyageurs and York Lions on back-to-back nights. The Gaels start the trip in Sudbury Friday night, where they visit the Voyageurs—The Gaels will also be play them in the first round of the playoffs. Tip-off is set for 8pm.
Source: Queen’s Sports Info
Laurentian @ Ryerson
TORONTO - The Ryerson Rams men's basketball team picked up their 14th victory of the season on Saturday night, taking down the visiting Laurentian Voyageurs by the score of 89-84.
Jahmal Jones (Mississauga, Ont.) had a team-high 21 points to lead the Rams while four other players reached double figures to help guide Ryerson to victory.
Laurentian's Manny Pasquale (Richmond, B.C.) and Alex Ratte (Ottawa, Ont.) combined for 58 points but the duo couldn't carry the Voyageurs to a win.
Ryerson jumped out to an 11-0 lead to begin the game and the Voyageurs didn't reach the scoreboard until well over three minutes into the contest. The advantage gave the Rams early separation which they maintained at the end of the quarter, holding a 25-17 lead.
The teams played an even second quarter, each netting 21 points, as Ryerson continued to lead by eight at halftime, up 46-38.
Freshman Juwon Grannum (Mississauga, Ont.) scored nine of his 11 total points in the third quarter to give the Rams a spark and help widen their advantage to 11, leading 65-54 after three quarters.
Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.) opened the fourth with seven straight points to boost the Rams to a 72-54 lead with 8:55 to go in the game. After Best's run, both teams got into foul trouble early, leading to a slow paced, free throw filled frame.
The Voyageurs managed the clock well in the fourth, hitting some timely three pointers in addition to adding points from the free throw line with the clock stopped. However, their comeback bid fell short when the Rams were clutch from the free throw line down the stretch to round out the 89-84 win.
Though the Rams came away with the weekend sweep, Ryerson outscored their opponents by just nine points in the two games. Head coach Roy Rana commented following the game on what it means to face some adversity at this point in the season.
"At this time of the year, this is what's going to happen. You're going to have to play right down to the stretch. These are good teams, this is a very good league and we can't take anybody lightly so tonight was a big win."
In addition to Jones's team-high 21 points, Best finished with 20, Ostap Choliy (Oakville, Ont.) had 13, Bjorn Michaelsen (Otterburn Park, Que.) had 12 and Grannum finished with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Pasquale finished with 36 points for the Voyageurs and Ratte had 22. Tychan Carter-Newman (Brampton, Ont.) added six points and collected a game-high nine rebounds in the loss.
Ryerson returns to action next week when they head to Ottawa to take on the Carleton Ravens on Friday, February 8 and the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, February 9.
Source: Ryerson Sports Info
York 84 @ Toronto 77
Fifth-year guard Arun Kumar recorded a career-high 30 points as the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team fell 84-77 to the York Lions on Saturday night (Feb. 2) at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
With the loss, the Blues drop to 2-14 and will finish the season in seventh place in the East. With only four regular season games remaining, U of T could only tie the Lions and would fall short in the tiebreaker based on their head-to-head record.
A native of Hamilton, Ont., Kumar led all players, going 6-for-12 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Fourth-year guard Alex Hill (Toronto) added 20 points, while Ben Garvin (Holland Landing, Ont.) had 13 points and five boards in the loss.
The first quarter proved to be a game of catch up, until the Blues finally evened the score at 19 with less than two minutes remaining. The Lions recovered with five unanswered points to take a 24-19 lead into the second frame. The next 10 minutes went back-and-forth and Toronto was able to cut the deficit to two (33-31) at halftime.
Despite bringing the game within one midway through the third quarter, Toronto was unable to hold on as York was up 60-52 going into the fourth. 10 points from Kumar gave the Blues a three-point lead (74-71) with less than four minutes remaining, but the Lions ended the game on an 11-3 run to secure the win and a post-season berth.
Four Lions hit double digits on the night. Raheem Isaac led York with 27 points, while Aaron Rados added a double-double of 21 points and 10 boards. Nick Tufegdzich also posted a double-double of 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, with David Tyndale adding 11 points in the win.
The Varsity Blues return to the court next Friday, February 8 as they travel to Ottawa to take on the Gee-Gees. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Source: Toronto Sports Info
Lakehead 79 @ Guelph 66
The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team dropped the second round of their double-header to the Lakehead Thunderwolves tonight (Feb. 2) 79-66. The loss puts the Gryphons at a 5-12 record and keeps the Thunderwolves in second in the West at 12-5.
Ahmed Haroon (Mississauga, ON) led the Gryphons tonight with 19 points. Dan McCarthy (Guelph, ON) chipped in with 17.
Lakehead was led by Ryan Thompson (Oakville, ON) who led all scorers for the second consecutive night with 22 points. He was followed by Yoosrie Salhia (Toronto, ON) who mounted the only double-double of the night with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
With a strong attack from the arc by the Thunderwolves, the Gryphons found themselves behind early in the first. In an effort to win control of the court, Michel Clark (Burlington, ON) responded with his own three to sway the tides of momentum. However, Ryan Thompson continued to storm the board to remain perfect on three attempts from three to build a 25-13 lead at the end of ten.
Thompson opened the second frame in similar fashion for his fourth three to carry Lakehead's momentum into the second. Dan McCarthy and Trevor Thompson (Burlington, ON) combined on consecutive threes to bring the game within reach. However, Lakehead continued to feed the ball to the arc to push up the scoreboard to create a13-point lead as the half wound down at 43-30.
The Gryphons began to match the Thunderwolves' intensity but were unable to climb out of the double digit deficit until the 1:12 mark as Jack Beatty (Woodstock, ON) cut the lead to seven after nailing his first from beyond the arc. The Gryphons carried their newfound momentum through the end of the quarter to outshoot the Thunderwolves for the first time of the night 20-16 to enter the final frame down only 59-50.
Guelph continued to match Lakehead's pace to keep the game within nine throughout the opening stage of the fourth until Thompson drove the net for two to regain an 11-point lead. However, with five fouls in the final three minutes of play, the Gryphons were sent into the bonus to give them an opportunity to dig into the 75-60 lead. Unfortunately the Lakehead defence picked their defensive play up and shut the Gryphon comeback down to seal the night with a 79-66 win.
The Thunderwolves out-rebounded the Gryphons 33-16 on the night and were 49.2 percent from the field including 9-for-19 from three point range. The Gryphons shot 47.3 percent from the field, and 5-of-18 from three point range.
The Gryphons look to regain momentum as they travel to McMaster to take on the Marauders this Wednesday (Feb. 6). Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm.
Source: Guelph Sports Info
Carleton 99 @ Queen’s 57
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 1, 2013) – The Queen's Gaels (10-7) men's basketball team was in action Friday evening against the Carleton Ravens who currently sit atop the national rankings. The Ravens offense was efficient from beyond the arc shooting an impressive 40%, and grabbing 43 total rebounds—both game highs as they beat the Gaels 99-57.
Queen's third-year forward Nikola Misljencevic (Ottawa) was able to open the scoring for the tricolour giving them the early lead. It was short lived however as Carleton was able to knock down four consecutive three-pointers to build an early lead. Gaels rookie guard Roshane Roberts (Vaughn, Ont.) kept Queen's on the board in the first, netting a three-ball and a timely jump-shot over the Raven's big defenders. Roberts finished the game with a team high 12 points, earning him the Domino's “Dominator of the Game” title.
Despite strong efforts from Mackenzie Simpson (Ottawa) and Roberts, who contributed on each other’s three-point shots; Queen's was unable to build any consistent offensive productivity. The same could not be said of Carleton who continued their dominance, going on a 32-17 run in the second quarter. The scoring spree was led by Thomas Scrubb (Richmond, B.C.) who had 11 points on the night.
In the third quarter the Gaels found themselves in foul trouble, sending the Ravens to the free throw line on multiple occasions. Queen's was able to make a push late in the quarter going on a 7-4 run started by a pair of Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) free throws.
It was too little too late however, as the Ravens continued their offensive trumping in the final frame, outscoring the Gaels 25-16. Tyson Hinz (Ottawa) was the game leader in points and assists with 18 and six respectively.
The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team looks to keep their push for the post season as they host the No. 8 Ottawa Gee-Gees (12-4) on Saturday evening.
Source: Queen’s Sports Info
Laurentian 84 @ Toronto 65
The Varsity Blues men’s basketball team fell 84-65 to the Laurentian Voyageurs on Friday, February 1 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
Toronto drops to 2-13 and remains in seventh place, while the Voyageurs improve to 9-7 and sit in fifth place in the OUA East division.
Fourth-year Blues guard Alex Hill (Toronto) tallied a team-high 18 points, while both Nick Irvine and Laszlo Schuetz added nine in the loss.
Four Voyageurs hit double digits on the night. Georges Serresse led all players with 19 points, seven board and four assists, with Alex Ratte recording 14 points. Jamie Weldon and Manny Pasquale totalled 10 and 11 points, respectively, in the win.
Laurentian shot 49% from the floor and hit 11 three pointers, while the Blues were 36% shooting with only five from beyond the arc.
The Varsity Blues return to action tomorrow night as they host the York Lions at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
Source: Toronto Sports Info
York 69 @ Ryerson 73
TORONTO - Five different players scored in double digits for the No. 7 Ryerson Rams as they got past the York Lions by a score of 73-69 to earn their third straight win on Friday night.
Ryerson's Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.) had a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds to record the double-double in the victory.
The York Lions came out with energy and accuracy, shooting well from the floor to jump out to an 8-2 advantage just over two minutes into the game. Back to back three pointers extended their lead to 14-5 and they closed the quarter holding a 17-10 lead.
Ryerson shifted the momentum in their favour early in the second, scoring the first eight points to take their first lead of the game at 18-17 before Ostap Choliy (Oakville, Ont.) nailed a three pointer to give the Rams a four point lead half way through the quarter.
A long range three ball from Akeem Isaac (Scarborough, Ont.) with ten seconds remaining in the quarter brought the teams to a 28-28 tie heading into the locker rooms at the half.
The Rams looked to have the momentum in the third after Jahmal Jones (Mississauga, Ont.) penetrated the lane for a free layup to give the Rams a 36-30 lead but York responded with three straight three pointers to take a 39-36 edge with 5:50 remaining in the quarter.
The Lions extended their lead to four when Paul Petruccelli's (Hamilton, Ont.) long jumper went down, but a three pointer from Juwon Grannum (Mississauga, Ont.) and an offensive put back from Greg Osawe (Mississauga, Ont.) gave the Rams a 49-48 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Ryerson opened the fourth on an 11-2 run to open up a ten point lead at 60-50 with 6:30 to go, but the Lions paraded to the charity stripe where they were able to scratch their way back into the game.
A Nick Tufegdzich (Tecumseh, Ont.) free throw brought the Lions within two at 63-61, but Jahmal Jones then knocked down a free throw of his own. Following a York timeout, Jeremiah Wheatle (Brampton, Ont.) stole the inbounds pass and sprung Jones for a wide open layup which gave Ryerson a 66-61 lead and all the momentum with two minutes to go.
The Rams were clutch from the free throw line down the stretch, going 5-for-6 in the last minute of play to secure the 73-69 victory.
On top of Best's 21 point performance, Bjorn Michaelsen (Otterburn Park, Que.) had 13 points, Jones and Choliy each had 11, and Grannum finished with ten.
Aaron Rados (Ottawa, Ont.) had a team-high 17 points in the loss while Tufegdzich added 14 and David Tyndale (Mississauga, Ont.) had 12 for York.
The win runs Ryerson's record to 13-2 on the year and the Rams now sit alone in second place in the OUA east standings. York drops to 5-11 on the year and remain in sixth.
The Rams are back on the court Saturday night when they take on the Laurentian Voyageurs at 8:00 p.m.
Source: Ryerson Sports Info
Lakehead 87 @ Guelph 55
GUELPH, Ont. - The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team slumped 87-55 to the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves in the first phase of this weekend's double-header. The loss drops the Gryphons to 5-11 and boosts the Thunderwolves to 11-5.
The Gryphons were led by Trevor Thompson (Burlington, ON) with eight points on the night. Lakehead was led by Ryan Thompson (Oakville, ON) with 22 points.
To open the game, Kareem Malcom (Brampton, ON) sparked an early Gryphon burst by striking first from beyond the arc. His attack was complimented by Dan McCarthy (Guelph, ON) to stretch a 7-0 Gryphon lead. But, despite the strong start from the Gryphons, the offence fell out of synch with the defensive effort to allow the Thunderwolves to mount a comeback to steal the lead at 12-11. However, the Lakehead lead was cut short with three seconds left as Zach Angus (Burlington, ON) unleashed for three to take a 14-12 lead to end the first.
The last second offensive surge carried through into the second with Trevor Thompson charging the paint for two to stretch the Gryphon lead. However, with the quick field goal, both offensive units stalled until Nathan Wainright attacked for his first three of the quarter to reboot the Lakehead offence to take their first lead of the quarter. Good use of offensive and defensive rebounds allowed the Gryphons to check the Lakehead attack, but missed attempts kept the lead out of Gryphon reach as the half wound down at 35-23.
The Gryphons' offensive woes continued into the third as Lakehead marched ahead with a quick two-play drive to extend the lead by five. Michel Clark (Burlington, ON) and Zach Angus combined to keep the Gryphon unit alive, but Ryan Thompson continued his third quarter attack as he scored his 13th point of the quarter to push the Thunderwolves ahead 70-33.
Ben Johnson (Pictou, NS) carried the Lakehead tempo into the final quarter with a deep attack for three. Clark was quick to respond with his own three, and was followed shortly after by Dan Thompson (Burlington, ON) to kick-start the Gryphon offence which outshot the Thunderwolves 22-17 for their most productive frame of the night. Unfortunately the offensive drive came too late as the clock wound down to give the Thunderwolves the 87-55 victory.
The Gryphons face off with the Thunderwolves for redemption tomorrow night (Feb. 2) at the W.F Mitchell Centre. Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm.
Source: Guelph Sports Info
Saturday, February 2
Brock 71 @ Windsor 96
WINDSOR, Ont.- Josh Collins recorded a game-high 24 points, leading the Windsor Lancers men's basketball team to a 96-71 victory over the Brock Badgers on Saturday afternoon on "Get Your Pink On" day at the St. Denis Centre.
The Lancers (14-3) used a productive third quarter where they dropped 32 points and a defensive stand in the fourth where they limited the Badgers to just 12 points to help guide them to their seventh straight victory.
Enrico Diloreto tallied 20 points and Lien Phillip (Grenada) picked up a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, while Jameson Tipping led the Badgers with 20 points and eight boards.
Diloreto (London, Ont.) picked up four points early, and a three from Collins gave the Lancers a 13-8 advantage midway through the opening quarter. The Toronto product drained another jumper from beyond the arc, and Phillip picked up his own rebound following a Badgers turnover as the Lancers looked to extend the advantage. Tshing Kasamba knocked down a corner three to keep the visitors within striking distance, but Nana Ntim responded with a long jumper on Windsor's next possession. The Bradford, Ont. native grabbed a steal on Brock's next possession and took it end-to-end for another two points.
The Lancers pushed the lead into double-digits early in the second, prompting a timeout from Badgers coach Brad Rootes. The Badgers came out of the break energized, picking up seven straight points and cutting into the lead. A layup from Mike Luby was followed by two more points by Mark Gibson, and suddenly the Lancers advantage was down to just one. Gibson gave Brock its first lead of the game and followed that with a three.
Evan Matthews (Tecumseh, Ont.) picked up a three-point play, recording a layup and ensuing free throw. Michael Petrella then forced a steal under the basket and notched a lay-in after slicing through the Badgers defence. The Lancers were able to rally to take a 42-35 lead at the half.
The men exploded out of the gates in the second half, going on a 14-5 run to take a commanding 16-point lead. Diloreto notched four straight points in a matter of seconds after some high pressure defence forced another Badgers turnover. The Lancers led by as many as 27 points in the period, but some late points from Brock courtesy of Tipping cut it down to 15 heading into the final quarter.
Tipping started the fourth with a dunk after cutting through the middle of the lane. However, the Lancers picked up the next four points. Then, Collins drained two straight three pointers, once again giving Windsor a 20-plus point spread and preserving the victory.
Windsor shot 45.6% in the game, compared to 42.2% from the Badgers, who turned over the ball on 31 occasions in the loss.
The Lancers will head to Thunderbay, Ont. next weekend to take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves in battle of the top two teams in the West division. The men will take on the Western Mustangs on February 13 in their final home regular season game of the year.
Source: Windsor Sports Info
Waterloo 75 @ Laurier 84
WATERLOO, Ont. (February 2, 2013) - A Wilfrid Laurier team that had lost three straight and five of their last six games finally got back on track Saturday afternoon as the Golden Hawks defeated the Waterloo Warriors 84-75.
The victory was due in large part to William Coulthard of Oakville, Ont. who had fantastic performance, making eight three-pointers to tie a Laurier single-game record, en route to a 34 point performance.
The first quarter had been a stumbling block for a Laurier for much of its losing streak but this was not the case on Saturday. Laurier jumped out to a 22-11 point lead, using a 9-0 run midway through the quarter to pull away and a buzzer-beating, three-quarter court three pointer from Maxwell Allin of Chatham, Ont.
Waterloo was able to narrow the lead in the second, outscoring the Hawks 23-21. A fantastic quarter by Coulthard was the only thing keeping the Warriors from cutting into the Laurier lead even more. Coulthard had 12 of his 34 points in the second frame.
The third quarter saw Waterloo make a game of it the Warriors went on a 9-0 run in the frame to actually tie the game with just over five minutes left in the quarter. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter, and were tied at 55-55 with the quarter coming to a close. However a buzzer beating three pointer by Coulthard gave Laurier a 60-55 edge heading into the final quarter.
Waterloo was unable to make any attempt at a comeback in the fourth, as the trio of Coulthard, Allin, and Garrison Thomas of Burlington, Ont., combined for all but three of Laurier's 24 points, giving the Hawks their 84-75 win.
Allin had another strong game, pulling down eight rebounds and adding nine assists in addition to his 23 points. Thomas, a rookie guard, also played well, finishing with a career-high 11 points.
Waterloo was led by Jaspreet Gill of Oliver, Ont., who had 22 points and Denham Buchanan of Toronto, who added 17 points.
Laurier will be back in action on Wednesday night as they wrap up their home stand against the Brock Badgers. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Athletic Complex.
Source: Laurier Sports Info
McMaster 91 @ Western 59
LONDON, Ont. - Nearing the end of their season, the Western Mustangs men’s basketball team was looking for a win against the McMaster Marauders at Alumni Hall. With a stadium full of enthused Mustang fans, the men took to the court energized and ready to play. McMaster, ranked third in the OUA West, promised to be a true challenge for the Mustangs.
After a hard fought game, the McMaster Marauders claimed the match with the final score 91-59 in their favour.
The Mustangs started off the game playing tough defense, forcing the Marauders to make their free throws. Full court pressure from McMaster led to forced errors by the Mustangs in which the Marauders capitalized. Peter Scholtes continued to play well inside, fighting for rebounds and finishing shots from the block. McMaster was able to move the ball well on offense leading to many scoring opportunities. Mustangs Ryan Higgins kept his team alive with a clutch three-pointer followed by a nice jumper in the lane. The first quarter ended with the score 22-14 in favour of the Marauders.
The second quarter started with a great steal from Elliot Dooley who was able to then execute a coast-to-coast layup. McMaster continued to play a full court press on defense, disrupting the Mustang offense. As well as a number of Mustang turnovers allowed the Marauders to continue to execute their offense. The Mustangs were getting beat on the inside and struggled to not only maintain possession of the ball, but also to stop the McMaster post players from making easy inside layups. Andrew Van Camp did his best inside to pick up the pieces, but could not compete with the size of the McMaster players. An inability to rebound combined with poor shooting inhibited the Mustangs from pulling ahead on the scoreboard. The first half ended with the score 43-21 in favour of the Marauders.
Western started the second half with tough defense leading to a five second inbound violation by McMaster. The Mustangs searched for a way to overcome the tough full court press from McMaster, but struggled to initiate a dangerous offense. George Johnson stepped it up offensively and made a few key jump shots for Western, but unfortunately it was not enough to reduce the margin. After continued success at the post, the Marauders were able to build on their lead and the third quarter ended with the score 66-34 in favour of McMaster.
Struggles continued in the fourth quarter for the Mustangs, as they could not control the success that McMaster was finding from beyond the arc. Their ability to find the open man outside was crucial in building a comfortable lead. However, Western continued to battle and two consecutive steals by the Mustangs led to easy full court layups. Western began to move the ball quickly up and down the court and made many shots off of the fast break in an attempt to utilize their speed.
Two consecutive threes from Quinn Henderson and continued effort from Higgins brought a glimmer of hope to the Mustangs. Western fought hard up until the final seconds of the game, but were unsuccessful and the McMaster Marauders claimed the 91-59 victory.
Even though it has been a struggle for the Mustangs this season, Coach Brad Campbell had some insight on where they will go from here.
“Right now we have to focus on our next games and the wins we can get out of those. It would be great to end the season on a good note,” Coach Campbell said. “Individually, hopefully some players can continue to show great improvement leading into a good off season.”
The Mustangs prepare for their next game on Wednesday, February 6 against the Waterloo Warriors on the road. Tipoff is at 8:00 p.m.
Source: Western Sports Info
Ottawa 99 @ Queen’s 80
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 2, 2013) – In their second match in as many nights, the Queen's Gaels (10-7) were in action Saturday evening against the No. 8 Ottawa Gee-Gees (13-4) in the Marco W. Alessio Memorial Alumni Game at the ARC Main Gym, where Queen's was routed 99-80.
Marco William Alessio was a member of the Gaels men's basketball team from 1987 to 1989, and while working abroad he was tragically killed in Madagascar on February 23, 2009, during a time of political upheaval. Mark is remembered as a man of tremendous spirit and character, who brought energy and optimism to everything he did. Mr. Alessio lived with urgency, benefiting his short time on earth; being a man of great integrity, humour and intellect. He is remembered annually at the Marco W. Alessio Memorial Game and a scholarship has been established in his memory.
It is granted annually to a member of the team based on athletic and academic excellence. This year's award winner is third year guard James Asefa (Toronto), who is having a career year—recording personal bests in minutes played, points and rebounds. Asefa was awarded the scholarship and a commemorative plaque from the Gaels coaching staff and Marco Alessio's teammates at Queen's.
“James is a great teammate. One thing we stress in our program is dedication, and not just on the floor but also in the classroom and life,” Coach Stephan Barrie said of his guard. “Jamie is a great role-model for our new players coming in, both on and off the court; excelling at both the game of basketball and his academics.”
Third year forward Nikola Misljencevic (Ottawa) got Queen's on the board first with a series of free throw shots. Ottawa was quick to respond with guard Johnny Berhanemeskel (Ottawa, Ont.) hitting a three point shot a minute into the match. The Gaels and Gee-Gees proceeded to exchange points throughout the quarter with Queen's taking a slim lead after one, 26-24. The Gaels rookies were effective from beyond the arc in the first, with Roshane Roberts (Vaughn, Ont.) and Andrew Mavety (Vancouver) both making two three-pointers a piece in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for Queen's, Ottawa's perimeter shooting was sparked in the second quarter, with the Gee-Gee's going six-for-seven from three-point range. Guards Johnny Berhanemeskel (Ottawa) and Mohammed Ismail (Hamilton, Ont) notched a pair of three-pointers to give the Gee-Gees their biggest quarter scoring difference, 29-14.
Despite strong efforts from the Gaels early in the third, with Roberts driving hard to the hoop for a basket and guard Cy Samuels following up with two additional lay-ups, the Gaels could not slow Ottawa's offensive efforts. Leading the way for the Gee-Gees was veteran guard Warren Ward (London, Ont.) who was the game leader in points, rebounds and assists—finishing with 28, 12, and seven respectively. Ward was a force to be reckoned with along the glass putting away many second chance baskets. On a positive note for the Gaels, four of their rookies reached double digit points. This included Gaels Player of the Game Cy Samuels (Vaughn, Ont.) with 14, Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) with 11, Roberts with 12, and Mavety recording 10 off the bench.
The fourth quarter proved to be a strong quarter for the Gaels, after being dominated throughout most of the second and third. Queen's was able to match Ottawa's scoring with all of the Gaels starters contributing at least two baskets.
The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team looks to pick up two important road wins to close out the regular season and gain some momentum heading into playoffs. The Gaels travel next weekend to Sudbury and Toronto, where they will face the Laurentian Voyageurs and York Lions on back-to-back nights. The Gaels start the trip in Sudbury Friday night, where they visit the Voyageurs—The Gaels will also be play them in the first round of the playoffs. Tip-off is set for 8pm.
Source: Queen’s Sports Info
Laurentian @ Ryerson
TORONTO - The Ryerson Rams men's basketball team picked up their 14th victory of the season on Saturday night, taking down the visiting Laurentian Voyageurs by the score of 89-84.
Jahmal Jones (Mississauga, Ont.) had a team-high 21 points to lead the Rams while four other players reached double figures to help guide Ryerson to victory.
Laurentian's Manny Pasquale (Richmond, B.C.) and Alex Ratte (Ottawa, Ont.) combined for 58 points but the duo couldn't carry the Voyageurs to a win.
Ryerson jumped out to an 11-0 lead to begin the game and the Voyageurs didn't reach the scoreboard until well over three minutes into the contest. The advantage gave the Rams early separation which they maintained at the end of the quarter, holding a 25-17 lead.
The teams played an even second quarter, each netting 21 points, as Ryerson continued to lead by eight at halftime, up 46-38.
Freshman Juwon Grannum (Mississauga, Ont.) scored nine of his 11 total points in the third quarter to give the Rams a spark and help widen their advantage to 11, leading 65-54 after three quarters.
Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.) opened the fourth with seven straight points to boost the Rams to a 72-54 lead with 8:55 to go in the game. After Best's run, both teams got into foul trouble early, leading to a slow paced, free throw filled frame.
The Voyageurs managed the clock well in the fourth, hitting some timely three pointers in addition to adding points from the free throw line with the clock stopped. However, their comeback bid fell short when the Rams were clutch from the free throw line down the stretch to round out the 89-84 win.
Though the Rams came away with the weekend sweep, Ryerson outscored their opponents by just nine points in the two games. Head coach Roy Rana commented following the game on what it means to face some adversity at this point in the season.
"At this time of the year, this is what's going to happen. You're going to have to play right down to the stretch. These are good teams, this is a very good league and we can't take anybody lightly so tonight was a big win."
In addition to Jones's team-high 21 points, Best finished with 20, Ostap Choliy (Oakville, Ont.) had 13, Bjorn Michaelsen (Otterburn Park, Que.) had 12 and Grannum finished with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Pasquale finished with 36 points for the Voyageurs and Ratte had 22. Tychan Carter-Newman (Brampton, Ont.) added six points and collected a game-high nine rebounds in the loss.
Ryerson returns to action next week when they head to Ottawa to take on the Carleton Ravens on Friday, February 8 and the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, February 9.
Source: Ryerson Sports Info
York 84 @ Toronto 77
Fifth-year guard Arun Kumar recorded a career-high 30 points as the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team fell 84-77 to the York Lions on Saturday night (Feb. 2) at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
With the loss, the Blues drop to 2-14 and will finish the season in seventh place in the East. With only four regular season games remaining, U of T could only tie the Lions and would fall short in the tiebreaker based on their head-to-head record.
A native of Hamilton, Ont., Kumar led all players, going 6-for-12 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Fourth-year guard Alex Hill (Toronto) added 20 points, while Ben Garvin (Holland Landing, Ont.) had 13 points and five boards in the loss.
The first quarter proved to be a game of catch up, until the Blues finally evened the score at 19 with less than two minutes remaining. The Lions recovered with five unanswered points to take a 24-19 lead into the second frame. The next 10 minutes went back-and-forth and Toronto was able to cut the deficit to two (33-31) at halftime.
Despite bringing the game within one midway through the third quarter, Toronto was unable to hold on as York was up 60-52 going into the fourth. 10 points from Kumar gave the Blues a three-point lead (74-71) with less than four minutes remaining, but the Lions ended the game on an 11-3 run to secure the win and a post-season berth.
Four Lions hit double digits on the night. Raheem Isaac led York with 27 points, while Aaron Rados added a double-double of 21 points and 10 boards. Nick Tufegdzich also posted a double-double of 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, with David Tyndale adding 11 points in the win.
The Varsity Blues return to the court next Friday, February 8 as they travel to Ottawa to take on the Gee-Gees. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Source: Toronto Sports Info
Lakehead 79 @ Guelph 66
The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team dropped the second round of their double-header to the Lakehead Thunderwolves tonight (Feb. 2) 79-66. The loss puts the Gryphons at a 5-12 record and keeps the Thunderwolves in second in the West at 12-5.
Ahmed Haroon (Mississauga, ON) led the Gryphons tonight with 19 points. Dan McCarthy (Guelph, ON) chipped in with 17.
Lakehead was led by Ryan Thompson (Oakville, ON) who led all scorers for the second consecutive night with 22 points. He was followed by Yoosrie Salhia (Toronto, ON) who mounted the only double-double of the night with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
With a strong attack from the arc by the Thunderwolves, the Gryphons found themselves behind early in the first. In an effort to win control of the court, Michel Clark (Burlington, ON) responded with his own three to sway the tides of momentum. However, Ryan Thompson continued to storm the board to remain perfect on three attempts from three to build a 25-13 lead at the end of ten.
Thompson opened the second frame in similar fashion for his fourth three to carry Lakehead's momentum into the second. Dan McCarthy and Trevor Thompson (Burlington, ON) combined on consecutive threes to bring the game within reach. However, Lakehead continued to feed the ball to the arc to push up the scoreboard to create a13-point lead as the half wound down at 43-30.
The Gryphons began to match the Thunderwolves' intensity but were unable to climb out of the double digit deficit until the 1:12 mark as Jack Beatty (Woodstock, ON) cut the lead to seven after nailing his first from beyond the arc. The Gryphons carried their newfound momentum through the end of the quarter to outshoot the Thunderwolves for the first time of the night 20-16 to enter the final frame down only 59-50.
Guelph continued to match Lakehead's pace to keep the game within nine throughout the opening stage of the fourth until Thompson drove the net for two to regain an 11-point lead. However, with five fouls in the final three minutes of play, the Gryphons were sent into the bonus to give them an opportunity to dig into the 75-60 lead. Unfortunately the Lakehead defence picked their defensive play up and shut the Gryphon comeback down to seal the night with a 79-66 win.
The Thunderwolves out-rebounded the Gryphons 33-16 on the night and were 49.2 percent from the field including 9-for-19 from three point range. The Gryphons shot 47.3 percent from the field, and 5-of-18 from three point range.
The Gryphons look to regain momentum as they travel to McMaster to take on the Marauders this Wednesday (Feb. 6). Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm.
Source: Guelph Sports Info
