M-BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Late push guides No. 3 Rams over No. 4 Marauders
January 12, 2015

M-BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Late push guides No. 3 Rams over No. 4 Marauders

The men's basketball team seemed nothing if not deflated in the final quarter of Friday night's 76-73 loss to the visiting Brock Badgers.

Friday, January 9

Brock 76 @ Lakehead 73

The men's basketball team seemed nothing if not deflated in the final quarter of Friday night's 76-73 loss to the visiting Brock Badgers.

After building a 41-31 lead late in the second quarter, the 'Wolves saw it dwindle, as standout Badger rookie Johneil Simpson capped of a 13-7 run to end the quarter, hitting a three at the halftime buzzer and cutting the 'Wolves lead to 48-44.
 
It was an omen of things to come, as Simpson went to work on the 'Wolves in the second half, and finished with a game high 26 points (4-of-6 3pt) with 6 rebounds.
 
After the Badgers seized a 66-63 in the third quarter, the fourth was a grind, with neither team able to connect on many shots, while turnovers and offensive rebounds made it difficult for either team to get into an offensive flow.
 
After Brock took a 71-70 lead with 2 minutes to play, Lakehead would only connect on a free throw and bucket in the paint in the final moments, after missing several long range attempts.
 
Jamar Coke scored 12 points  to lead Lakehead, and Alex Robichaud and Bacarius Dinkins scored 11 points apiece, Dinkins adding 8 rebounds. Mor Menashe scored 9 points with 7 assists and 5 rebounds.
 
Badger Zach Angelini was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line and finished with 14 points.
 
Coach Manny Furtado: "It's hard to win games when you don't have energy or emotion. Our guys didn't come ready to play and the result, will always be the same if it continues. A loss."
Furtado continued, "We turned the ball over way too much and took some horrible shots and Brock took advantage."  
Algoma 58 @ Waterloo 67

Myles Charvis (Mississauga) led the way with 19 points as the Waterloo Warriors started 2015 with a 67-58 victory over OUA West Division rival Algoma Thunderbirds on Friday evening. Waterloo moves to 2-6 while Algoma remains winless at 0-8.
 
The first quarter had 3 lead changes, but it was the final basket of the quarter that gave Waterloo back the lead that they would never relinquish. Waterloo had their largest margin at 14 points late in the second quarter en route to a 36-26 half time lead.
 
Algoma held Waterloo to just 11 third-quarter points to make it a close game again. Early in the fourth it was a one point game at 49-48 until Waterloo had a 9 point run as four different players contributed to open the 10 point lead.
 
For the game, Waterloo shot just 35% while Algoma hit on only 31% of attempts. Algoma held the rebounding edge at 46-37, as Waterloo played some stretches with five guards on the court.
 
In addition to Charvis, other top scorers for Waterloo were Jon Ravenhorst (Sarnia) with 15 points and 9 rebounds while Jaspreet Gill (Oliver) chipped in with 13 points. Algoma was led by Brett Zuleft with 17 points and Thomas Chalmers with 12 points.

Nipissing 63 @ Queen's 90

KINGTSON, Ont. (January 9, 2014) – Mike Shoveller (Arnprior, Ont.) led the Gaels (3-5) in their 90-63 win against the Nipissing Lakers (0-7) on Friday night at the ARC. The Gaels welcomed back key players Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) and Patrick Street (Etobicoke, Ont.) who were both missing from action before the break due to injuries.

Shoveller led all scorers with his double-double performance scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Gaels also had big nights from Singh who scored 16 points, Ryall Stroud (Toronto) who scored 14 points and Street who scored 13. Marvin Ngonadi and Marcus Clennon were driving forces for the Lakers each contributing 12 points to their team's score.  
 
After dropping the first basket to the Lakers, the Gaels exploded into the first quarter with 23 points while the Lakers only managed to put up 12. In the second quarter the Lakers turned up the heat, dominating the backboard and beginning to close the gap. The Gaels managed to stay ahead, doubling the Lakers in shooting percentage from the charity stripe, to lead 49-35 at halftime.
 
The Gaels momentum didn't slow in the second half as they outscored the Lakers 22-14 and hit an 11-2 run in the final two minutes. The Lakers were able to gain some ground, however, switching to zone defense and forcing the Gaels to shoot from outside. Heading into the final quarter the Gaels led the Lakers 71-49 thanks to Shoveller's 11 point, second half performance. Queen's dominance continued through the final minutes as they locked down their 90-63 victory over Nipissing.
 
This is the third consecutive win for the Gaels since their 0-5 losing streak at the beginning of the OUA season. 

Laurentian 63 @ York 83

The York University Lions men's basketball team opened the winter term with an 83-66 win over the Laurentian Voyageurs on Friday (Jan. 9) at Tait McKenzie Centre.

An impressive pace by the Lions gave them the early lead in the first quarter that ended with a score of 20-9. The visiting team refused to surrender the game just yet, however, almost catching up in the second quarter that ended with the Lions still leading at 41-32.
 
The Lions were able to extend their lead, taking a 69-46 advantage into the final quarter. The Lions' substitutes impressed in the last frame as the game ended with a lopsided 17-point victory.
 
The Lions showed good energy in the opponents' court. Nick Tufegdzich (Tecumseh, Ont.) made several effective runs down the middle, driving past defenders and shooting in traffic.
 
During the second quarter, the home team was in danger of losing their lead as the Voyageurs caught up from 34-23 to 34-30. Richard Iheadindu (Brampton, Ont.) was subbed in for an immediate impact as the Lions reopened the gap before the break.
 
A series of miscommunications from the visitors gave the Lions the opportunity to increase their lead.
 
Phillip Cunningham-Gillen (Hamilton, Ont.) intercepted a pass from half-court and gave the ball to Tufegdzich, whose slam dunk sent the supporters roaring.
 
Moments later, Nathan Culbreath (Kingston, Ont.) scored a three-pointer following an ankle-breaker by Cunningham-Gillen.
 
The Voyageurs picked up speed as the Lions committed several turnovers in the final quarter.Djordje Babic (Burlington, Ont.) played three minutes and recorded six points from outside the line, aiding the Lions to a comfortable victory. 
 
Tufegdzich achieved the double-double with a game-high of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Culbreath was right behind him with 20 points, 18 of them scored in the third quarter alone, and Iheadindu finished with 16 while shooting an impressive 6-of-9 from the floor.
 
Laurentian's leading scorer was Ryan Bennett with 12 points.

Source: York Lions

Saturday, January 10

Carleton 66 @ Ottawa 68

The uOttawa Gee-Gees made waves all around the league on Saturday night by topping the no.1 ranked Carleton Ravens 68-66 and taking over the north division of the OUA. The win marks the first time since 2007 that the Gee-Gees defeat the Ravens in the regular season.

If the basketball was played in three quarters, it would have been all Gee-Gees on Saturday night as they led for the majority of the game and by 15 points heading into the fourth quarter. If history has taught us any lessons however it would be wise to not count out Carleton; and indeed the Ravens were able to chip their way all the way back into the game tying the score at 66 in the final minute of the game.
 
With 19.0 seconds left on the clock the Gee-Gees handed the ball to Johnny Berhanemeskel who dribbled into the lane and sunk the go ahead leaner, something fans might remember him doing in the OUA Wilson Cup championship last season. Tommy Scrubb was given the chance to tie the game up once again for the Ravens but failed to drop a hook shot in the paint, giving the Gee-Gees the important victory.
 
"They're a great team and we never doubt their abilities because if you do they tend to make you regret it. It's too bad we slipped up in the fourth quarter but if you let them go on a run that's what they have the ability to do," said Berhanemeskel. "This win is important for us because it gives us an advantage heading deeper into the season. We need to keep playing this type of basketball and hopefully close out the season strong."
 
"There is no doubt in my mind that he [Berhanemeskel] is the best player to ever play here. His ability to play well in clutch situations is like no other player I have seen here. He wasn't even playing that well tonight and was still able to have the confidence to sink that game winning shot," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. "We wanted to beat them in front of our fans in our gym. Tonight we were able to do that. This group just continues to impress me and make program history."
 
It wasn't until the seven minute mark of the first quarter that the Gee-Gees opened the scoring as neither team appeared to be willing to give an inch on defence. Both teams did end up trading buckets in a very close first half however as the Gee-Gees took a 34-30 edge into the half time break.
 
The sell-out crowd seemed to ignite the Gee-Gees coming out of the half time break as uOttawa extended their lead to 16 thanks to a flurry of three pointers. In the end, the game came down to seconds which Johnny Berhanemeskel was able to make the most of by sinking the spectacular game winner for uOttawa.
 
"To be honest it felt like more than just any regular season win. It was very similar to last year's OUA championship so it was a game loaded with emotion. We executed our game plan well and we are happy with that despite the lack of scoring in the fourth quarter. We want to carry the momentum from this win into the rest of the season," said Gee-Gees fifth-year Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue.
 
Caleb Agada also had a strong performance for the Gee-Gees as he played an important defensive role on all-Canadian Phil Scrubb, limiting his offensive scoring chances. Agada also contributed offensively with 17 points and 10 boards for the double-double. Phil Scrubb was the main contributor for the Ravens late run and throughout the game, notching 26 points and six rebounds. Thomas Scrubb finished the game with 15 points and 13 rebounds for the double-double.
 
The matchup was the first of two regular season games between the Carleton Ravens and uOttawa Gee-Gees. The next contest between the teams will be held at the Canadian Tire Centre on February 6 for the MBNA Capital Hoops Classic.
 

McMaster 78 @ Ryerson 98

TORONTO – The No. 3 ranked Ryerson Rams men's basketball team won the battle of nationally ranked squads on Saturday afternoon, coming out with a 98-78 victory over No. 4 McMaster at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.) was lights out for the Rams on Saturday, scoring 30 points on 11-of-13 from the floor including 6-of-7 from three-point territory. All five Ryerson starters reached double digits and Jahmal Jones (Mississauga, Ont.) had a double-double with 16 points and ten assists.

Both teams came out of the gates with offence on their mind and combined for 54 first quarter points, heading to the second frame knotted at 27-27. 

As to be expected, neither team was able to keep up their torrid pace in the second quarter and the teams settled into their defensive game plans. McMaster opened up a seven point edge at 40-33 with 4:10 to play in the half but Ryerson went on a 7-0 run to even the game back up. An Aaron Redpath three pointer gave McMaster a slight 43-40 lead heading into halftime.

Ryerson found their scoring stroke again in the third quarter, starting the frame 7-of-8 from the floor and with 6:24 remaining, Ryerson took a 53-52 lead and never relinquished that lead. The Rams led by as many as seven in the quarter and headed into the final frame with a 66-61 advantage.

The Rams poured it on in the fourth, scoring 32 points in the final ten minutes to put the game out of reach and take it by a 98-78 scoreline.

"When you play quality (opponents) you're going to be tested so for us…we actually wanted the opportunity to test ourselves against a really, really good team. It was a good win and a good gauge of where we're at and where we need to go," said head coach Roy Rana following the game.

Forward Kadeem Green (Richmond Hill, Ont.) finished with 17 points and six rebounds and spoke after the game about the team's ability to shut down the McMaster offence after the first quarter.

"I thought McMaster was hitting some tough shots (early) – we were there defensively and contesting shots but they came out hard and I knew it wasn't going to last the whole game. I think we're one of the best defensive teams in the country and I didn't think they would be able to knock down those tough shots on a consistent basis. We just had to stay confident in the defence and trust it."

Redpath finished with a team-high 20 points in the loss for McMaster while Joe Rocca had 17 and Adam Presutti finished with 14 points.

The Rams improve to 8-2 on the season while the loss drops McMaster's record to 7-3. 

Source: Ryerson Rams

Laurier 56 @ Guelph 74

The Gryphon men's Basketball team opened up the 2015 portion of their schedule with a decisive 74-56 win over Laurier Saturday at the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre.  With the win, the Gryphons improve to 5-3, while Laurier falls to 4-5.

The Gryphons would get things rolling in the first quarter scoring by committee with eight different players finding the score sheet. This trend would continue until the half, helping the Gryphons take a six point lead into the locker room at 41-35. Andrew Grant (Toronto, Ont.) led Guelph with eight first half points while Luke Allin (Chatham, ON) had 10 for Laurier.

The Gyrphons would set the tone in the second half with some strong defensive play, forcing Laurier into one turnover after another.  Offensively, Andrew Grant continued to lead the way for the Gryphons scoring another six points in the third quarter as Guelph held a commanding 60-41 lead heading to the fourth.

In the final quarter, the Gryphons would not let their foot off the gas pedal as the continued to apply the pressure at both ends of the court.  In the end, the Gryphons would cruise to a 74-56 victory.

The Gryphons held the Golden Hawks to just 28% shooting in the game, while Guelph shot an efficient 40% from the field at the other end.  Andrew Grant led a balanced attack, finishing with a game-high 15 points on five of eight shooting.  But the story of the game was the Gryphons depth.  Guelph's bench outscored Laurier's a remarkable 74-25.
Next up for the Gryphon men's basketball team, a trip to Ottawa to face the two top-ranked teams in the country.  On Friday night (Jan. 16) the Gryphons will face Carleton, the winner of the last four CIS national titles, followed by a matchup with the No. 2 Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday (Jan. 17).

Laurentian 85 @ Queen's 76

The Gaels (3-6) lost against the Laurentian Voyageurs (3-6) 85-76 Friday night at the ARC main gym. Second year guard Mike Mullins (Burlington, Ont.) was the recipient of the Marco W. Alessio Memorial Scholarship that is awarded to a men's basketball player that demonstrates both athletic and academic excellence.

Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) led the offence for the Gaels, scoring 18 points. He was followed by Cy Samuels (Vaughan, Ont.) with 14 points, Patrick Street (Etobicoke, Ont) with 12 points and Ryall Stroud (Toronto) with 10 points and eight rebounds. Tychon Carter-Newman had an outstanding night for the Voyageurs scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Sam Hirst also contributed 23 points to his team's win.  
 
It was a close first half with the Gaels managing to get an edge up on the Voyageurs to pull ahead with a lead of 25-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Voyageurs tightened up their defence in the second quarter while the Gaels scrambled to settle, picking up fouls and sending Laurentian to the charity stripe 18 times in the first half. Matching each other in scoring in the second quarter the score was 47-44 for the Gaels at halftime.
 
The second half was a see-saw, back and forth game with both teams trading baskets and fighting to claim the lead. Laurentian pulled ahead but the Gaels responded aggressively to tie the score up at 62-62 going into the final frame. Queen's had the first basket but the Voyageurs hit a 6-0 run to grab their biggest lead of the night. After an uncharacteristically low scoring weekend, Greg Faulkner (Kingston, Ont.) sunk his first three of the game to tie up the score with three minutes left in play.
 
The final minutes were frantic as, frontman for the Voyageurs, Carter-Newman and Gael post player Mike Shoveller(Arnprior, Ont.) both fouled out of the game on a double-foul. The Gaels fought hard but the Voyageurs gained the upper hand and ended ahead by 85-76 despite Singh's buzzer beating three point shot.  

Nipissing 47 @ York 76

The York University Lions men's basketball team defeated the Nipissing Lakers 76-47 on Saturday (Jan. 10) at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
With the win, the Lions extend their winning streak to three games and remain in second place in the OUA East with a record of 5-4.
 
The first quarter of play was highlighted by an astonishing dunk by Nathan Culbreath (Kingston, Ont.), who picked up a turnover and ran to the Lakers net to add two more points to the scoreboard.
 
York's big forward Nick Tufeqdzich (Tecumseh, Ont.) dominated the first quarter with nine points, helping the Lions finish the first with a 22-10 lead.
 
Richard Iheadindu (Brampton, Ont.) led the attack in the second with two three pointers and another four points from the floor. Following closely behind in the attack was O'Neil Halstead(Toronto) with seven points. Despite the great defending from the Lakers, the Lions ended the second with a lead at 40-21.
 
The Lions continued to chew at the Lakers in the third as they netted 23 points. Not only did Tufeqdzich score 12 points in the one quarter alone, but he also highlighted the frame with a big dunk over the Lakers.
 
The Lions held an amazing defence in the third as they recorded multiple steals and blocks and allowed just nine points in the quarter to lead 63-30 heading into the fourth.
 
The Lakers began to pick up momentum and outscored the Lions in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to make an impact on the scoreboard.
 
Tufegdzich was the top scorer of the game with 23 points, and he added five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He remains among the OUA's top five in scoring, sitting fourth with 20.9 points per game.
 
Iheadindu finished the game with 15 points and added six rebounds and three assists.
 
Nipissing forward Marvin Ngonadi scored the final six points of the game and finished with 11 on the night. Jerron Rhodes led all Lakers with 12 points.

Source: York Lions

Algoma 70 @ Waterloo 73

Jon Ravenhorst (Sarnia) came down with the biggest of his 12 rebounds with two seconds left to seal the win for Waterloo as they defeated the visiting Algoma Thunderbirds 73-70 on Saturday night. Myles Charvis (Mississauga) hit two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to give Waterloo a two point lead. After an Algoma time out, Wais Mohamed attempted a shot that went off to the side for a Ravenhorst rebound. Jon hit one of two free throws to give the margin of victory. With the victory, Waterloo improves to 3-6 and sit in 4th place in the OUA West while Algoma remains winless at 0-9.

The two teams played a near even first quarter with 4 lead changes and a slight 19-17 lead for Waterloo. Waterloo had their best quarter in the second, at one point holding an 11 point lead, their largest lead of the game. A strong finish to the quarter by Algoma had Waterloo leading 39-33.
 
Neither team was able to make a run in the third as Algoma would make it close only to see Waterloo open up the lead once more. By the end of the quarter Algoma had tied it once, only to have Waterloo take a 57-54 lead going into the final period.
 
Early in the fourth, Algoma took their first lead since the opening quarter. That was the first of another quarter with 4 lead changes. With 49 seconds left, Mohamed hit a long three over the defending Charvis to tie the score at 69-69 and set up the closing minute of play.
 
Mike Pereira (Waterloo) for Waterloo and Adam Benrabah for Algoma each went 1 for 2 from the foul line to setup the closing seconds. Waterloo's play was to help Charvis take it to the hoop and he was fouled on the attempt.
 
Myles Charivs led the Warriors in scoring with 20 points. Jon Ravenhorst (Sarnia) had 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Ben Davis (Mississauga) almost had another double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Wais Mohamed led Algoma with 18 points while Terrell Campbell added 11.
 
Waterloo shot 47% for the game, including 10 of 18 from long range, and out-rebounded the guests 35-26.

Brock 79 @ Lakehead 86

The men's basketball team didn't tempt fate twice in as many nights, and closed out the game strong to earn a 86-79 win over the Brock Badgers.

It was all Lakehead early, as the 'Wolves raced out to a 29-12 lead after the first quarter. Brock would bounce right back in the second, opening it up on a 6-0 run and pouring it on, scoring 29 points of their own in the Q and closing the gap to 47-41 at the break. 
 
Lakehead was fortunate to have a buzzer-beating heave from Mor Menashe swish through to give them the 6-point cushion.
 
As the second half unfolded, neither team gave up an inch, and play got exceedingly rough for a long stretch in the third quarter.
 
Lakehead was able to better contain Johneil Simpson on this occasion, limiting him to 16 points and 6 rebounds. Dani Algadi would step up, scoring 20 points and posed a serious threat before fouling out with 5 minutes remaining in the game.
 
The fourth quarter looked much like that on Friday evening, with both teams' offensive wells drying up. When his team needed him, veteran Anthony McIntosh stepped up large on consecutive possessions, twice blocking shots that led to shot clock violations, and following it up on the other end with finishes in the paint. His play gave Lakehead the boost it required, and enough room for Lakehead to prevail with a win.
 
McIntosh finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots. Six Thunderwolves scored in double digits, with Dwayne Harvey scoring 17 and Mor Menashe 16.
 
Coach Manny Furtado: "I'm happier with our guys effort tonight. We played with more energy and determination. There were times in the game where our guys were tested and they answered every time." 

"It's not to often you get to play the #1 and #2 team in the country in the same weekend. We need to have a great week of practice and be mentally prepared for Ottawa and Carleton."