AROUND OUA: Kaba nails buzzer-beater as Lakers shock Laurier
If you could have written an ending to the first semester for the Nipissing Lakers men's basketball team, it might have looked something like this past weekend.
SCOREBOARD
Nipissing 66 @ Laurier 65
Western 66 @ Toronto 80
Windsor 64 @ Ryerson 84
McMaster 67 @ Carleton 81
Brock 63 @ Ottawa 90
York 65 @ Guelph 87
Laurentian 70 @ Waterloo 61
Algoma 77 @ Queen's 85
Kaba nails buzzer-beater as Lakers shock Laurier
If you could have written an ending to the first semester for the Nipissing Lakers men's basketball team, it might have looked something like this past weekend.
Nipissing hit the road to finish up the first semester of play and put together two strong efforts and even better, came away with two wins - including a win on an Ismael Kaba buzzer-beater Saturday night.
Friday night, the Lakers used a balanced attack, as five players hit double digits in points and two had double-doubles, as Nipissing topped the Waterloo Warriors 83-78.
Jordon Campbell led the way with 19 points, Marcus Lewis had 14, Jerron Rhodes had 13 points and 10 assists, while Kalil Langston and Justin Shaver both had 11 in the victory.
Shaver also had a game-high 17 rebounds.
The win was a derserving one for Nipissing, who saw contributions from everyone in a strong 40-minute effort.
While that win was impressive, Saturday's victory will be the one that's talked about.
A tight contest from start to finish saw the teams go basket for basket until late in the game, in the dying seconds, when Kaba caught the ball outside the three-point line and put up a perfect shot that fell to give the Lakers the one point victory.
A big second quarter helped Nipissing get back into the game and set up Kaba's heroics.
He finished with 14 points, three of which came on the game-winning shot.
Marvin Ngonadi put up 10 as well in the win.
The Lakers finished the first semester on a two game winning streak and will look to build on that, as they host McMaster and Brock to begin the second half of the season.
They're back on the court Jan. 6 and 7, with tip-off set for 8pm both nights at the RJS Athletic Centre.
Source: Nipissing Lakers
Blues down Mustangs to close out 2016
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team wrapped up the fall semester with a dominant 80-66 victory over the Western Mustangs on Saturday, December 3 at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
With the win the Blues improve to 5-3 and remain in second place in the OUA East division heading into the December exam break.
Fifth-year forward Devin Johnson notched a game-high 20 points, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and three steals on the day.
Second-year forward Daniel Johansson tallied 16 points, a game-high eight boards and three assists, while fourth-year guard Reilly Reid had 14 points. Third-year guard Sage Usher added nine points and six rebounds in the victory.
Usher tallied seven points to put the Blues up 15-5 in the early goings and Toronto held a 20-10 advantage after the first quarter.
The Mustangs rallied and the second quarter proved to be a see-saw battle with U of T holding a 39-29 lead at halftime.
Toronto notched another lopsided quarter with back-to-back three's from Nikola Paradina putting the home team up by 20. The Blues were up 63-42 at the end of the third quarter.
Omar Shiddo led the Mustangs with 20 points, with Cameron Morris adding 11 points in the loss.
The Varsity Blues resume regular season action in the New Year as they host the Guelph Gryphons on Friday, January 6 at Goldring Centre. Tip off is set for 8 p.m.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues
Roberts, Voll have big night for Rams in win over Windsor
TORONTO - Roshane Roberts and Adam Voll both had big scoring nights to lead the Ryerson Rams men's basketball team to an 84-64 victory over the Windsor Lancers on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
BOXSCORE
Roberts scored a game-high 19 points, his highest total this seaosn, while Adam Voll posted a career-high in both points and rebounds with 13 and 12, respectively. Rams forward Juwon Grannum also had a big game with 18 points.
The Rams jumped out to a quick 21-11 after ten minutes and it looked like the Rams would be off and running to their seventh straight win. The Lancers had other ideas, however, as Windsor heated up from the field and kept the game within striking distance at 42-33 at the half.
The third quarter has been a strength of the Rams this season and Saturday was no different. With their starters back on the court, minus Filip Vujadinovic who suffered a finger injury just three minutes into the game, Ryerson piled up 26 points, doubling the Lancers output to blow the game wide open.
Ryerson forced 21 Lancers turnovers and capitalized with converting those into 17 points. Due to the play of Voll and Grannum, the Rams outscored Windsor 38-18 in the paint.
The Rams improve to a spotless 7-0 this season while Windsor drops to 4-4. Ryerson returns to action in January when they host the Lakehead Thunderwolves on the 6th at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Source: Ryerson Rams
Ravens move to 5-0 in OUA play with 81-67 win over McMaster
OTTAWA, ON — The Carleton Ravens men's basketball team defeated the McMaster Marauders 81-67 on Saturday night, improving their record to 5-0.
Ravens swingman Connor Wood (Guelph, ON) scored 26 points, including four triples, to lead the way for a Carleton team that has yet to taste defeat this season.
Kaza Kajami-Keane (Ajax, ON) of the Ravens scored the first 7 points for his team, sparking a 15-0 run for Carleton. Connor Wood also started the game well, adding 8 points in the opening quarter to put the Ravens up 19-10 going into the second.
The Marauders did all they could to close the gap in the second, but the dynamic play of Connor Wood allowed the Ravens a comfortable lead. Wood scored 8 points in the second quarter as well, putting him at 16 points by halftime. Connor Gilmore of the Marauders scored 9 points in the second to lead all scorers, but he was the lone bright spot for a McMaster team that could not buy a bucket in the first half. The Marauders shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the half, with no player other than Gilmore scoring more than three points.
The Ravens also enjoyed some tremendous play by Eddie Ekiyor (Ottawa, ON) off the bench in the first half. Ekiyor made some huge plays on both ends of the court, going into the third with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. After a Connor Wood jumper to close out the second, the Ravens led the Marauders, 40-25, at the break.
The third quarter was when McMaster started to gain some momentum, going on a 8-0 run capped off by a jumper by Matt Quiring. The Marauders also hit 7-of-8 free throws in the quarter, and ended up outscoring the Ravens in the third by a single point. However, the Ravens kept the lead in double digits and ended the quarter up 57-43.
The Marauders continued their strong second-half play into the fourth, cutting down the lead to just 7 points with under a minute left in the game. McMaster hit some clutch threes to keep them in the game down the stretch, shooting 5-of-9 from deep in the final quarter. Nevertheless, the Ravens managed to defend their lead, thanks to 7 more points from Connor Wood in the fourth, and the Ravens walked away with their fifth consecutive victory of the season.
Connor Wood finished with 7 rebounds and 5 assists to go with his 26 points, while Kaza Kajami-Keane ended the game with 16 points and 5 assists. Ekiyor did a little bit of everything for the Ravens in the win, racking up 15 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
Gilmore was the high man for the Marauders with 16 points, while teammate David McCulloch chipped in 11 points and 7 assists.
The Ravens will return after the holidays to take on the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo on January 6.
Source: Carleton Ravens
Ottawa sweeps Top 10 weekend with another big win
The Gee-Gees men's basketball team earned another big win on home court, completing a Top Ten weekend with a win over the no. 5 ranked Brock Badgers, 90-63 on Saturday night.
Caleb Agada had a massive 28-point performance, adding six rebounds, five assists, and five steals to his night. Three other Gee-Gees joined the fifth-year in double-digit scoring, while Brock had 12 points apiece from Tyler Brown and Daniel Cayer.
Notably, Ottawa held Brock's All-Canadian forward Dani Elgadi to nine points on 2-7 shooting, and have yet to allow an opponent to score more than 63 points.
"Jean gets fired up to get those matchups but it's a team defence – our switching, our rotations, our double-downs, are all a big part of that - and holding a great player like him to that is impressive for our guys," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin.
The Gee-Gees took a twenty-point lead midway through the third quarter, at the 53-33 mark. The second quarter was particularly effective for the Garnet and Grey defence; Brock was held to seven points in the frame.
"We had some lulls defensively but the numbers are pretty good. I'm proud of the guys because they competed, right to the end on defensive rebounding especially," noted Derouin. "We're getting closer but I still feel like we've got a long way to go."
Agada was crucial in the first half, scoring 15 of Ottawa's first points to pace the home squad to a 35-25 lead midway through the second quarter. Matt Plunkett, who finished with 12 points was also feeling it early, calling for the ball and sinking four-of-five from downtown.
One other big performance came down low, where Brody Maracle provided 10 points, five rebounds, and a whole lot of grit. "Brody has to carry a lot of the weight down low, and those things kind of go unnoticed," said Derouin. "That's how he is – he works hard."
Game got chippy in the early goings of the fourth quarter, slowing the flow right down. Adam Presutti sank a pair of threes to bring the spring back into the step of the Gee-Gees.
The pair of victories this weekend pushes uOttawa's reguar season record to 5-0. The team will next be on the court at the Rod and Joan Shoveller Memorial Tournament in Halifax, December 29-31.
Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees
Gryphs win big over York in final game at W.F. Mitchell Centre
GUELPH, ON – The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team couldn't say goodbye to the W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre without a win.
The Gryphs picked up a dominating 87-65 victory over the York Lions in OUA action on Saturday night.
It marked the last time the Gryphs will play at the Mitchell Centre. Starting in January, their home court will be the brand new Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
"There were some dicey moments where we got a little undisciplined and it hurt us," said head coach Chris O'Rourke, "but to win decisively in our last game there was certainly a positive, for sure."
"That's the way you want to go out, right?" asked veteran forward Ahmed Haroon, one of eight fourth-year players on this club. "After being in that gym for so many years, you definitely want to go out with a win like that."
And Haroon was one of the catalysts in making it happen. He led all scorers with 22 points, with 18 of those coming in the first half. He also grabbed five defensive rebounds, and six boards in total.
"Ahmed has really stepped up," O'Rourke said. "In the first half, he set the tone offensively, and he's done that in every league game."
"I've been lucky this year," Haroon said, laughing. "Just luck, man. A little bit of skill, a little bit of hard work, and a lot of luck."
The Mississauga, ON native felt that the real key to Saturday's decisive win was simply paying attention to detail.
"It came down to executing all the things we've talked about in film and in practice – how to contain them, how to play certain guys, keying in on their scorers, keying in on who can't shoot," he said, adding this was an important game even if it hadn't been the last one at the Mitchell Centre.
"Our team definitely needed this. We came in with the mentality that it was a do-or-die game, because we just couldn't afford to go down to 2-4 going into the break."
Haroon also said it was important that the Gryphs bounce back from two recent losses against divisional rivals Brock and McMaster.
"I'm glad we came back today and showed what we have to offer."
The Gryphs now have a 3-3 record in the OUA Central Division, while the Lions fall to 2-4 in the OUA East. It was the second loss in as many nights for York, and O'Rourke said he knew the fact that York had played on Friday might also be a key.
"We felt confident in our game plan and felt like the guys were really focused, and I thought that for the most part we executed what we wanted to," he said.
"I still think we gave up about 10 points of easy back-door cuts, which we shouldn't have; I think we were a little sloppy on that. But I thought overall, defensively, we did the job. Any time you score 80 plus and only give up 60 something, we'll take it."
The coach was also pleased with the performances of players like Kingslee D'Silva and Andrew Grant. D'Silva, who is now in his second year with the Gryphons, had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Grant, a fourth-year guard from Toronto, collected 13 points, six boards and seven steals.
Saturday's margin of victory was by far Guelph's biggest of the season. O'Rourke wants the team to keep working on developing a killer instinct – the drive to gain and keep control of games, and to close them out in dominating fashion.
"That's just a focus and a discipline thing that we're continually harping on, that we have to be more consistent if we want to make that jump to a higher level in the top teams in Ontario," he said.
They'll get back to working on that when they visit Montreal for a tournament at UQAM from Dec. 29 to 31. Their OUA action resumes on Jan. 6 at the University of Toronto and on Jan. 7 at Ryerson.
Guelph's next home game, and first game in their new home, is Jan. 13 against Laurier.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
Voyageurs find themselves back in the win column
Gaels top Algoma 85-77
Singh (Toronto) passed Mike Scotten on his first basket of the game at the 6:38 mark of the first quarter, and finished with a game-high 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Tanner Graham added a double-double with 16 points and a game-best 12 rebounds for Queen's, who led the contest from start to finish but saw a lead as high as 26 points drop to five in the dying moments of the fourth quarter after a concerted Algoma comeback bid came up short. Cailum White led the Thunderbirds with 15 points in a losing cause.
GAME FLOW
The Gaels jumped all over Algoma in the early going, latching onto a 9-0 lead just over a minute and a half into the contest, which prompted a quick timeout from the Thunderbirds.
Graham (Kingston) hit a three coming out of the break as well as a jump-shot moments later to give the hosts a commanding 18-3 lead. The Thunderbirds answered with a pair of three-point baskets on consecutive possessions, but the Gaels offence remained potent throughout the period, as the men shot 57.9% in the opening quarter to take a 27-18 lead after 10 minutes of play.
Isaiah Wilson (Scarborough, Ont.) tallied a corner three to restore the Gaels double-digit advantage early in the second, and another deep basket from Sammy Ayisi (Toronto) pushed the lead back up to 15 mid-way through the period.
The hosts continued to build their spread throughout the half by shoring up their defensive play and holding the Thunderbirds to just eight points in the second quarter. Ayisi led all players with eight first-half points, and the Gaels finished the half shooting above 60% from the floor. Queen's led Algoma 49-26 at the break.
The Thunderbirds came out with more vigour in the third quarter, taking advantage of a time when both Singh and Graham were resting to cut the lead down to under 20. A three-pointer by White at the 2:22 mark cut the deficit to 15, and led to a timeout from Coach Steph Barrie to refocus his squad.
Following the break, a three-point shot and ensuing jumper from Graham attempted to stem the Algoma momentum, and the Gaels carried a 64-48 lead into the final period.
The Thunderbirds continued to persevere early in the fourth, starting the period on a 6-1 run to cut the lead down to 11. The Gaels responded by attacking the Thunderbirds in the low post, using their height and speed to tally eight of the next nine points, all of which were scored in the paint.
Following an Algoma timeout, two jump-shots from Jacob Clendinning sandwiched another Cailum three, and the Thunderbirds managed to finally bring the deficit down to single digits for the first time since the first quarter with just over a minute remaining. Algoma cut the lead down to five with 29.4 seconds remaining after another basket from beyond the arc by White.
The hosts, however, were able to clinch the victory with some timely converted free throws from Graham and Singh.
The Gaels improve to 5-1 and sit in second-place in the OUA East division heading into the holiday break behind the Ryerson Rams (7-0).
BY THE NUMBERS
1162- The total number of points tallied by Sukhpreet Singh
175- The number of points Singh is from becoming the top all-time scoring leader for Queen's
52.5%- Queen's field goal percentage, their best of the season
FINAL SAY
"I am disappointed with how we handled being in the lead tonight," said Head Coach Stephan Barrie. "It's an area that we are going to have to get better at and to me it is 90% mental. Games like this are the training stage for when we play the top teams in the country, so we have to play with the mindset to prepare ourselves for those types of games, so that when we get to those games we won't be in awe of the moment. It takes mental discipline and that is what good teams do."
UP NEXT
The men head to Halifax, N.S. from December 29 to 31 for the Shoveller Memorial Tournament, which is hosted by Dalhousie.
Queen's returns to conference action on January 6 and 7, when they hit the road to take on the Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers respectively.
The Gaels resume their home schedule the following weekend, hosting Ryerson and Toronto at the ARC.
