AROUND OUA: No. 5 Badgers fall to No.2 Gee-Gees 89-82
ST. CATHARINES, ON - The Brock University men's basketball team fell to the hands of the No. 2 ranked Ottawa Gee Gees Saturday night at the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
SCOREBOARD
No. 5 Badgers fall to No. 2 Gee-Gees
ST. CATHARINES, ON - The Brock University men's basketball team fell to the hands of the No. 2 ranked Ottawa Gee Gees Saturday night at the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
The Badgers trailed by three points at the ends of both the first and second quarters. Brock brought it to within one point, 54-53, with just over fourr minutes left in the third, before the Gee Gees went on a 9-3 run to close out the quarter, leading 63-56 after 30 minutes.
In the final quarter, Ottawa extended their lead to 13 points, 71-58, with 6:40 remaining in regulation after back-to-back three pointers from Matt Plunkett. Down the stretch, Ottawa went 9-for-10 from the free throw line and added the dagger with three-pointers from Vikas Gill and Plunkett in the final three minutes to secure the road victory.
Leading the Badgers offense was rrookie Tyler Brown (Hamilton, ON) who recorded a career high 28 points. Johneil Simpson (Toronto, ON) collected 21 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double. Rounding out the Brock leaders were Ryan Bennett (Toronto, ON) and Dani Elgadi (Waterloo, ON) who chipped in with 10 and nine points respectively.
Ottawa's Mike L'Africain netted a game-high 33 points and four assists. Plunkett had the hot hand from downtown draining five three-pointers, while Nathan McCarthy added 14 points in the victory.
Brock shot 45.9% (34-for-74) from the field, 33.3% (7-for-21) from long range and 63.6% (10-for-25) from the free throw line. The Gee Gees were 25-for-53 (47.2%) from the floor, 8-for-18 (44.4%) from beyond the arc and 31-for-37 (83.8%) from the charity stripe.
Source: Brock Badgers
Mustangs win thriller over York in Toronto
TORONTO - One night after scoring his 1,478th career point to become the Mustangs all-time leading scorer, Greg Morrow added another 33 points to that total to help the Mustangs defeat York on Saturday at the Tait McKenzie Centre
Western's record updates to 9-8, keeping them in second place of the OUA West, four points behind the Windsor Lancers. The York Lions record updates to 3-13, keeping them in last place of the OUA East.
Along with Morrow, Anthony Spiridis and Peter Scholtes also registered double-digit contests with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Morrow and Tom Filgiano shared the rebounding lead for Western with six apiece.
Gene Spagnuolo and Nathan Culbreath scored the majority of points for the Lions, putting up 21 apiece. Jayden Fredrick and Tommy Hobbs followed with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Brandon Ramirez contributed seven rebounds for the team and Fredrick followed with six.
The Mustangs came out strong, building a 19-point margin by the 2:40 mark of the first frame. Morrow's successful performance began with a 13-point first frame, as he used tight offensive play to keep the possession for purple and white. The Lions found it tough to keep up, dropping the first frame to the Mustangs with a score of 29-12.
The Lions outscored the Mustangs 19-16 in the second frame, draining four three-point shots and upping their rebound game to decrease the overall deficit. They were just as strong in the third quarter, going on a 14-4 run early to get within four points. Momentum did swing back in Western's direction, although five York points within the last minute brought them within one heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
In the fourth, Western found their feet once again, increasing their lead to eight heading into the final two minutes. Still, York made the end of the game exciting, turning the eight-point deficit to a one-point deficit thanks to strong play from Culbreath and Spagnuolo. Filgiano had to make a last second block to end the Lions' chances of catching up, allowing the Msutangs to walk away with an 81-80 victory.
Western returns to London for their remaining three home games, starting with their contest against the Windsor Lancers on Saturday, February 20 at Alumni Hall. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. and the game can be watched live at OUA.tv.
Source: Western Mustangs
Gaels battle but eventually fall to Lancers
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 13, 2016)- The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team battled hard and put together another comeback bid late in the fourth quarter, but came up just short against a hot offence, falling to the Windsor Lancers 93-87 on Saturday evening at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC).
Sukhpreet Singh dropped a game-high 30 points, 24 of which came in the second half, and Tanner Graham added 21 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in a losing cause for the Gaels (10-7), who are now slated to finish second in the OUA East division as they cannot catch the CIS No. 1 ranked Ryerson Rams (13-1), but are a single win away from clinching second.
Alex Campbell dropped a team-best 23 points for the Lancers (11-6), who are two games up on Western for first in the OUA West division. Windsor shot a potent 53.1% from the field and were over 50% from three-point range in helping extend their unbeaten streak to six games.
GAME FLOW
Campbell recorded nine points in the opening quarter, helping pace the visitors to a 22-15 lead through the first 10 minutes of the contest. After Tanner Graham opened the game with a deep three, the Lancers responded by hitting four of five from beyond the arc to help consolidate their seven-point advantage heading into the second.
Graham (Kingston) followed his two three's in the first with another jumper early in the second, but the Windsor offence continued to roll, building a 10-point lead near the midpoint of the period, which prompted a timeout from Head Coach Steph Barrie.
With Singh (Toronto) in early foul trouble for the second night in a row, the Gaels struggled to find rhythm in their offence, and the Lancers took advantage, building the lead up to 14 before a three from Mike Shoveller (Arnprior, Ont.) stopped an 8-0 Windsor streak.
It was the Lancers, however, who would remain hot straight up to the halftime buzzer, as Campbell and Mike Rocca combined for 10 points over the final two minutes of the second quarter, pushing the lead up to 17 at the break. The Lancers shot a formidable 54.3% from the field in the first 20 minutes, compared to the Gaels 31.6% efficiency. The guests also picked up nine second-chance points, while Queen's totaled none even though both brought down four offensive boards.
The Lancers accumulated as much as a 20 point lead early in the second half, but the Gaels responded with an 8-0 run that was topped off with another three by Graham, cutting the deficit to 10 with a couple of minutes left in the third.
Queen's continued pushing with a stronger offence throughout the period, slicing the Lancer spread down to single digits after Singh found Andrew Mavety (Vancouver, B.C.) for a corner three. The hosts shot an impressive 71.4% (10-14) from the field in the third to start their comeback bid. A buzzer-beating three by Lucas Orlita, however, pushed the lead back up to 11 at the end of the third quarter.
The Lancers shooting clinic continued in the fourth quarter, as Windsor knocked down three-straight jumpers from beyond the arc, the last two of which were dropped by Orlita, to maintain their double-digit lead. Queen's continued to make shots throughout the fourth, but could not find any answers for the formidable performance put on by the Windsor offence.
The hosts found some life, however, late in the contest, and mounted a significant comeback bid by putting together a 16-5 run that ended with a Singh three-pointer that cut the deficit down to just three points with 20 seconds remaining.
After Campbell made 1-of-2 free-throws, Singh missed on his next attempt from range, and the Gaels ran out of time and lost for the first time in the past four matches.
FINAL SAY
"I was disappointed in how we played the first half," said Barrie. "We were tentative and hesitant. In the second half our intensity went up significantly and got us back in the game. We were able to keep within striking distance. But it was too little too late. If we had played that way in the first half, the game could have had a different flavour to it altogether. Windsor is always a team that can catch fire; had we played harder and with more intensity in the first half, some of that rhythm that they got probably would have been more difficult to retain, and they maybe don't get as hot for as long, and it's a different game."
BY THE NUMBERS
4- Sukhpreet Singh now has 30 or more points in four conference games
20- It was the second game in a row that Tanner Graham tallied over 20 points, and third overall
1-There was only one lead change. After Mike Rocca's three-point basket gave Windsor a 6-5 lead at the 4:00 minute mark of the first, the Lancers stayed in front until the final buzzer
UP NEXT
The Gaels head to Algoma next weekend to take on the Thunderbirds in their final road contest of the season. Queen's returns to the ARC on February 26 and 27 to close out the regular season with games against Ryerson and Toronto respectively.
Source: Queen's Gaels
Gryphons leave Warriors in dust with 16-2 run to end game
WATERLOO, ON - There are several capable scorers on the Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team. And while the offensive weapons took a while to heat up, the Gryphons leaned on several of them Saturday night in Waterloo. Five Guelph players hit double digits led by Jack Beatty's team-high 21 points in a big 90-75 win over the Warriors at the PAC.
Beatty was on fire shooting the basketball, making 6 of 9 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 from long range and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. The fifth-year guard from Woodstock also led the Gryphons on the glass, hauling in 7 rebounds.
Daniel Dooley (15 points and a game-high 4 steals), Drew Walford (14), Taylor Boers (13) and Jonathan Wallace (10) provided some secondary scoring as Guelph stepped up the pace in the second half to pull away from the Warriors. Waterloo led 41-39 after two quarters but the Gryphons out scored the hosts 51-34 the rest of the way, 14 coming from Beatty and 10 from Walford.
The game was surprisingly tight for much of the fourth quarter and when Jon Ravenhorst hit a jumper to get the Warriors within a point at 74-73 with 3:53 remaining, Guelph was in a dangerous spot. But the Gryphons manufactured an impressive 16-2 run to finish out the game, with Beatty accounting for 6 of those points.
The Gryphons bench scored 44 of the 90 points on the night.
Waterloo came out strong and built an early 9-0 lead. Guelph slowly chipped away and eventually took its first lead of the game at 6:45 of the third quarter on a Martin Popiel free throw. A Dooley three-pointer late in the third gave put the Gryphons up 63-58 heading into the fourth quarter, in which they erupted for 27 points.
Waterloo actually dominated on the boards, out rebounding Guelph 45-30. But the hosts, led by Ravenhorst's 23 points, committed 15 turnovers, shot just 37.5 per cent from the field and made 18 of 30 free throws (60 per cent).
Source: Guelph Gryphons
Voyageurs cap off Shoot for the Cure night with victory
The Voyageurs found themselves back in the win column by way of a 84-64 outing versus Nipissing on Shoot For The Cure night. Laurentian hoped a return to the Ben Avery Gym would spell a return to form following a couple of weak outings on the road. The division rival Nipissing Lakers were in town to try and stop the V's from doing exactly that.
The play from both teams in the first half can best be described as 'comparable'. Both squads mixed a healthy balance of inside and outside attacking throughout the half and both got their fair share of quality stops on defense. The only problem is that the Lakers did this far more often than the Voyageurs did. While Laurentian played well in spurts, Nipissing was able to keep up their effort consistently in the first two periods.
The Voyageurs came out of the tunnel sluggish and struggling to find any offense. On the defensive end, the V's could find no way to stop the Lakers in the paint. And as if a switch had been flicked somewhere in the Ben Avery Gym, Laurentian suddenly found themselves in command of the game. Ironically the third quarter was one filled with Voyageur three pointers. Nipissing on the other hand suddenly could not hit any of their shots, which culminated in their downfall. Once LU got a taste of the lead they did not relent, never again finding themselves trailing in the game. And like basketball gluttons they were able to extend the lead to 20 by game's end.
For the visiting Lakers it was Joey Puddister who led the losing squad with 22 points and five assists. For the victors, David Aromolaran led with 23 points, seven rebounds, while Sam Hirst contributed with a double double of 14 points and 13 rebounds.
The Voyageurs embark on their final road trip of the regular season next week beginning with a date with the 10-5 Brock Badgers on Friday.
Source: Laurentian Voyageurs
Thunderwolves down Golden Hawks 89-85
Kache Kopec provided a spark off the bench for Lakehead, drilling four threes and helping Lakehead overcome an early deficit to defeat to Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 89-85.
The Hawks jumped all over the 'Wolves to begin the game, stumping Lakehead early to lead 18-4. LU responded to trail 28-19 after 10 minutes.
In traditional fashion, Laurier kept their foot on the pedal on offense, leading 49-39 at halftime.
The difference maker for Lakehead came in the third quarter, as Bacarius Dinkins continued to make space in the lane, and get to the free throw line. On the game Dinkins went 8-of-11 from the charity stripe, and 9-of-16 from the field for a solid 26-point, 13-rebound double-double. Lakehead out-scored Laurier 27-16 in the frame to lead by one, 66-65 with 10 minutes to play.
Kache Kopec came off the bench to provide the outside touch Lakehead has been lacking for much of the season. The rookie from Kelowna, B.C. went 4-of-5 from behind the arc and finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
The clincher for Lakehead came in the final minute, with Lakehead leading by one, 84-83. Henry Tan drove down the middle of the key and pitched to Alex Robichaud, whom to that point had just two points. The versatile Thunder Bay swingman shot the open three without hesitation, and watched it swish through with 30 seconds to play.
Tan played the entire game and finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
Coach Manny Furtado:
"We gave up a lot of points in the first half which is a little concerning but our guys never quit. They kept battling and working hard and pulled out a big win. To go 2-0 this time of year on a road trip is big for our program. Now we need to turn our attention to the #1 team in the country Ryerson."
Lakehead returns home to play Ryerson and Toronto next weekend in the Thunderdome.
Source: Lakehead Thunderwolves
Marauders fall to defending champ Ravens
The McMaster men's basketball team showed it can play with the national champs from Carleton, but beating them is another story, as the Ravens defeated the Marauders 74-65 at the Burridge Gym on Saturday night.
Carleton jumped out to any early lead behind eight quick points from Connor Wood, but the Marauders stayed within reach through the first quarter and ended the quarter with a late run to tie the score at 17-17 after 10 minutes.
The second quarter saw the Ravens go to the long ball to take the lead as four different players knocked down treys. But McMaster's Leon Alexander was having a strong game and behind his 17 first-half points, the Carleton lead was only 37-30 at halftime.
McMaster started the third quarter looking determined to enact another comeback and quickly tied the game at 37-37, prompting Carleton to take a timeout. The turning point in the game came midway through the third quarter, as the Raven's held a 44-43 lead but with McMaster heading to the charity stripe with a chance to take the lead.
Unfortunately, both free throws were missed, which was a problem for the Marauders all game. Carleton immediately ended the quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 54-43 lead into the final quarter and holding all the momentum.
The fourth quarter was not pretty basketball by either team, and the physical play resulted in tempers flaring on both sides. The game officials did not have one of their better efforts either, as both benches were assessed technical fouls due to their frustration with the questionable officiating. As they always do, the Ravens played hard to the last whistle and while the Marauders did not quit, they could only shave a basket off the deficit in the final quarter.
McMaster was led by Alexander with 18 points, while David McCulloch added 12. Carleton's Connor Wood scored a game-high 22. McMaster managed to edged Carleton in the rebound tally by 37-36, but the Marauders made only 43% of their free throws (9 of 21) for the game, which won't get it done if beating a national contender is the objective.
However, gaining the split against the two contenders from the nation's capital has to be considered a positive for McMaster as the team gets closer to the playoffs. The Marauders will next play the Nipissing Lakers on Friday, February 19th at the Burridge Gym, with tip-off set for 8-PM.
Source: McMaster Marauders
Seniors night a special engagement at Coca-Cola Court for Rams
TORONTO – Aaron Best capped off his Senior Night performance of 17 points and seven rebounds by proposing to his girlfriend in front of extended family and teammates at Coca-Cola Court.
She said yes.
"I've been planning it for 2-3 months. I was jumbling on my words, I was stumbling on my words and it just happened, and you know she said yes. Family is everything to me and honestly I wouldn't be where I am without them. It was big for me to have them there to take this next step with me." Said Best on the special moments post game.
BOXSCORE
The rest of the Rams were soaring along with Best as the team shrugged off a slow shooting first half to put down the pedal in third quarter and eventually cruise to a 98-56 victory.
They outscored the Thunderbirds 33-16 in the third period, on the playmaking of Manny Diressa and some sweet dunks in transition from Best, Kadeem Green, and JV Mukama.
Green also had a strong performance on his Senior Night with a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. The third graduating member of the team, Andy Agyepong, also got the start and finished with six points and two steals.
The Rams will now shift their focus to tomorrow afternoon, where they will take on the Toronto Varsity Blues at NBA Centre Court as part of the All-Star weekend festivities.
"We're excited, a little nervous, neutral site, new basketballs and the turnaround is barely 24 hours you know so those games are always the hardest because we thrive on shooting the three and playing in transition, so if we aren't shooting the three too well we have to pound the paint." Said head coach Patrick Tatham on his team's game plan for tomorrow.
"It's gonna be crazy, it's gonna be great for the university and I'm just gonna go out and enjoy it man." Added Best on the chance to play on the big stage at NBA Centre Court.
The Rams didn't just snag a win on the court tonight, but off the court as well, as prized recruit Keevon Small was in attendance and signed a letter of intent to be a Ram post game.
Small played this past season with John Abbott College in Quebec, and averaged 16 points and seven rebounds as well as 45% from the floor and 32% from three in the CEGEP league.
Tomorrow's game against the Varsity Blues tips off from the Enercare Centre at 4:30 pm and can be seen on OUA.tv.
Source: Ryerson Rams
