MBB | Voyageurs Dominate in Home Win versus York
Coming off a strong win, the Laurentian Voyageurs hosted the York University Lions, hoping to continue their hot streak, winning four of their last five. This sizzling matchup displayed two of the hottest scorers in OUA action: Jeremiah Kwarteng and the Voyageurs' very own Brice Fandio. Each of them has averaged 17.3 points per outing. The Voyeageurs came out on top with a decisive 72-60 win.
The first frame of the game saw a balanced approach to both ends of the court. Spreading the ball out on offence and sticking to their assignments on defence helped keep the game close, finishing the quarter trailing 21-15. Most of LU's points came from within the paint, displaying their dominance and resilience against contact. Keenan Morain finished their scoring off with a three-pointer.
Laurentian's defence locked up in the second quarter. After letting Kwarteng record seven points in the first, they allowed just two points from the guard, while also outscoring the Lions by near double-digits. After some smart shots from Favour Ugbah, Fandio began to find his groove. In the final three minutes, the French native tallied nine points, all coming from difficult shots in the post, including an impressive converted and-one. The Vees stopped a buzzer-beating shot to stay ahead 37-36 going into halftime.
They say that good things come in threes. Well, for Laurentian, those happen to be shots made beyond the arc. The Vees started the second half on a 9-0 run, with a trio of those shots coming from Morain, Fandio, and To Randriasalama.
LU didn't shoot particularly well, nor did they protect the ball well, shooting 38% from the field and surrendering 16 turnovers. However, they brought in a resounding 51 rebounds, dominating the pace of the game. The Vees resisted anything resembling a comeback for the remainder of the game. Laurentian would improve to 6-4 on the season, with all said wins coming in the last seven games. As per the two high-scoring guards, Fandio narrowly outscored Kwarteng by three, as the York guard sank a half-court heave just a second after the final buzzer.
Laurentian has two games remaining on its schedule before the holiday break, where the team travels to Toronto for a short weekend away from home.
- Brendan Rubin