MBB | Laurentian Bounces Back in Gritty Fashion

In their first match back at the Ben Avery Gym, the Laurentian Voyageurs Men's basketball team faced off against the McMaster Marauders. Coming off a loss last week, the Vees were ready to bounce back. 

It was difficult for LU to find their groove in the first quarter. After putting together a convincing first half of the quarter, turnovers and fouls caught up to the hosts. For several minutes, the Vees struggled to put a shot up. As McMaster began to pull ahead, To Randriasalama stepped up with a corner three. After an offensive foul by the Marauders, Laurentian controlled the clock with 8.5 seconds left. Randriasalama seized the opportunity with a buzzer beating three, cutting their deficit to eight, at a score of 25-17. 

The momentum seemed to carry over the first break, with Keenan Morain taking charge with 11 straight points for Laurentian. The Voyageurs continued their attempts to slash at the lead, with key contributions from Brice Fandio in his offensive finesse, and hustle plays coming from guard Jaylen Forde. Despite their committed attempts for a comeback, LU continued to trail 44-38 leading into the halftime break.

Entering the third quarter behind, the next ten minutes proved to be crucial. Either claw back at the lead, or fall deeper into defeat. For all of two minutes, it seemed to be the latter, stuck in a groove. That was until a technical foul from McMaster put Fandio at the line, flipping momentum. Over the course of the next eight minutes, whether it be from sheer grit, or the duo of Morain and Angel Castellanos putting the team on their back, LU took their first lead of the game. Heading into the fourth, the hosts held a 59-56 lead. 

A slim advantage was all the gas Laurentian needed to fuel their fire. After two minutes of scoreless basketball, Favour Ugbah delivered a thunderous block, leading to a dagger three from Castellanos, erupting the gym. The room buzzing with energy charged two more makes beyond the perimeter for Castellanos, and an offense matching each other's energy. Another technical led Fandio to the line, sealing a decisive victory for the Hometown Heroes. 

Despite a slow first half, Laurentian persevered through the contact and deficit to come ahead by the final buzzer, increasing to an impressive 8-6 record. The final score of 77-69 will carry LU to their next game versus Algoma University. 

- Brendan Rubin