MBB - Voyageurs end the season with victory against Gryphons
In the final game of the season Saturday night, the men's basketball team were able to emerge victorious against the Guelph Gryphons in the Ben Avery. The Voyageurs pulled off a 104-82 win.
To start the game, the Gryphons scored 4 points within the first thirty seconds. Cedric Mbiaba scored first for Laurentian with a layup, followed by a dunk and layup from Ismael Konate. This gave the Voyageurs momentum and motivation, as proven by Mbiaba with another layup, Caillou Lacroix with a 3-pointer and Kamil Dia Hantchi with a jump shot. In the last three minutes, Hantchi and Gaetan Chamand both scored a 3-point shot, Keenan Morain scored 2 points and Shamar Forbes added 3 points to the board to conclude the quarter. The Voyageurs were up by four points.
In the second quarter, Morain and Pierre Mukandila got fouled while driving to the net, leading to two made free throws from both players. Shortly after, Chikosi Boardi netted two 3-pointers and Lacroix and Mukandila scored a layup, leading to a timeout call from the Gryphons. After the timeout, Mbiaba and Konate came out and scored a layup, Hantchi scored a 3-point shot, and Lacroix scored the second dunk of the game for Laurentian. While the Gryphons were catching up, in the last two minutes, Hantchi, Daniel Muila, Lacroix and Mbiaba scored a combination of 10 points to end the quarter with a 58-37 lead.
Coming back from the first half, Hantchi and Lacroix both added another 3-pointer on the board and Mbiaba scored 4 more points. At the seventh-minute mark, Mukandila and Muila added a layup to the sheet, while Boardi scored another 3-pointer. With three minutes to go, Mukandila scored a layup, Morain made two free throws and a layup and Konate and Forbes both scored 3 points. Sitting at the comfortable 87-64 lead, the Voyageurs were ready to head into the last quarter.
In the last quarter, Hantchi scored first one again with a 3-point shot and Forbes and Lacroix added a layup each to the board. The Voyageurs were then scoreless until the third minute, where Lacroix netted a 3-point shot and a layup, followed by a layup and free throw made by Morain. The Voyageurs won the match 104-82.
The standout performers were Caillou Lacroix with 22 points and 8 rebounds, Kamil Dia Hantchi with 18 points, and Cedric Mbiaba with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
As this game was also the senior send off and final game, the men's basketball team highlighted five graduating players. Best of luck to Shamar Forbes (guard, #10), Noah Garba (forward, #11), Cedric Mbiaba (forward, #12), Caillou Lacroix (wing, #22) and Gaetan Chamand (wing, #23).
-Madison Boileau