MBB | Laurentian Struggles to Find a Groove In Loss Versus Windsor

In their second game in as many days, the Laurentian Voyageurs Men's Basketball team took on the Windsor Lancers at home. After a competitive four quarters, the Vees lost with a score of 85-72 despite their last-minute rally.

After turning the ball over on their first possession, Laurentian looked like they were in mid-season form. Ismael Konate took charge, scoring the team's first six points, all coming from the paint on second-chance points. He added to the team's effort with a seismic block. Keenan Morain helped keep the game close with tight perimeter defence, forcing rough shots. The second quarter was all about To Randriasalama. After a timeout two minutes into the frame, Randriasalama took charge with a contested shot in the paint, followed immediately by a tough launch from beyond the arc. The guard's prowess helped take pressure off others, allowing Brice Fandio to break free for six points. Despite their strong offensive efforts, Windsor held a 51-36 lead at half, aided by a buzzer-beater three-pointer.

Coming back to the court, Favour Ugbah had fire in his eyes. With back-to-back difficult shots, Ugbah helped the trailing Voyageurs find a groove. The home team fell behind by more than 20 points before an impressive push back powered by Randriasalama and Angel Castellanos. The duo powered through the Lancers' defence using dazzling finesse with the ball, leading to a combined 14 points in the third quarter's final two minutes. Although their efforts closed the gap, Laurentian couldn't complete the comeback, losing the game by 13. There were standout performances on both sides of the ball, but ultimately, the Vees' demise came at converting opportunities into points. The team generated strong chances but only shot 35% from the field compared to Windsor's 52%.

In spite of their loss and struggles on the floor, the Voyageurs dominated the backboard, finishing the game with nearly 40 rebounds. The team falls to 0-2 on the year, with a week's rest before their next game at the University of Ottawa.

- Brendan Rubin