MBB | Voyageurs Extend Win Streak in Clash Versus Queen’s

In a Friday night showdown at Ben Avery Gym, the Vees were seeking their fourth straight win, and they achieved it over the 3-1 Queen's Gaels with a commanding 86-76 victory. 

The game began with three consecutive turnovers between each team, leading to a Queen's basket. The Voyageurs returned with eight unanswered points, taking their first lead of the game, which would be the first of only three lead changes of the game. Laurentian finished the quarter with decisive shooting and consistent defence to close out the first frame at a standstill of 18-18.

Coming back to the court after a short talk with the coach, Favour Ugbah had fire in his eyes with a near backboard-shattering block, leading to a three-pointer at the other end of the court. After trailing by just five points, Brice Fandio and To Randriasalama traded their own impressive shots to tie the game back up at 28. Fandio imposed his will on Queen's with a duo of threes to close the half tied at 36.

The remainder of the game featured an offensive masterclass from the Vees. The home team rattled off 17 points (including four from past the arc) in the first four minutes of the second half. They refused to be stopped, finding creative ways to add points to the board, whether it was floaters from the top of the key or Dirk Nowitzki-style fadeaways. Ugbah drew a shooting foul with just 0.4 seconds left in the third, increasing their lead to seven.

The final ten minutes were all about maintaining the lead. They led by as much as 12, and despite a late-game push from the Gaels, Laurentian stood tall to secure the win, improving to 4-3 on the season. As always, the win was a team effort. However, it didn't hurt that four of their starters scored more than 15 points each, alongside 11 assists from Fandio, and nine of the team's 45 rebounds were hauled in by Ismael Konate.

The Voyageurs look to extend their streak at home against Ontario Tech on Saturday night.

- Brendan Rubin