MBB | Voyageurs Show No Love to Varsity Blues on Valentine’s Day
The sixth best team in the country, the Laurentian Voyageurs, continued their winning ways on Friday night as they beat the Toronto Varsity Blues handily by a score of 96-78.
The Varsity Blues came out flying out of the gate as they started the match by going on a 9-2 run. But, the Voyageurs struck back soon. Fafa Ceesay scored the next five points to put the Voyageurs within two points. The Varsity Blues then responded soon by going on a 5-0 run of their own to extend their lead to 15-10. This back-and-forth would continue for until the end of the quarter when both teams were deadlock for points at 19 a side.
The Voyageurs showed their true class in the second quarter when they outscored the Varsity Blues 28-15. The Voyageurs caught fire from beyond the arc to start the quarter as they scored back-to-back-to-back three point buckets to give themselves a seven point advantage. The Voyageurs were relentless in their pursuit of excellence and did not let any sloppy play interfere in their quest for a cup. They never let their foot of the metal and opened a 14-point lead. Towards the end of the first half, the Voyageurs led 47-34. The Voyageurs were led by reigning OUA Player of the Year Kadre Gray with 11 points and Curtis Gordon with nine points in the half. On the other hand, the Varsity Blues were led by Eric Rwahwire with seven points and Daniel Johansson and Jeremy Aibi with five points each in the half. Finally, the Voyageurs shot 47.2% from the field whereas the Varsity Blues shot 40.0% from the field.
The Voyageurs continued their offensive style of play in the third quarter when they outscored their opponents 26-14. It was a team effort which helped the Voyageurs attain a 25-point lead at the end of the third quarter, as the scoreline read 73-48 at the quarter's conclusion. The Varsity Blues did however make their mark in the fourth quarter by scoring 30 points and restricting the Voyageurs to 23. But the Voyageurs' lead was never threatened in any way. At one point, the Voyageurs' lead was cut down to 20 thanks to a 10-0 run by the Varsity Blues midway through the quarter. At another point, the lead was reduced to 16 points but it was too little too late for the Varsity Blues as the Voyageurs easily came out victorious when all things were said and done by a score of 96-78. The Voyageurs were led by Gray with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists and he was followed closely by rookie Caillou Lacroix who scored 15 points and gathered four rebounds. On the other hand, the Varsity Blues were led by Rwahwire's 16 points, five rebounds and three assists and he was trailed closely by Eli Mouyal with 13 points and four rebounds.
The Voyageurs will now close out their 2019-2020 regular season tomorrow, February 15, when they take on the seventh best team in the country, the Ryerson Rams. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 pm at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Wali Khan