MBB | Voyageurs Cold from Deep, Fall to Thunderbirds

The Laurentian men's basketball team restarted their season after the Christmas break with an 89-65 loss to the Algoma Thunderbirds. 

As the game tipped off, Algoma immediately took the fight to Laurentian, building up quite a sizable lead while playing a tough, high-intensity defense, which limited the Voyageurs to 0-7 shooting from three in the quarter. However, a few key defensive stops added with some timely buckets near the end of the quarter kept Laurentian in the hunt, down just three 18-15. 

In the second quarter, things continued to be difficult for an already short-staffed Voyageurs side as the three point shot again seemed to be non-existent, going just 1-7 in the second. The turnovers also piled up, having 12 total in the first half, which allowed Algoma to extend their lead to nine going into the half-time interval. 

The second half continued to be the same story;  everytime Laurentian went on run of seven or eight straight points, the Thunderbirds countered with 10 straight of their own. Offensively, their poor three point shooting was really the difference in the game as Laurentian ended the game shooting 4 for 28 from three point range while Algoma went 41% from beyond the arc tallying 11 made threes on 27 attempts. The game ended with a final score of 89-65 in favour of the hometown Thunderbirds. 

The game's top performers for Laurentian included Caillou Lacroix, who picked up a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Cedric Mbiaba, who also picked up a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds of his own. 

Laurentian will go again next weekend on the road as they take a trip to the GTA to play the McMaster Marauders and York Lions on Friday and Saturday night. 

Andrew Lemieux