Men’s Basketball Sweeps in Canada!
Men's Basketball traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, this past weekend for their first two conference games against NIAC opponent the University of Saint Boniface.
The Lions got off to a slow start as Saint Boniface opened with a 5–2 lead. Senior forward Damien Walters Jr. knocked down a three from the top of the key to tie the game at 5–5. The next few minutes were a back-and-forth battle. Senior guard Jonathan Ogugua grabbed a steal and threw down a one-handed dunk to give the Lions a 13–10 lead. On the next possession, Walters Jr. came up with another steal and finished with a right-handed dunk. From that point on, the Lions maintained control and stretched their lead, heading into halftime up 36–21.
In the second half, the Lions continued to build on their advantage. With three minutes remaining, Ogugua stole the ball and delivered another dunk to put the exclamation point on the win. The Lions closed out game one with a 78–56 victory.
Game Two:
On day two of the Canada trip, the Lions faced Saint Boniface once again. They knew it wouldn't be easy, and Saint Boniface came out ready, scoring the first basket on a driving layup. Like the previous game, the opening minutes were competitive, with the score tied 12–12 before the Lions went on a run to take a 25–14 lead. Saint Boniface answered with a run of their own, cutting the margin to 31–30 with one minute left in the first half. In the final seconds, freshman guard Arsene Metzger knocked down a corner three to send the Lions into halftime leading 34–30.
In the second half, the Lions strung together another strong run and extended the lead to 59–42. Over the final ten minutes, they maintained control and secured a 76–57 win, completing the sweep. The Lions are now 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Northern Collegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC).
Men's Basketball is back in action this week with their home opener on November 18, followed by the Faith Classic Tournament on November 20.
