MBB | Laurentian Eliminated in Round One after 73-65 Loss to Lakehead
Laurentian's season came to an end on the road Wednesday night, falling 73-65 to Lakehead in Round One of the OUA playoffs.
The Voyageurs came out composed and competitive, matching Lakehead possession for possession in the opening quarter. Matthew Djanashvili established early interior scoring, while To Randriasalama knocked down a three to keep the offence balanced. The teams were tied 18-18 after one in a fast-paced start.
After wasting no time in the first, defence tightened in the second quarter, as both teams struggled to find rhythm. Laurentian briefly grabbed momentum behind a push from Keenan Morain and Ismael Konate, whose presence on the glass continued to limit second-chance opportunities, as it has all year. Lakehead narrowly captured the frame 7-6, sending the Vees into halftime trailing just 25-24 in what remained a close contest.
The turning point came in the third. After Djanashvili scored early to give Laurentian a 28-25 lead, Lakehead responded with a decisive perimeter surge. The home team caught fire from beyond the arc, hitting several three-pointers during a 17-4 run that flipped the game's script. After the majority of the quarter passed, LU finally recorded some points with a Brice Fandio and-one with just 1:45 left in the quarter. A double-team on the guard quickly ensued, but Fandio still managed a step-back three to keep the Voyageurs in the game, trailing 50-38 into the final frame.
Fired up with the season on the line, Randriasalama ignited a late push with multiple fourth-quarter threes, while Favour Ugbah added two triples of his own to cut the deficit to single digits. Randriasalama continued to convert in transition, and Konate continued battling inside for key rebounds and putbacks. Although they outscored Lakehead 27-23 in the final frame and nearly completed the comeback, timely shooting and free throws sunk the Voyageurs.
Despite the loss, Laurentrian continued to prove what they have time and time again throughout the season: they are resilient. Several times, the Voyageurs found themselves down late, but persevered and came out on top. They never gave up. After losing their first three games, the Vees pulled together seven wins in their following ten games.
Brice Fandio showed he's a top guard in U SPORTS every opportunity he had. Ismael Konate hogged the glass every night. Although they didn't conclude the season as they would have liked to, To Randriasalama and Evan Munro played their hearts out in their farewell tour. Along with the rest of the squad, they showed that Northern Ontario could ball, and most importantly, never count the Vees out.
- Brendan Rubin