Saskatchewan Edges L.U. by 3 in Classic CIS Action

In what could be described as an excellent all-around game (especially for a Christmas Tournament), the #3 Saskatchewan Huskies defeated the unranked Lakehead Thunderwolves 82-79 in the Wesmen Classic semi-final.

Saskatchewan, the defending CIS champs, gave a patented 40 minute effort of slashing guards and strong rebounding bigs while Lakehead answered with excellent 3pt shooting and extra efforts on the glass to stay in the game until the final seconds.

Lakehead recovered from a late 3rd quarter Sask run that saw the lead stretched to 12 points to bring the game down to its final possession with an 80-79 score and Lakehead ball with just over 24 seconds to go. Lakehead had possibly its two best looks of the game from outside as both Joe Jones and Jamie Searle rimmed out on potential game-winning shots with 15 and 9 seconds remaining in the game. Sask added two free throws to ice things at 82-79.

Rejan Chabot was the toughest check on the floor going for 33 points on 10-20 shooting and 12-12 from the free throw line. Jamelle Barrett added 20 on 6-15 shooting. Lakehead shot a combined 14-37 from 3pt range led by Ven Russell with 17, Jamie Searle with 19 (5-8 3pt range), Ryan Thomson with 15 in only 19 minutes (fouled out) and Joseph Jones with 14. Lakehead out rebounded a bigger and stronger Saskatchewan team 39-36 (16-10 offensive) but it was not enough as Sask slashed its way to 30 FT attempts to Lakehead's 16. (13-16 FT).

Lakehead finishes the Wesmen Classic vs University of Manitoba which lost to host Winnipeg in the other semi-final tonight.

"Overall we had plenty of positives to draw from tonight. However the biggest learning experience to take from this game is that we can play with anyone in the country when we set our minds to sticking to our defensive gameplane and putting forth a team effort on the glass. This is a tough game that we hope will come back to help us come OUA West play starting next week."

-Coach Scott Morrison

Shout out to former Nor'Westor Dr. Grant Pierce who took in the last two games in his hometown, supporting the Lakehead squad.

Lakehead Beats Brandon in Wesmen Opener

In a "team" effort that saw 12 Lakehead players hit the scoreboard, the Thunderwolves rode a hot start and consistent defense to a 93-49 win over the Brandon Bobcats in the quarter-final of the Wesmen Classic. Lakehead won all four quarters including a 22-7 1st that set the tone for the remaining 30 minutes.

Brendan King led all scorers with 21 including a 7-0 personal run late in the game which put the contest out of reach. Yoosrie Salhia had his best rebounding game of the season hauling down 16 boards in 21 minutes while Ben Johnson was the only other wolf in double-figures with 11. Ven Russell added 6 assists and 4 steals to lead both categories.

For Brandon, Kyrie Coleman had 14 points on 6-14 shooting and Nathan Grant had 8 on 3-4 shooting. After Coleman and Grant, the Bobcats struggled going a combined 10-40 from the field.

The Thunderwolves next play defending CIS champion Saskatchewan in the semi-finals at 8pm wednesday night (central time). The games are online accessible via the wesmen streaming network. (check the report at www.thunderwolves.ca for exact link).

"We were really happy with the execution and effort for a first game back after the break. We improved some aspects of our game that we had talked about in film sessions during December and must continue to focus on improving those weaknesses over the next two games in preperation for the tough OUA West schedule. We are excited to get a chance to play a top calibre team like Saskatchewan and see if we can play a consistent game over 40 minutes."

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Yoosrie Salhia and the Thunderwolves Featured in Lakehead's ANNUAL REPORT

Each year the teams works hard to have a presence in the local community and do our best to 'give back' the city that supports us so strongly. Our efforts have drawn the attention of the general university community leading to Yoosrie Salhia (3rd Yr, Toronto) to be featured in this year's Annual Report from Lakehead University. The printed report is sent to all Lakehead Alumni via traditional mail. For the online view please copy the link below.

http://annualreport.lakeheadu.ca/0910/index.php?pid=85

Stay tuned for announcements on this year's "Shelterhouse" campaign as well as other team projects in Thunder Bay.