Happy New Year to Lakehead Basketball Nation!

The Lakehead Men's Basketball team finished 2011 in strong fashion with a 3-0 record in the UQAM Classique des Citadins in Montreal this week.

2011 was a great, possibly best ever, year for Lakehead basketball. Since Jan 1, 2011 the 'Wolves have a 34 - 5 win/loss record and won their first OUA Championship in March.

The team is enjoying the weekend off after some tough battles in Montreal and then will start putting in work on the "real" season which is the OUA West conference - the toughest and most balanced league in the CIS.

Happy New Year from the team to all of our fans, supporters, alumni and former players/coaches - here's to an even better 2012!

Lakehead Sweeps in Montreal with 83-72 Win over Bishop's

The Lakehead Thunderwolves completed the three game sweep at the UQAM Classique des Citadins tonight with a scrappy 83-72 win over Bishop's University Gaiters.

The 'Wolves held a lead for most of the game but could not pull away as Bishop's mixture of aggressive ball pressure and transition offense kept them close until a 24-14 3rd quarter gave Lakehead a bit of breathing room.

The Thunderwolves were led by Ryan Thomson and Ben Johnson who dropped 15 a piece followed closely by Venzal Russell who had his best game of the tournament with 14 points on 6-9 shooting. Greg Carter had 9 points on 4-4 shooting adding 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

Bishop's was led by Tim Hunter and Mukiya Post who each dropped 17 points with Onnex Blackwood adding 11.

AS a team Lakehead had 25 turnovers to Bishop's 23. Lakehead shot 60.8% for the game overall to Bishop's 46.6%.

The win completes Lakehead's 2011-12 non-conference portion of the schedule. The team finishes a perfect 11-0 (9-0 in CIS) including wins in 4 different provinces and two states.

Coach Morrison on the Win:

Bishop's made things very uncomfortable for us in the half-court with their pressure defense and then really hurt us in transition. This weekend has been good from the sense that we were able to get the job done against three tough opponents but it has also showed us what our top priorities for improvement are starting on Monday.

The OUA West season opens next weekend as the 'Wolves welcome the Western Mustangs to the Thunderdome. Stay tuned for game previews and webcast info.

Johnson & Johnson Lead LU to 87-77 Victory over Host UQAM

The Lakehead Thunderwolves won in classic fashion Thursday night with a furious fourth quarter comeback which saw the 'Wolves outscore UQAM 33-12 in the final stanza. Down 65-54 to start the 4th and 70-59 with under seven minutes remaining, Lakehead was finally able to string together enough stops on the defensive end to create some offense of their own.

The duo of Ben and Adam Johnson led the way for Lakehead tonight as Ben Johnson had a career high 31 points shooting 12-17 (5-7 3pt) and a perfect 12-12 from the FT line. Adam Johnson also recorded a CIS career high dropping 21 points on 10-15 shooting in 18 minutes of play. Ryan Thomson overcame a slow start to break open the game late with two 3s of his own finishing with 14 points on the night.

UQAM hit tough shots for 80% of the game led by Gregory St Amand who had 18 and 6 rebounds. Alex Bernard poured in 16 including his first 3pt shot of the season at the first quarter buzzer.

UQAM won the battle of the boards (10-6 offensive) but turned it over 24 times to Lakehead's 14. UQAM led 47-37 at the half.

Coach Morrison on the Win:

We are very fortunate to escape tonight with the victory. Tonight our guys were reminded first hand why we never give up and keep grinding. Credit to our guys for really staying with it and keeping up our energy when things seemed lost. While it was an exciting comeback at the end, what wasn't exciting was out defense in the first half which allowed 47 points - many in transition. Tomorrow we have an explosive Bishop's squad that will require a better job on the boards and increased effort in defensive transition.

Lakehead 83 McGill 69 (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS)

Lakehead defeats McGill 83-69 (Video Highlights)

Opening round play of the UQAM Classique des Citadins 2011 Tournament, featuring 7 steals from Greg Carter and 20 points on 8-10 shooting from Ryan Thomson.

Lakehead 83 McGill 69

Lakehead opened the UQAM invitational tournament (The Classique des Citadins) with an 83 - 69 win over McGill.

McGill led by 2 at the half after giving LU a lesson in offensive rebounding (10 first half, 18 for game) and LU struggled offensively shaking off some Christmas rust. Ben Johnson was 3-5 for 10 points in the opening frame but LU also had 10 turnovers.

Second half McGill started quckly with Tristan Tremblay scoring 6 straight points in the paint before drawing a 3rd foul mid-way in the 3rd quarter and going to the bench. Lakehead took advantage by increasing the perimiter ball pressure in Tremblay's absence and used some better D and rebounding to get the offense moving.

Ryan Thomson got going in the second half with 18 points (20 for the game) and Greg Carter's defense was a major factor the entire game as his 7 steals in the game were a big part of LU forcing 23 McGill turnovers.

Lakehead pulled away in the 3rd and kept the lead around 10-15 points for much of the 4th.

Coach Morrison:

"While both teams showed some obvious holiday rust, I thought both teams also played very hard over the 40 minutes. At the end of the day we had many positives to build on, but also a few blantant weaknesses we must improve tomorrow - namely rebounding and shot selection early in the game. UQAM will provide tough match-ups for us and we have to re-group and get focused on them for 9pm tomorrow night."

CIS Hoops.ca: Thunderwolves hope third time is a charm

CIS Hoops.ca: Thunderwolves hope third time is a charm: With consecutive CIS Nationals appearances under their belts, Lakehead Thunderwolves are well past the "happy to be there" stage and are pro...

Lakehead Ranked #3 at the Break

The Lakehead Thunderwolves will carry their highest ever mid-season national ranking into the exam and Christmas break. The 'Wolves opened the season at #4 and despite losing only one game (to #1 Carleton) they have managed to climb one spot to #3. #1 Carleton and #2 St.FX remain undefeated.

Lakehead is 7-1 in Conference, 13-1 overall in the CIS and 15-1 overall (counting the two November games against NCAA schools).

L.U. opens the 2nd semester and closes their non-conference schedule with the UQAM tournament December 28-30 in Montreal. There the team will tip-off against McGill, host UQAM and the Bishops Gaiters. Stay tuned for more information on that tournament as we get closer to opening day.

Below are the current CIS National Top Ten rankings for men's basketball:

2011-12 Men's Basketball Top 10

December 6 - previous ranking ( )

1. Carleton (1)
2. StFX (2)
3. Lakehead (3)
4. Saskatchewan (4)
5. Victoria (5)
6. Alberta (6)
7. UBC (7)
8. Wilfrid Laurier (8)
9. Fraser Valley (9)
10. Concordia (10)

Lakehead Wins Thriller in OT (Video Highlights)

Lakehead 99 Laurentian 95 OT (Highlights) Dec 3/2011

Lakehead Wins Thriller in OT vs Laurentian

The Lakehead Thunderwolves finished the first semester with a 7-1 conference record (15-1 overall) with a hard fought win over a very tough Laurentian Voyageurs tonight in Sudbury.

Laurentian came out hot and beat up Lakehead on the glass in the first half to take a 46-38 half-time lead.

The third quarter Lakehead picked up their half-court D and improved on the glass to chip away at the aggressive Laurentian team cutting the lead to 4 to start the third quarter. The 'Wolves had match-up trouble for much of the night especially containing #55 Alex Ratte who had a game high 28 including 2-3 from 3pt land. #21 Mike Hull was also tough for the hosts as he had 18 points and 5 offensive rebounds including the game-tying basket with 12.8 remaining after Lakehead had taken possibly their first lead of the game with just under 40 seconds remaining.

In the 4th and overtime, Lakehead relied on a balanced scoring attack with Brendan King, Joe Jones and RYan Thomson all making key buckets. Thomson was a major factor late in the game as he helped clean the defensive glass down the stretch on his way to posting his first career double-double with 16 and 10 rebounds (despite shooting 1-8 from downtown).

Jones had a rough start but shot 9-11 and had the first 6 points in OT to help LU get their biggest lead of the game with 4 min left in OT. However Laurentian continued to battle and hit big shots of their own.

With Lakehead up 2 and 12 second left in OT, LU forced a turnover in a sideline inbounds situation and knocked down FTs to ice the game 99-95.

Lakehead had 6 players in double figures:

Yoosrie Salhia 10 pts/8 rebs

Ven Russell 10 pts/ 5 rebs

Greg Carter 11 pts/8 rebs in 44 minutes

Brendan King 21 pts (back to back 20 pt games)

Joe Jones 25 points (9-11 shooting).

Coach Morrison on the game:

Credit to Laurentian for outplaying us for over half of this game. Also credit to our guys for never quitting even though there were several times during the game where it looked like we were in too deep. Time now to focus on healing injuries, studying for exams and getting our 'minds right' for the second semester which should very well prove to be the toughest OUA West schedule in my 9 years at Lakehead.

Video Highlights Lakehead vs York

Lakehead 91 York 76 (Video Highlights)

Lakehead Survives York 91-76

After jumping out to an 18-13 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, Lakehead stumbled on both ends of the floor and gave up a whopping 49 points over the 2nd and 3rd quarters to a hot shooting and tough penetrating York Lions team. LU trailed by 3 at the half.

Lakehead trailed by as many as 9 in the 3rd quarter before a shift to a 2-3 zone slowed the Lions and allowed LU time to get their offence back on track and mount a late 3rd quarter push that carried into the 4th quarter.

York was led by RIchard Iheadindu who went off for 28 points and 7 rebounds on 11-20 (4-8 from 3pt). Raheem Isaac also had a strong game with 18 and 3 steals. It was the penetration of Iheadindu and Isaac which forced Lakehead into a zone defense for much of the last 12 minutes of the game.

Lakehead was led by Brendan King who had 21 on 9-13 shooting and Ryan Thomson who had 15 shooting 3-6 from 3pt land. Adam Johnson had his best game as a Thunderwolf notching 14 points and 6 rebounds to go with 4 steals. Ben Johnson also had 11 for Lakehead while Yoosrie Salhia led all rebounders with 9 in the game.

Coach Morrison on the Game:

Anyone who watched tonight's contest knows it was not our best effort - however credit to York who has had some tough luck so far this year but is a much better team than their record indicates at this time. I was not happy with out defensive execution or our focus after we built a small lead in the 1st. We were fortunate to get great efforts from Johnson and King off the bench which played a large role in our ability to come back and finish the game. We know must have 100% focus on Laurentian tomorrow night after a tough day of travel. Last game of the semester we need to leave it all on the court tomorrow night.

Lakehead Hits Road for First Semester Finale

The Lakehead Thunderwolves will leave town for the 5th and final time this semester as they head south for their toughest road weekend of the season from a travel perspective. Friday night the 'Wolves will tip-off against the York Lions before waking up Saturday to drive north to Sudbury to play the Laurentian Voyageurs.

York has an athletic and skilled team led by all-star David Tyndale who can score off the bounce, off the catch and in transition. York also boasts swingman Aaron Rados who is having a breakout season, averaging nearly a double-double.

Laurentian has been one of the tougher teams in the OUA East at this stage in the season and offers a very balanced scoring attack and one of the harder working teams in the CIS. With his brother Manny injured, Isiah Pasquale will look to lead the "O" with his quick trigger, range and scoring ability. George Serresse will provide a very tough matchup for the 'Wolves with his athletic 'inside-out' game and natural scoring ability. Post Hull and swingman Ratte also are scoring in double figures meaning the 'Wolves will have to bring a full team effort on the defensive side to contain the Voyaguers.

Coach Morrison on the Weekend:
"We have a very tough weekend to try and finish this semester on a winning note. York has some very tough 1 v 1 matchups and some new 'bigs' that we will have to scout and learn to contend with. Laurentian is a hard working team that just keeps looking to score the ball and has a balanced attack with which to do so. We are going to have to be very familiar with the personnel section of our scouting report for both games this weekend and bring a high-energy and focused team effort for both games."

Lakehead is 5-1 in OUA play (13-1 overall) and needs two wins to keep pace with Laurier and Brock who both looking to enter the OUA West portion of the schedule in January with the 'poll position'.

Both games should be on ssncanada.ca (Saturday's for sure - check re Friday)

Media & Highlights (Carleton @ Lakehead)

#1 Carleton 88 - #3 Lakehead 85 (Video Highlights)

Ravens Triumph in Battle for Top Spot (Tbnewswatch.com Leith Dunick)

Ravens Claw Past Lakehead (Chronicle Journal Reuben Villagracia)

'Wolves Lose by 3 in Thunderdome Thriller

In what was likely one of the all-time classic games in Thunderdome history, the #3 ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves missed a buzzer-beating 3pt shot to tie the game and fell for the first time this season to the #1 ranked and defending CIS champion Carleton Ravens 88-85.

Ben Johnson had a decent look with to tie the game after the 'Wolves forced a 5 second violation with 2.3 seconds left in the game and down 3. Johnson led all scorers in the game with 23 points on 8-14 shooting and added 3 steals.

The first half was a defensive battle that saw the 'Wolves go into the half-time break up 4, 36-32. Carleton shot 1-14 from 3pt range in the first. In the second half, Carleton would heat up as Cole Hobin knocked down consecutive three point shots to give Carleton a lead in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th, Lakehead's offensive rebounding and some timely dribble penetration kept them in the game to the final possession. Carleton was able to stave off the 'Wolves by hitting several key challenged three point shots including daggers by each Manigat, Hinz and Thompson down the stretch. Carleton would shoot an impressive 8-12 from deep in the 2nd half.

Carleton had 5 players in double figures led by Phillip Scrubb who had 17 and 6 assists.

Also scoring for Lakehead was Joseph Jones (18) and Venzal Russell (15).

Coach Morrison on the game:

I thought it was a great game. Both teams capitalized on the few mistakes of the opponent, however I thought some careless turnovers as well as some gambling mistakes on D was the difference in the game. Looking forward we have the confidence to know we can play with this team but also the hunger to remain focused on improving our level of play.

Lakehead 78 Ottawa 72 (Highlights)

Highlights from Friday's game vs Ottawa (78-72 Lakehead)

Wolves Hold off Gee Gees 78-72

Lakehead Men's Basketball stayed undefeated on the young season with a 78-72 hard fought win over the Ottawa Gee Gees.

Ottawa used its athleticism to force 20 Lakehead turnovers and reap the benefits of some easy hoops in transition as a result. Johnny Berhanemeskel was also dangerous for Ottawa connecting on a game high 23 points on 8-12 shooting.

Lakehead built a 12 point lead at the half but could not put Ottawa away as they battled back to outscore Lakehead 23-16 in the 3rd quarter.

Lakehead used 17 offensive boards and forced 23 turnovers of their own to keep finding buckets and stave off the charging Gee Gees.

For Lakehead Venzal Russell had 16 points on 7-17 shooting. Yoosrie Salhia did some major damage in the paint to the tune of his second straight double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to go with 5 assists. Greg Carter (14 points 8 assists 2 steals), Ben Johnson (11 points 3 steals) and Joseph Jones (11 points) all scored in double figures.

Lakehead regroups for a match-up with #1 ranked Carleton tomorrow at 8pm.

Gee Gees & Ravens Coming to the Thunderdome

The Thunderwolves final home games of the first semester tip-off this weekend with OUA East powers Ottawa and Carleton landing in the Thunderdome. For weekend previews please see links to breakdowns by Leith Dunick (Tbnewswatch.com) and Hugh "Buck Wild" Mullally (thunderwolves.ca)

Tbnewswatch.com -Believe the Hype (with a great Chuck D reference)

LU Weekend Basketball Preview - thunderwolves.ca (Hugh Mullally)

Both games can be viewed on ssncanada.com (Fri/Sat at 8pm)

Queen's Journal Article on Lakehead Athletics

"Life on the Road" Queen's Journal

Lakehead Beats Toronto & Ryerson (Video Highlights)

Lakehead 95 Ryerson 54 (Video Highlights)

Lakehead 68 Toronto 63 (Video Highlights)

Media From Lakehead-Ryerson Game

'Wolves Take it to Rams - Chronicle Journal

Ram Toughened - Tbnewwatch.com (Leith Dunick)

L.U. Sweeps Toronto Schools with 95-54 Win over Ryerson

In what proved to be Lakehead's best team defensive effort of the young season, the Thunderwolves put away the Ryerson Rams in style with a 95-54 victory. Lakehead was led by a trio of veterans including Yoosrie Salhia controlled the paint with a 13 point 10 rebound double-double adding 7 assists in just under 20 minutes of action.

Salhia's co-captain Greg Carter put on another defensive display this time holding top scorer, and FISU games team member, Jahmal Jones to 8 points, 0 assists and 5 turnovers. Carter himself shot 4-6 for 8 points adding 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals while committing 0 turnovers.

Finally Joseph Jones provided the scoring punch leading all players with 19 points on a hot 5-6 from downtown.

For Ryerson Jordan Gauthier had 15 and 5 rebounds.

Lakehead won the rebounding battle (12-9 offensive) and also forced 17 turnovers to the home squad's 12. All 12 Lakehead players scored including freshman Joseph Nitychoruk (Winnipeg, MB) who had 6 points and 2 rebounds in his OUA debut. Lakehead was 10-21 from 3pt range.

The team hosts Ottawa next Friday at 8pm in the Thunderdome.

Local Media from the Toronto Game

Here is a local media summary of the Lakehead-Toronto game. Tonight Lakehead host Ryerson University Rams (Women @ 6, Men @ 8)

Post Game Recap from Leith Dunick (Tbnewswatch.com)

Post Game Recap from Chronicle Journal (Women's Game)

Pre Game Story from Reuban Villagracia (Chronicle Journal)

Thunderwolves Top Varsity Blues

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Movember 18, 2011

LU Men Wear Mustaches, Beat U of T 68-63

THUNDER BAY, ON -

The men's basketball team managed to improve their early season record to 3-0 Friday evening, as they slipped by the U of T Varsity Blues 68-63 in front of a packed house in the Thunderdome. As a bonus, they did it while sporting many a mustache in support of Movember.

It should also be noted that the Thunderwolves did not succeed without weathering a storm in the second half from the Blues, who fought back from trailing 24-10 in the the first half, to eventually take the lead 51-50 on an Alex Hill dunk in the third quarter. Blues Justin Holmes and Arun Kumar gave a big boost during Toronto's run, combining to hit on 6 of 11 from long range for the game. U of T would build the lead to 55-51 before Lakehead got their ship back on course, behind the ever-impervious defense of Greg Carter, who finished the game with 10 points, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Carter's overall tremendous athletic display had the Blues playing out of their comfort zone as crunch time approached.

With Lakehead leading 66-63 and under 30 seconds to play, the final nail in Toronto's coffin would be driven by their own hand, that of Alex Hill, who turned the ball over on a poorly placed lead pass to Justin Holmes during a U of T 3-on-1 fast break that surely would have ended in a lay up, if not a three pointer from Holmes.

Venzal Russel led the Pack with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Ryan Thompson provided 16 points and a memorable 'Adam Morrison' impression for fans with a slick pencil mustache, not to mention a smooth stroke from behind the arc (4-of-11). Ben Johnson was the fourth T-Wolf in double figures with 10 points (2-3 from three). Johnson also hit the clinching free throws at the end of the game.

Although there were few lip hair follicles to be found on the Toronto roster, it did not keep four of their starting five from hitting double figures. Veteran big man Andrew Wasik led with a very efficient 17 points (8 of 11) and 6 rebounds. Kumar had 13, while Holmes and Hill scored 11 each.

For the game, both teams combined for 20 fouls, and only 10 free throws were taken. Lakehead out-rebounded U of T 34-26.

Coach Scott Morrison, who opted for a set of handlebars in support of 'Movember', had this to say post game:

"Like the good team they are, Toronto stayed collected and recovered from a big deficit after our hot start (24-10). We are doing a great job playing when we have momentum but need to learn to stay level and determined when things are not going exactly our way."

"I thought the two biggest factors in the win were team rebounding and ball pressure, especially Greg Carter who has been a game changer in our first 3 conference games. We now have to shift our focus to a fast paced Ryerson team tomorrow night."

The men play the Ryerson Rams at 8 pm tomorrow evening in the Thunderdome.

Live Coverage:

Webcast: www.ssncanada.ca/games

Radio: CILU 102.7 FM www.luradio.ca

--

Hugh Mullally

Sports Information Director

Lakehead University Athletics

Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
www.thunderwolves.ca

Lakehead Opens Home OUA Schedule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Movember 16, 2011

Four OUA Universities Visiting Thunderdome This Weekend

THUNDER BAY, ON -

The Thunderdome will be the place to get your sports fix this weekend, as the men's and women's basketball teams prepare to host U of T and Ryerson (Friday and Saturday, 6 & 8 pm), while the women's volleyball team continue their hunt for win #1 of the regular season versus Windsor and Western (Saturday and Sunday, 2 pm). Rounding out the varsity schedule is the men's wrestling competing at the U of T Open in Toronto on Saturday.

Men's Basketball (2-0)

Coach Scott Morrison sums up the weekend's challenges versus both teams:

"This weekend represents our toughest challenge of this young season. Toronto was one of the most talented starting line-ups in the OUA and have done a great job consistently developing their players over the years. Guards Kumar and Holmes along with bigs Wasik and Glisic are good players that improve each season. Add in a division 1 transfer in Alex Hill and this is a talented and experienced team. We are going to make an effort to slow down their ball movement and try to keep their bigs from going to work down low."

Morrison continues, "Ryerson is another talented and very athletic team. They can get up and down the floor faster than anyone we have seen this season and have the touch around the hoop to make teams pay for not getting back and being strong in transition defense. We are going to have to really work to slow down their main scoring threat Jones who represented Canada this year at the FISU and Pan Am games. In addition Ryerson really gets after the glass including #22 Stancia who had 10 offensive boards last weekend."

Injury-wise, freshmen Michael Thorne-Finch and J.R. Alexander are still both out with their respective injuries. Rookie Joey Nitychoruk missed last weekend but is hopeful for action this weekend.

Saturday night is "Back Court Club" night which includes a social at Tony and Adam's post game for Back Court Club members.

For information on joining the Back Court Club please visit http://lakeheadbasketball.blogspot.com

Lakehead Finishes Weekend Sweep

RMC came out blazing to the tune of an 11-0 lead to start the game. After a spirited Time-out by the 'Wolves, the team responded and went on a 55-13 run for the remainder of the first half.

For the game, Lakehead had 6 players in double-figures and two more with 9 points. Adam Johnson and Brendan King were the leading scorers at 16 each - Johnson and Joe Jones led all rebounders with 8 a piece. Anthony McIntosh had 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Greg Carter finished a strong weekend with 11 points 6 rebounds 4 assists and 3 steals in 26 minutes. The final was 115-54.

RMC was led by new scorer Idris Said-Madjid who had 22 including 8-10 from the FT line. Connor Duke had 12 on 4-18 shooting.

Coach Morrison on the game:

I was a little disappointed with a couple of our players seemingly not ready to play to start the game but I was pleased with how the team responded after our initial start. Greg Carter was a presence in both games this weekend as his ball pressure was a factor in both Lakehead wins. We will need more of the same next weekend - plus a great week of practice as the schedule gets tougher each weekend from here on out.

Lakehead Over Queen's (Highlights)

Highlights of Lakehead's 84-52 Win over Queen's

Lakehead Wins Opener At Queen's

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 11, 2011

LU Men Ring it up in Second Half, Win 84-52

KINGSTON, ON -

The Lakehead men's basketball team came out of the gate without shaking the dust off their boots on Friday evening. Luckily they found their wits at halftime, cruising to a 32-point win, 84 52 over Queen's.

Lakehead survived a stagnant first half of offence to pull away from Queens. Trailing by 1 (28-27) at the half, LU was 0-10 from 3 point land in the first 20 minutes.

The second half was a different story as Ryan Thomson broke the ice with an early 3 and greg Carter turned up the heat on Queen's ball handlers to the tune of 5 steals.

The Wolves would outscore Queens 29-9 in the deciding third quarter and then 28-15 in the 4th.

Lakehead's top scorer was Ben Johnson with 22 points (5-9 from three) and 6 rebounds. Three other T-Wolves hit double digits in points; Venzal Russell (17) Greg Carter (14) and Nathan 'Nasty Nate' Wainwright (10).

The Golden Gaels were led by Ryan Golden with 12 points, while Mackenzie Simpson had 10 points and 6 boards.

Coach Scott Morrison had this to say post game:

"It was a slow start offensively for us as we had a tough time with Queen's style of defence which led to us forcing on O and not moving the ball. Second half we did a better job kicking off our penetration and were able to knock down some outside shots which is always going to be a key for us on offence. I thought we did a decent job defending the Gaels' open concept offence though they did do a number on us in the rebounding category. We have to re-group and bring the confidence and execution from the second half tonight for 40 minutes tomorrow afternoon."

The men face RMC tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm. No webcast coverage is available.

--

Hugh Mullally

Sports Information Director

Lakehead University Athletics

Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
www.thunderwolves.ca

Lakehead 98 Hamline University 95 (Highlight)

Highlights from last Saturday's Win over Hamline University (Minneapolis, MN)

Lakehead Opens OUA Season vs Queen's and RMC

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Movember 10, 2011

Basketball Weekend Preview: @ Queen's & RMC

THUNDER BAY, ON -

Lakehead's cagers will be in action in Kingston this weekend to take on Queen's Golden Gaels (Friday, 6 & 8 pm) and the Royal Military College Paladins (Saturday, 2 & 4 pm).

As of presstime Thursday, neither slate of games is planned to be webcast by the host, unfortunately for Thunderwolf Nation. Checkthunderwolves.ca closer to game time for possible status updates.



Men
Pre-season record 8-0 - Ranked 4th in CIS the past two weeks

Coach Scott Morrison looks to get things off to a good start after a lighter than normal (although pristine) exhibition record:

"After weeks of hard work preparing, we are excited to get things going against a new look Queen's team on Friday and RMC on Saturday afternoon. Queen's is going to be a tough matchup for us as they move the ball and space the floor well on offense. The Gaels will be well prepared by Coach Barrie and offer a balanced scoring attack and a tightened up defense. RMC has some new talent in their program and always put a well conditioned and physically strong team on the court that we have to be prepared to clash with for 40 minutes. In both games we are going to be focusing on sticking to our game plan for longer periods and hopefully putting our best all-around efforts of the season so far."

Injuries:

The team had 14 players in practice to start Thursday morning with a number of players recovering or battling nagging injuries.

Freshmen Michael Thorne-Finch and Sylvestor 'J.R.' Alexander remain on the DL and will be inactive this weekend.

Highlights of Lakehead's Win over UW Stout

Lakehead 70 Stout 67 (Highlights)

Lakehead Edges Hamline University in Shoot-out

In a game uncharacteristic of recent Lakehead wins, the 'Wolves managed to tough out a high scoring 98-95 win over a tough Hamline University team.

Joe Jones led Lakehead with 23 points on 7-11 shooting adding 7 rebounds in what the Lakehead coaching staff felt was possibly his best game in the CIS. Venzal Russell had a slow start but rallied to score 22 with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Greg Carter also had one of his finest games of the young season with 14 points on 5-7 shooting with 4 assists and 3 steals. Nathan Wainwright was the other Wolf in double figures hitting on 3-6 for 10 points.

Hamline proved to be very effective with their dribble penetration led by senior Mike Campbell who poured in 30 without taking a 3pt shot.

The game was decided late as the 'Wolves hit clutch FTs and came up with a couple of big stops in the last minute to seal the victory and complete their pre-season schedule with a perfect 8-0 record.

Coach Scott Morrison on Tonight's Win:

While it was not our best performance on the defensive end, I was proud of how our players dealt with some adversity including some tough calls, foul trouble and playing short-handed because of injuries. We got down 12-0 to start the game but stayed focused and showed some of the intangible qualities necessary to be successful in the OUA. We met our goals for the pre-season but now must turn our attention to Queen's - the first of many tough games and challenging opponents we will see over the next four weeks.

L.U. Escapes with Close Win in Wisconsin

Lakehead used an 18-9 run in the final 5 minutes of play to sneak away with a 3pt win in Menomonie, Wisconsin against host UW-Stout.

Joe Jones hit 2 FT with 5.6 seconds left to give LU a 3pt lead and Stout's attempt to tie the game fell short. UW Stout used ball movement and post entries to get good look and shoot 52% for the game. When LU's defence tightened up, it was 27 forced turnovers that may have been the difference in the end.

Brendan King played a strong game for Lakehead scoring 15 points on 5-7 shooting including a big 3pt shot late in the 4th that brought LU within 1 point after trailing for much of the game.

Joe Jones added 10 points including his cloth FT and a 3pt of his own that put the 'Wolves in front with about 2 minutes remaining. Jones also took 3 "charges" providing a spark on both sides of the ball for L.U. Venzal Russell also had 15 and shot and improved 5-6 from the FT line.

UW Stout was led by sharpshooter Steve Pax who had 16 on 7-12 shooting.

Lakehead is travelling with only 10 players as 4 bodies remaining home in Thunder Bay nursing injuries including starting bigs Yoosrie Salhia and Ryan Thomson.

Coach Morrison on Tonight's Win:

We were not happy with our focus and execution to start the game. Our veteran players' need to hold themselves more accountable for mistakes in execution and not settle for less than 100% effort at any time. Our young players need to realize that mentally, one must prepare and stay focused on what the game plan is and what strengths our opponents represent. We have one more shot tomorrow to clean things up before OUA play begins next week. I hope tonight we can learn some lessons without having them attached to a loss.

Lakehead plays Hamline College of Minneapolis/St Paul tomorrow night at 7pm central time.

Hamline beat LU in their last meeting in November 2008.

Lakehead Crosses Border for Final Tune-UP

From Hugh "Movember" Mullally, Lakehead SID:

Game times are Friday at 8 pm (Eastern) versus U-Wisconsin Stout and the same time Saturday against Hamline.

This will be the last set of exhibition games for Scott Morrison's team. "With this weekend representing our final tune up before the OUA schedule we are looking to cut down on some of our mental errors and give 40 minutes of effort each night," Morrison remarked on Wednesday. "We are not familiar with the opponent so our focus will be on executing our systems to the best of our ability."

The last time the Thunderwolves made this trip (2008) they won the UW-Stout game and lost to Hamline.

Injuries report: Michael Thorne-Finch and JR Alexander are out with injuries, Yoosrie Salhia and Nathan Wainwright are probable but have missed practice time this week.

Links for Fridays game:
Live stats:http://athletics. uwstout.edu/sports/2009/7/10/ livestats.aspx?tab=livestats
Webcast (tentative): http://athletics. uwstout.edu/sports/2009/7/10/ webcasts.aspx?tab=livewebcasts

Lakehead Comes in at #4 in CIS Pre-Season Rankings

Tbnewswatch.com on CIS Rankings

Lakehead vs Regina Highlights (Game 2)

Highlights from Lakehead's 104-79 Win over Regina

Game Recap from Lakehead SID Hugh Mullally

Lakehead 105 Regina 79 (Game 2)

Lakehead outscored Regina 54-28 over the 2nd and 3rd quarters after a slow start in the first quarter saw the 'Wolves up by a slim 1 point margin. Lakehead struggled from the FT line in the first half (4-14) and "recovered" to shoot 11-23 for the game from the charity stripe. The difference happened from beyond the arc where Lakehead shot 16-29 from downtown led by Ryan Thomson who had 32 points on 8-12 shooting. Joe Jones added 10 on 3-5 shooting from long range while Nathan Wainwright was 2-2. Yoosrie Salhia had his best game of the young season battling Regina's "bigs" for a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The sweep of Regina leaves Lakehead with a 6-0 non-conference record vs CIS competition with one more weekend of play in the US before starting the OUA season in Kingston November 11th.

Lakehead 84 Regina 68

The Thunderwolves used a 27-12 opening quarter to hold off the Regina Cougars 84-68 on Friday night in Regina.

The 'Wolves were led by a balanced scoring attack which saw 5 players in double figures and two more with 9 points. Joe Jones' outside shooting and help-side defence (took 3 charges) helped keep the 'Wolves consistent while Yoosrie Salhia had his best game of the young season knocking down 12 points and adding 7 rebounds.

Paul Gareau led the Cougars with 17 and 7 and also put any Lakehead attempts at facial hair to shame with a beard that would make the Zanatta brothers proud.

Lakehead moves to 5-0 on the season with one more pre-season CIS game tonight with the rematch.

Click here for Game 1 Highlights

Lakehead 72 Brandon 71 (Game 1)

The Thunderwolves squeezed out a close 1 points win in a game that saw the team rally from a 4th quarter deficit for the first time this season. 5th year senior Donavon Gayle was a star for the Bobcats hitting 8-12 shots for 24 points including many tough fade-a-way jumpers and step backs. The Bobcats also took advantage of some sloppy weak side defence and poor Lakehead decision making to take control of the game in the 3rd quarter after a 33-31 half-time lead for Lakehead.

Ven Russell, Brendan King and Ben Johnson managed to knock some big shots down in the 4th quarter to lead the rally. For the game, Lakehead was out-shot by Brandon to the tune of 47.5% to 36.4% and out-rebounded by totals of 37-32 for the game.

"I was not happy with our focus on the game plan tonight as I felt we were sloppy offensively and lazy in our team defence. We were lucky that Brandon missed a couple of easy chances early in the game that could have possibly put us away. Credit to Brandon for beating us on the glass and hitting several tough shots. They were well prepared and it showed. I am looking for our guys to learn from last night and come with more energy, communication and focus tonight in game 2 of the series." - Coach Scott Morrison

Game two is scheduled for 730PM local time in Brandon. Webcast should be found at www.canadawest.tv

Game 2 vs Winnipeg (Highlights)

Lakehead 92 Winnipeg 61 (Game 2)

2010-11 Wilson Cup Highlight Reel

(Thanks to Alan Auld)

This is the video that was played on a projection screen in the Thunderdome prior to Friday's night's Tip-Off, when the Wilson Cup and OUA Banner were presented to the home crowd for the first time.

2010-11 OUA Championship Recap

TbayNewswatch Coverage of Winnipeg Series

Courtesy of Leith Dunick

Lakehead 92 Winnipeg 61 (Game 2)

Lakehead 80 Winnipeg 68 (Game 1)

Lakehead Completes Sweep of Winnipeg

LU Men Victorious 92-61 Over Wesmen

October 1st, 2011

General News

Author: Hugh Mullally

The LU men's basketball team did not disappoint the Thunderdome fans on Saturday night, thrashing Winnipeg 92-61. It was a great gift for fans to wrap up Lakehead Athletics Homecoming Weekend with.

From the opening tip, Ben Johnson was taking it to Winnipeg, scoring 12 of LU's 18 opening quarter points. Although LU trailed 19-18 after ten minutes, they would pick it up in the second frame, outscoring the Wesmen 26-8 in the Q to establish a comfortable halftime lead which would not be threatened.

Ben Johnson would finish with 29 points and 5 rebounds on 8 of 14 shooting (7 of 8 free throws). All Lakehead players would score in this affair, including Kapuskasing Ontario's very own Nathan Wainwright, who went 4 of 4 from downtown. As a team the Pack shot 41%, compared to Winnipeg's 32%.

Winnipeg's leaders were Andrew Cunninham with 12 points and 4 assists and Kelvin Smith with 11 points.

Lakehead coach Scott Morrison was pleased with the improvement over Friday night's game:

"I though we did a better all around job tonight. Offensively we were not perfect but used better ball movement resulting in improved looks. Defensively we did a better job in transition to limit their easy buckets. Lots of work left to do but happy to see good games out of some of our bench and new players."

Fan Friendly Note:

Fans also got a gift from Lakehead Thunderwolves sponsor Subway, which was a free 6" sub voucher, given that Lakehead scored over 85 points. The hoop that pushed the point total over was a Nathan Wainwright triple, which sparked an explosion from the crowd and much jubilation. The 'free subs for 85+ points' promotion runs all season long.

Lakehead-Winnipeg Game 1 Highlights

Apologies for the watermark - quality will be fixed up next game.

Lakehead 80 Winnipeg 68 (Sept 30) Highlights

'Wolves Tough Out Win Behind Strong 4th Quarter

Lakehead Men Beat Winnipeg 80-68 in Pre-Season Home Opener

September 30th, 2011

General News

Author: Hugh Mullally

Lakehead managed to finish off the game strong on Friday evening, winning 80-68 over the Winnipeg Wesmen.

The pre-game show featured the OUA championship banner presentation, accented by a sincere thank you address by graduate and now assistant coach Jamie Searle. Following that, Winnipeg came storming out of the gate, intent on de-throning the OUA champs with a 21-15 first quarter barrage.

Lakehead managed to bounce back to cut the deficit to 3 at half time, 38-35. After tying the game at 51 going into the fourth quarter, Lakehead showed its true colors knocking down outside shots, compliments of Brendan King, Venzal Russell and Ben Johnson, who rang up the scoreboard and delighted fans. At the other end of the court, Yoosrie Salhia was patrolling the key, blocking 2 shots in the fourth quarter and finishing the game with 9 rebounds. Russell keyed the offense for the Pack, finishing with 30 points, including a 3 pointer at the final buzzer over dejected and deflated Winnipeg defenders.

Winnipeg was led by Travis Krahn with 20 points and Eric Zimmerman with 14. Forward Benny Iko scored 9 to go with 8 boards and 6 assists.

Coach Scott Morrison post game remarks:

"Credit to Winnipeg for really taking it to us off the bounce in the first half. We were fortunate to still be in the game going to the 3rd quarter. 2nd half I was happy with our defensive effort but we need more consistent results tomorrow night on that end of the floor over 40 minutes."

The teams rematch tomorrow beginning at 8 pm. It will be broadcast on SSN Canada: www.ssncanada.ca/games

Also, at half time tomorrow the 2011 Wall of Fame inductees will be presented to the Thunderdome crowd.

Lakehead Opens Non Conference Schedule

Lakehead opens the non conference portion of the 2011-12 season hosting Winnipeg Wesmen for two games.

The games are broadcast online. See below for details

Homecoming Weekend Basketball Preview

September 29th, 2011

General News

Author: Hugh Mullally

The men's and women's basketball teams will play their first home games of the season, beginning Friday evening at 6:00 pm for the women, and 8:00 pm for the men versus the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. They will rematch on Saturday evening with the same tip-off times. All games will be webcast on SSN: Thunderwolves Webcast

Friday will be a momentous evening for Thunderwolves fans, as they will be treated to their first OUA men's basketball banner raising and Wilson Cup presentation in the Thunderdome. The men's team is carrying 16 players this season, five of whom are natural freshmen and seven are 4th year seniors. Freshmen Michael Thorne Finch and Alex Robichaud will not dress due to injuries.

The Winnipeg Wesmen are coached by Mike Raimbault, who enters his 2nd year with Winnipeg after winning a CCAA national championship (and coach of the year honors) with UNBC. He also took the Brandon Bobcats to the 2007-08 CIS Final 8 with a 20-2 regular season record. Winnipeg 4th year forward Benny Iko attended the same school (Howard) as Lakehead forward Joseph Jones prior to joining the CIS. Winnipeg's roster boasts four 5th year seniors.

LU Coach Scott Morrison:

"We are excited to finally match-up with a different colour jersey and try to gauge our pre-season development against a non-conference opponent. I am looking for our core of seniors to step up and show our younger players the type of game prep and focus required to be successful at the CIS level. Winnipeg is a well coached team on the rise and present a number of tough match-ups for us to contain at this early stage of the season."

3rd Annual Lobster Dinner a Success!

Thank to all who supported the Back Court Club's 3rd annual lobster dinner.

For a quick highlight reel of the night's action please click on the link below...

2011 PEI Lobster Dinner Highlights

3rd Annual Lobster Dinner September 24th!

The team's 3rd Annual Lobster Dinner is set to go - again featuring fresh PEI lobster served to your table by members of the Thunderwolves...

Tickets are now available for the event which will offer a full plate of "fixins" such as baked potato, choice of salad, drinks, desert, cash bar and silent auction.

The event runs September 24th at 6pm and tickets are $75 (include $40 tax receipt).

For more information or to purchase tickets click here!

'Wolves Beef Up Coaching Staff for 2011-12

With the first day of class just a week away, basketball programs throughout the CIS are putting the final touches on their respective benches. The Lakehead Thunderwoves are no different as they introduced a revamped staff to training camp last week in Thunder Bay.
Returning to the bench from last season are three former 'Wolves including lead assistant Matt Erdman back for his 7th year working with Coach Morrison. Rejoining Erdman on the bench will be Pat Charlebois and Andrew Quirion who both joined the staff prior to the 2010-11 season.
New to the pack are three coaches with a combined 12 years of CIS playing experience at their respective schools.
Nathan Johnson of Pictou, NS (and brother of guard Ben Johnson), moves to Thunder Bay and switched back to the Men's side of coaching after helping the StFX women's team to the CIS Final 8 as an assitant coach last season. Johnson also has experience on the national level as an off-season intern with Canada Basketball.
Another maritimer, Mark English, joins the team after a playing career at Memorial University in Newfoundland where he also was an assistant coach for the past two seasons.
No stranger to Lakehead fans the final addition to the staff is Jamie Searle. Searle is one of the most decorated players in LU history capping an excellent career with an OUA Championship last season.

"We are very fortunate to have such an energetic and experienced staff working with the program this season. With a number of young players on the roster, the future of the team will rely heavily on the ability of our coaches to share their knowledge and help in the all-around development. I am excited to have so many coaches with championship experience on the bench and looking forward to going into the OUA season with them." - Coach Scott Morrison

Stay Tuned for more information on the 2011-12 Season including upcoming events in the pre-season.

Thunder Bay Blaze Set for Season

The Thunder Bay Blaze boys basketball club is set for the 2011-12 season with registrations currently underway online. The club is run in partnership with Lakehead Basketball and offers programs for boys age 6 and up.

"Under 10" - Sunday and Thursday Sessions (September, January & May)
"Under 14" - Saturday and Mid-Week Sessions (Sept-Dec, January-March)
"High School" - 8 session 'Pre-Season Training' program begins October 2

For more information on the above programs please contact Coach Morrison and to register online please click on the link on the right hand side of this blog in the "Camps & Leagues" section.

George Morrison Enshrined in Hall of Fame

GEORGE MORRISON AMONG PEI HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Announced by the PEI Sports Hall of Fame on June 27

The PEI Sports Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for 2011, and familiar faces from the sports of hockey, curling, basketball and volleyball will be honoured when the ceremonies are held later this year.

Jamie Kennedy (athlete, hockey), Cathy Dillon (athlete, curling) Sandy Frizzell (builder, hockey), George Morrison (builder, basketball) and Myron Weeks (builder, volleyball) will be the latest inductees and will join the 156 individuals and teams who currently make up the membership of the PEI Sports Hall of Fame. Kennedy will join his brother Forbie in the Hall, while Cathy Dillon joins husband Bob and will become the second husband/wife partnership to be inducted.

Morell’s George Morrison needs no introduction to the Island’s basketball’s fans, following a 17-year career at UPEI which saw his Men’s Panthers reach the play-offs 14 times, and net three Atlantic titles.

A three-time AUAA Coach of the Year – the first with the Lady Panthers, where he helped establish the program in the early 1980s - George’s accomplishments make him one of PEI’s most successful coaches in any sport, and his record of over 300 CIAU wins, a 47 game home winning streak, and seeing his team ranked #1 in the country, are milestones which are unlikely to be broken any time soon.

George has also coached numerous provincial and Canada Games teams, in addition to being an outstanding organizer and administrator the local and provincial level.

“We have an excellent 2011 induction group, all of who have been prominent in their respective sports right here on PEI,” said Hall chair Lee Brammer. “I anticipate this year’s inductions will be one of the most memorable ever, and we are looking forward to welcoming our newest members.”

Ticket details regarding the ceremonies will be announced as soon as final arrangements regarding date and location are confirmed.

For the full list of inductees please visit: http://www.peisportshalloffame.ca/

Baltimore Product Adam (Maurice) Johnson Transfers to Lakehead

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 8, 2011

Baltimore, MD Import Johnson Finalizes 2011-12 Basketball Recruiting Class

THUNDER BAY, ON -

Lakehead University Head Coach Scott Morrison is excited to announce a final commitment to the Thunderwolves men’s basketball program for the 2011-12 season. Adam Johnson, a 6’6’ transfer, will round out the class and become the latest of a growing list of L.U. standouts from the Baltimore-D.C. area. (Joe Jones, Kiraan Posey, Warren Thomas etc.).

Coach Morrison believe Johnson will be an excellent fit with the team; “Adam has the type of physical attributes that will allow him to guard just about any position on the floor at the CIS level. Like any new player he will have some weaknesses to improve but overall we feel he will be an impact player at both ends of the court and a strong character that will eventually provide the additional toughness and leadership we will need to get back to the Final 8 next season.”

Johnson played one year at Cecil Community College in Maryland and led Cecil to a district 16 championship and an appearance in the NJCAA Division 2 national championship tournament where he was named to the All-Tournament team. While at Cecil, Johnson was a ‘double-double’ machine during his one season averaging just under 15 points and over 10 rebounds per contest. Johnson ‘sat out’ during 2010-11 and enters Lakehead with four years of CIS eligibility remaining.

Said Johnson from his home in Baltimore; “I am grateful for this opportunity to come to Thunder Bay and both attend a great school like Lakehead as well as get a chance to bring hard work, determination and excitement to a winning basketball program.”

Prior to attending Cecil CC, Johnson helped lead his local high school – Baltimore City College – to a class 2A Maryland State Title. His assistant coach at Baltimore City, Tony Biggers, believes that Lakehead has recruited an impact player; “Adam is very coachable and he brings tremendous leadership both on and off the court to Canada. He has been a winner wherever he has played and has the abilities to help bring Lakehead to a higher level.”

Johnson is the 6th and final new addition for the Thunderwolves this off-season. The team announced 5 pure freshmen earlier this spring. The incoming class will include – Johnson (6’6” G/F), Michael Thorne-Finch (6’7” F), Joseph Nitychoruk (6’6” G/F), Brandon Myketa (6’3” G), Alex Robichaud (6’1” G) and Sylvestor “JR” Alexander (6’2” G).

Coach Morrison is confident that this year’s class has the ability and potential to be among the top incoming groups in the CIS: “Only hindsight will tell us which schools have done the best job recruiting this off-season, we are extremely excited about the group we have coming in. With 7-8 seniors on our roster, the challenge is to reload without having to rebuild all at once. Our class this summer has the ability to make a major impact with our program next year, as well as the youth to ensure that we can have an experienced roster for the next 4-5 seasons.

'Wolves Run with Alan Stein

One of the most well-respected, basketball specific, trainers in the world was in the Thunderdome over the past weekend as Coach Alan Stein held a "Cutting Edge" youth clinic in Thunder Bay. Over 60 young players at the junior and senior level attended the event that was put on by Coach Jon Kreiner and the Lakehead women's program. Coach Brandon Rafuse of the famed Nova Scotia Thunder Selects girls' club program was also in town as part of the clinic and held skill sessions in conjunction with Stein's footwork, agility, strength & conditioning (etc.) sessions. As part of the weekend, Coach Stein also worked out with both the men's and women's varsity players who are on campus for the summer.

The players were put through their paces and the Lakehead coaches had an opportunity to learn some valuable pieces of information and training tools that will stay with the team long-term. A big thanks from everyone with the team to Alan Stein and Coach Rafuse for a great weekend. The men's team was represented by 8 players including Greg Carter, Yoosrie Salhia, Brendan King, Nathan Wainwright, Ryan Thomson, Anthony McIntosh and Karl Rom.

For More Information on Alan Stein please visit his site www.strongerteam.com

For More Information on Lakehead Basketball Camps please see the "Camps & Leagues" section of this site.

Brandon MyKeta Commits to Lakehead

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 17, 2011

Churchill Graduate Brandon Myketa Rounds out Lakehead's Freshmen Class

THUNDER BAY, ON -

Lakehead Athletics and head men’s basketball coach Scott Morrison are pleased to announce that
Brandon Myketa of Churchill High School in Thunder Bay will join the basketball program in 2011-12.
The 6’3” guard has been a fixture in the local basketball scene for some time at both the high school
and club levels.

“We think Brandon has an excellent future at the CIS level. He has had strong coaching both at
Churchill and for years in our local camps and development programs.“ said Coach Morrison of his
latest addition. “He is a tough kid who can defend and finish with both hands in transition and it will be
only a matter of time before he is contributing on weekends in the OUA.”

Myketa, one of the top players in the city for three seasons has been an all-star at several local
tournaments and helped lead Churchill to a NWOSSA championship and Ofsaa berth in 2009-10. He
has been a member of the Thunder Bay Blaze organization since 2005 and continues to represent the
Blaze on the 19U squad this spring in Minnesota.

Myketa is excited to get an opportunity with the ‘Wolves in the CIS:
“I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to play basketball at Lakehead. It has become an exceptional
program and not only will i be able to play for my home town, I believe that with the support of the
coaches and players i can be developed into a much better basketball player."

Myketa’s high school coach is former Lakehead player Cory Keeler:
“Each year Brandon has improved a part of his game that has helped him achieve this goal. He has
been the leading rebounder and scorer for the past 3 seasons. He can create his own shot and take
defenders off the dribble. His work ethic and willingness to improve will only help him on the court but
more importantly in the classroom. Brandon has been fortunate to play in 4 city finals, winning two of
them over his career. We look forward to seeing him join an already successful Lakehead team and
hopefully be able to contribute to their success in the future.”

Lakehead Assistant Coach Matt Erdman on Myketa (Has Coached for 5 Club Seasons)
“I'm really excited for Brandon to take the next step in his academic and athletic life. I've coached
Brandon since 8th grade and have seen huge improvements over the years. He's a gritty, hard nosed
player willing to do whatever it takes. He'll compete everyday in practice pushing both himself and his
teammates."

Myketa is the 5th Canadian freshman to commit to next season’s team joining Alex Robichaud (G),
Sylvestor Alexander (G), Joseph Nitychoruk (G/F), and Michael Thorne-Finch (F).

2011 Boys Basketball Summer Camps

Lakehead University Basketball is pleased to announce the 2011 Summer camp lineup for boys aged 6-18. The camps are perfect for young players of all skill levels and will feature instruction from Coach Morrison as well as senior varsity players and top local high school coaches. The team is holding four (4) different sessions of camp including the following:

Session 1: July 11-15 (Mornings) Ages 6-9

Session 2: July 11-15 (Afternoons) Ages 10-14

Session 3: Aug 30-Sep 2 (Day) Ages 8-14

Session 4: Aug 30-Sep 2 (Night) Ages 15-18

For more detailed information including costs and daily schedule, please check out the 2011 Summer Camp brochure by clicking here.

Links to online registration is also available on the right side of this blog under "Camps & Leagues".

Thunderwolves' Recruits Make Impact with Thunder Bay Blaze

The Thunder Bay Blaze 19U Club basketball team returned victorious from a tournament in St. Cloud, Minnesota where 5 Lakehead recruits led the team to a 3-0 record and tournament championship. The quintet includes three Winnipeg products (Joe Nitychoruk, Michael Thorne-Finch and Sylvestor Alexander) and two local graduates (Brandon Myketa and Alex Robichaud). Nitychoruk led all scorers in the tournament with a 27.3 scoring clip in the three games.

Click here for the report in the Chronicle-Journal

Lakehead Hands out Hardware

Congrats to 5th year graduating senior for being named the Lakehead University Male Athlete of the Year for 2010-11. Searle is the first basketball player to be named Male Athlete during Coach Scott Morrison's tenure. (The last MBB winner was Dan Zapior).

Greg Carter was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year for the 3rd straight season while Matthew Schmidt was awarded Most Improved Player.

See the Links below for local media:

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR (tbnewswatch.com)

SEARLE & MCKENNA WRAP UP FINE CAREERS (Chronicle Journal)

'Wolves Land Top Manitoba H.S. Recruits

Lakehead is pleased to announce the 3rd and 4th new additions to the Lakehead Basketball family in this 2011 recruiting class.

Joey Nitychoruk, a 6'6" small forward and Michael Thorne-Finch, a 6'7" post are highly touted players on both the Manitoba and Canadian high school scene.

See the links below for the official announcements

LAKEHEAD ANNOUNCES NITYCHORUK & THORNE-FINCH (www.thunderwolves.ca)

THUNDERWOLVES SNAG DYNAMIC DUO (www.flagrantfouls.com)

WOLVES SIGN HIGHLY TOUTED HOOPS DUO (www.tbnewswatch.com)

Lakehead Basketball Gets Political Props

Easily the biggest strength of the Lakehead Basketball program is the continued support of the alumni, current students and of course the people and community of Thunder Bay.

Never has this been more evident than during the past season where the team played before a number of home sell-outs in en route to a 12-1 record at the Thunderdome amidst the best atmosphere in CIS basketball.

Since the completion of a history making 2010-11 season the team has been recognized by some of its more powerful supporters. This past week the team accepted congrats and awards at both Thunder Bay City Hall and the Office of the President of Lakehead University. Monday, March 28 the team rubbed elbows with the likes of Mayor Keith Hobbs and councilmen Hebert, Ruberto and MacKinnon while the following day we were treated to a custom made cake and afternoon celebration with Dr. Brian Stevenson, the President of L.U.

Recently the team drew mention in the 'biggest house in province' as local MPP Bill Mauro made time to note the team's accomplishments. Below is the transcript of what was read before the house as well as a video link to the action on March 9, 2011.

WATCH THE STATEMENT ON VIDEO

The Transcript:

Hansard - March 9^th, 2011

LAKEHEAD THUNDERWOLVES

Mr. Bill Mauro: Last weekend, for the very first time in the school’s history, Thunder Bay’s Lakehead University Thunderwolves won the Wilson Cup, which is the OUA championship for men’s basketball.

During the semifinal action, the Thunderwolves defeated the University of Ottawa 71-69 and followed that up in the finals with a 77-62 victory over the top-ranked team, the Carleton Ravens, the first loss in league play of the year for the Ravens.

Led by Coach Scott Morrison, the Lakehead Thunderwolves are now off to Halifax, where they’ll make their second straight appearance at the national championships.

I’ve been a fan of basketball for a long time and I played the game for many years, so I’m especially excited by the Thunderwolves’ victory. When I was in high school, I remember watching the great Lakehead Norwesters teams of the 1970s. The current Thunderwolves have brought back that tradition of excellence. They’ve shown that they can take on the best teams in Ontario. It’s fantastic to see our men’s program back competing at a high level.

I want to congratulate the entire team for their hard work and their excellent performance. Special congratulations to the local standouts Andrew Hackner and Matt Schmidt, who have contributed to seeing the first OUA basketball championship banner hung from the rafters of Lakehead University.

Tipoff for the Thunderwolves’ first game at the national championship is 2:15 p.m. this Friday, against the fifth-seed Trinity Western Spartans. I’ll be cheering for you, and so will the rest of Thunder Bay.

Top North American Trainer in Thunder Bay

One of the top basketball specific strength and conditioning coaches in the world will be holding a weekend clinic in Thunder Bay this June. Please click on the link in our "Camps & Leagues" section for brochure and registration details.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE! Please forward to anyone who you think might benefit from this experience.

Lakehead University Women’s Basketball and Head Coach Jon Kreiner are very proud to announce that we will be hosting Alan Stein, the top basketball specific trainer in the United States, for an All Inclusive Player Development Clinic in June. The dates for the Cutting Edge Clinic are June 3-5 and it will be held at the CJ Sanders Fieldhouse on the LU campus. The clinic will feature 2 divisions: 1) Junior Girls and Boys (Grade 6-8) as well as 2) Senior Girls and Boys (Grade 9-12).

And as an added bonus - former LU women’s assistant coach Brandon Rafuse, who works with Alan at his Cutting Edge Clinics in Canada, will be offering an Advanced Perimeter Player Clinic.

Players interested in signing up for both clinics will be treated to 10 hours of instruction over the course of the weekend (6 hours with Coach Stein and 4 hours with Coach Rafuse).

Please see attached for the Clinic Brochure & Registration Form. You can reserve your spot today by emailing brafuse@thunderselects.ca

Clinic Cost:

Athletes who are registering for both the Alan Stein and Brandon Rafuse components (10 hours) to this clinic before May 1^st $190.00

Athletes who are registering for both the Alan Stein and Brandon Rafuse components (10 hours) to this clinic after May 1^st $215.00

Athletes who are registering ONLY for the Alan Stein component to this clinic (6 hours) $150.00

*Family discount available. Please inquire for more information.

This is a truly unique, once in a lifetime opportunity that you certainly don't want to miss.!

A Few Words from Alan Stein about this Cutting Edge Clinic…

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to hold workouts in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I have a ton of new drills, exercises and concepts that I am excited to share! You won’t want to miss this…”

– Alan Stein, Owner of StrongerTeam.com

A Few Words from Brandon Rafuse about this Cutting Edge Clinic…

“I am very excited to return to Thunder Bay and even more excited for athletes in Northern Ontario to experience the Stronger Team difference. This experience will take your game to new heights.”

– Brandon Rafuse, Director & Head Coach of Thunder Selects Basketball