Post Game Story from Leith Dunick.
*Note We have 6 games left. @ Waterloo, Vs. Brock @ Western.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Lakehead Wins Game 2 to Complete Big Weekend
The #9 ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves completed one of their biggest two-game OUA weekends in recent memory with a 77-66 victory over #7 ranked Windsor in front of a standing room crowd for the second consecutive night in the Thunderdome.
The 'Wolves got behind early as Windsor came out attacking the rim and glass earning second chances and lay-ups on the way to a 21-9 start that finished the 1st quarter at 21-13. Lakehead rallied on the boards and dug in on D in the second quarter to battle back and tie the game on a Ryan Thomson 3pt bucket on the final possession of the half. Thomson, who logged 35 minutes, was one of 4 Thunderwolves in double figure scoring led by 5th year captain Jamie Searle who notched 20 points and added 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Greg Carter led all players with 38 minutes played and struggled shooting but did contribute his usual ball pressure along with 7 assists 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Ven Russell had 16 points and 8 rebounds but more importantly recorded 0 turnovers, his best output of the season in that category.
Russell also took the lion's share of defensive responsibilities vs all-Canadian Isaac Kuon and as a team Lakehead held the usual 'Thunderwolf Killer" to 2 points on 1-14 shooting. Enrico Diloreto showed his scoring prowess all weekend leading all scorers with 22.
In the second half, Lakehead narrowly edged Windsor 25-21 but came out strong to start the 4th and built a ten point lead with under 5 minutes remaining in the game. Windsor out-rebounded Lakehead on the offensive glass by a margin of 11-5 but Lakehead did a better job establishing the paint tonight and it led to an 18-24 shooting performance at the free throw line.
"I thought that while we were not perfect with our execution tonight, as a team we provided our most sustained effort and focus over a weekend as we have all year. Credit to our guys for battling on the glass against a bigger, stronger opponent and not getting down when Windsor jumped out to an early lead."
"We would be fools to deny that this was a big weekend for Lakehead Basketball, however we would be bigger fools to think that we have won or accomplished anything other than earning ourselves an opportunitity to be in the driver's seat for the last month of the season. We have little time to enjoy tonight's effort as a tough opponent in Waterloo looms just 5 days away."
-Coach Scott Morrison
Friday, January 28, 2011
'Wolves Win Opener 73-65 Over Windsor
A strong first and third quarter defensively helped the Lakehead Thunderwolves win game 1 of a big 2 game OUA West series tonight in the Thunderdome. After some early foul trouble to Lakehead's perimeter core in the first half, Greg Carter (3rd Year Ottawa, ON) turned up the defensive ball pressure in the second half on his way to 5 steals including a couple of hustle plays in which he knocked the ball away and dove to the floor to get possession of the ball. Carter added 8 points (2-3 3pt) and 6 assists in the game. Lakehead was down 30-29 at the half and went on a 10-0 run to start the 3rd and did not give up the lead.
In the first of a two game series with Windsor, the Lakehead Men showed they can get it done at home, winning 73-65 on Friday night. With the win they move into first place in the OUA West, the same spot they shared with Windsor at the end of last season, only to lose the tie breaker on point-differential and thus play in the Windsor gym later in the playoffs. It seemed as if Lakehead not only had won the game, but also was in good shape of winning any tie breaker as well, as they led by as many as 16 with 4 minutes remaining in the game.
In the next 2 minutes, however, in a hectic and flurried response, Windsor guard Enrico Diloreto went on a solo 9-0 run, hitting banks shots, a reverse layup, and capped it off with a straight-a-way triple that narrowed the lead to 7 points (71-64) with 38 seconds remaining. On each made shot Diloreto made appeals to the referees for the 'and 1', but the referees maintained their hushed demeanor for most of the game; that was until Windsor was forced to foul with 30 seconds remaining and stop the clock, and, after flailing themselves on expectant LU ball handlers for 4 straight plays, sent Lakehead to the line with 20 seconds remaining in the game to shoot their only 2 free throws of the contest. Venzal Russell coolly stepped to line and iced the pair.
Despite the absence at the charity stripe, Lakehead was able to generate offense from their intense defense, led by guard Greg Carter, whose high-pressure D pocketed himself 5 steals. Jamie Searle also joined in on the loose change affair, nabbing 3 steals. Searle was once again LU's leader in points with 17, but also grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds and dealt out 6 assists. Venzal Russell had 16 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Thunder Bay native Matt Schmidt came off the bench to provide a spark, going 4-for-8 with 5 rebounds at the forward position, as Brendan King sat out with an ankle injury. Schmidt played well off screen-and-roll plays from Searle and Carter, finishing at the basket strong against larger Windsor opponents who were often caught out of position on the screen-roll plays.
Windsor's All Star Isaac Kuon, who had previously gone for 20+ points in the last 3 contests versus Lakehead was held to 19 points on 6 of 25 shooting. The brighter spots for Windsor was Lien Philip, who grabbed 13 rebounds, and Enrico Diloreto, whose 22 points, and late 9-0 run could factor into the playoff picture, depending on tomorrow evening's outcome.
LU Coach Scott Morrison was happy to win this battle, but knows it's only the first half of the weekend showdown:
"I was very pleased with our defensive and rebounding effort in the second half. We were undersized but used our speed and urgency to get a couple of O boards and loose balls that are always key. I was not happy with the let down on Enrico's dribble penetration at the end of the game but overall we are pleased to get the W. Things get tougher tomorrow as we expect Windsor to make some adjustments and come out tough again. We have to do the same and understand that this is really only 'half-time' of a big weekend."
Game time tomorrow is 8 pm (following the women's game) at the Thunderdome. Games can also be viewed online at SSN Canada (www,ssncanada.ca/games), or heard locally on LU Radio, 102.7 FM, www.luradio.ca
--
Jamie Searle had a big game going for 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in front of his Mom who surprised him with a visit Friday morning and witnessed her first career game in the Thunderdome. The packed gym also saw Venzal Russell go for 16 points and take the lion's share of the defensive load on All-Canadian Isaac Kuon who had 19 on 6-25 shooting.
Rebounding was a key for the 'Wolves who gave up 8 offensive boards to Windsor in the 1st half but limited them to 1 second chance in the 2nd half.
At the FT line Windsor was 7-10 and Lakehead was 2-2 and did not attempt a FT until under 30 seconds remaining in the game. (One way for us to shoot a high FT %).
Lakehead had a double-digit lead with 2 minutes to go but a furious scoring spree by Enrico Diloreto brought the game close by the final buzzer. Diloreto finished with 22 on 10-18 shooting.
Lakehead SID Hugh Mullally's Post Game Report:
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2010
Lakehead Men Grab Lead in OUA West
THUNDER BAY, ON -
In the first of a two game series with Windsor, the Lakehead Men showed they can get it done at home, winning 73-65 on Friday night. With the win they move into first place in the OUA West, the same spot they shared with Windsor at the end of last season, only to lose the tie breaker on point-differential and thus play in the Windsor gym later in the playoffs. It seemed as if Lakehead not only had won the game, but also was in good shape of winning any tie breaker as well, as they led by as many as 16 with 4 minutes remaining in the game.
In the next 2 minutes, however, in a hectic and flurried response, Windsor guard Enrico Diloreto went on a solo 9-0 run, hitting banks shots, a reverse layup, and capped it off with a straight-a-way triple that narrowed the lead to 7 points (71-64) with 38 seconds remaining. On each made shot Diloreto made appeals to the referees for the 'and 1', but the referees maintained their hushed demeanor for most of the game; that was until Windsor was forced to foul with 30 seconds remaining and stop the clock, and, after flailing themselves on expectant LU ball handlers for 4 straight plays, sent Lakehead to the line with 20 seconds remaining in the game to shoot their only 2 free throws of the contest. Venzal Russell coolly stepped to line and iced the pair.
Despite the absence at the charity stripe, Lakehead was able to generate offense from their intense defense, led by guard Greg Carter, whose high-pressure D pocketed himself 5 steals. Jamie Searle also joined in on the loose change affair, nabbing 3 steals. Searle was once again LU's leader in points with 17, but also grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds and dealt out 6 assists. Venzal Russell had 16 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Thunder Bay native Matt Schmidt came off the bench to provide a spark, going 4-for-8 with 5 rebounds at the forward position, as Brendan King sat out with an ankle injury. Schmidt played well off screen-and-roll plays from Searle and Carter, finishing at the basket strong against larger Windsor opponents who were often caught out of position on the screen-roll plays.
Windsor's All Star Isaac Kuon, who had previously gone for 20+ points in the last 3 contests versus Lakehead was held to 19 points on 6 of 25 shooting. The brighter spots for Windsor was Lien Philip, who grabbed 13 rebounds, and Enrico Diloreto, whose 22 points, and late 9-0 run could factor into the playoff picture, depending on tomorrow evening's outcome.
LU Coach Scott Morrison was happy to win this battle, but knows it's only the first half of the weekend showdown:
"I was very pleased with our defensive and rebounding effort in the second half. We were undersized but used our speed and urgency to get a couple of O boards and loose balls that are always key. I was not happy with the let down on Enrico's dribble penetration at the end of the game but overall we are pleased to get the W. Things get tougher tomorrow as we expect Windsor to make some adjustments and come out tough again. We have to do the same and understand that this is really only 'half-time' of a big weekend."
Game time tomorrow is 8 pm (following the women's game) at the Thunderdome. Games can also be viewed online at SSN Canada (www,ssncanada.ca/games), or heard locally on LU Radio, 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
Home of the 2011-2012 University Wrestling Championships
Fax: (807) 343-8203
www.thunderwolves.ca
Home of the 2011-2012 University Wrestling Championships
First-place battle - Tbnewswatch.com
TBAY NEWSWATCH PREVIEW on WOLVES-LANCERS
FRI/SAT 8PM @ The Thunderdome
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Lakehead Welcomes Windsor for Weekend Series
The Thunderwolves welcome the Windsor Lancers to the Thunderdome this weekend for a pair of OUA West conference games. Windsor and Lakehead enter the weekend tied atop the OUA West at 11-3. Windsor is ranked #7 in the nation while Lakehead is currently two spots behind at 9th in the nation. Game time for both is 8pm.
Friday is "Think Pink" night and Saturday is the first Shelter House donation night.
Below is Hugh "You better kick in some $ for me to wear pink" Mullally's take on the weekend series.
From www.thunderwolves.ca
Once again this year, Lakehead has set the stage for a battle with Windsor for OUA West dominance. While the graduation of Nigel Johnson-tyghter has brought some relief to the relatively under-sized LU lineup, Windsor still possess many offensive weapons to be wary of. Enter Isaac Kuon, Monty Hardware and Andre Smyth, three 5th year seniors that have the athleticism to run with Lakehead, and in the case of Smyth and Kuon, significant size over their Thunderwolf counterparts. Kuon is currently averaging 19.3 PPG, while 6'8" sophomore Lien Philip has been holding down the rebounds for Windsor at a rate of 10.1 per game to go with 12.4 PPG.
Last Match-up Results
Last year Lakehead split the season series with the Lancers, winning the first game 89-87 in overtime, as Jamie Searle scored 29 (including 7 threes) to Isaac Kuon's 26. On the Saturday LU lost badly by a score of 87-65, with Kuon scoring 24, and Searle being held scoreless. The two teams met again in the OUA West Finals in Windsor's St. Denis Centre, with Windsor winning convincingly 87-66; Kuon went for 23 while Searle had 13.
Coach Morrison's Message:
"We have worked hard for 9 months to put ourselves in this position with a month to go in the season. An OUA Championship cannot be won or lost this weekend, but both teams have an opportunity to put themselves in the drivers seat down the stretch."
Game times are 6 and 8pm, Friday and Saturday night at the Thunderdome.
Games can also be watched on SSN Canada, www.ssncanada.ca/games , and heard locally on LU Radio, 102.7 FM.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
'Wolves Announce 1st Commitment for 2011
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2011
Alex Robichaud Commits to Lakehead Basketball
THUNDER BAY, ON -
Lakehead Athletics and Head Coach Scott Morrison are pleased to announce that Alex Robichaud has committed to attend Lakehead and become a member of the Thunderwolves basketball program beginning in September 2011. The 6’2” guard was a key member of the New Brunswick U-17 provincial team that competed in the national championship tournament this past summer in Winnipeg.
“We could not be happier to welcome a player and person like Alex to our basketball family. He is physically ready to play at the CIS level and has an excellent base of fundamentals and understanding of the game," commented Coach Morrison.
Robichaud recently moved to Thunder Bay with his family in September after leading Bathurst High School to a provincial championship in New Brunswick. This season he has continued his success at the high school level in Thunder Bay where he has lead Superior High School to a first place league standing and two tournament championships thus far. Robichaud was named MVP of both the Westgate Tiger Tip-Off as well as the annual St Ignatius Invitational tournament, both won by Superior.
Robichaud looks forward to taking the next step in his academic and basketball career in September.
“To play basketball at the university level has always been a dream of mine. Being part of the basketball program at Lakehead is a privilede and an experience I am looking forward to. I could not be more excited at the prospect of representing the team and my new hometown next season.”
Robichaud, an honor roll student, will likely study in a science related program as he works toward his goal of attending medical school in the future. His high school coach, John Clouthier, believes the ‘Wolves have a winner in Robichaud: “Alex is an extremely hard working and smart basketball player that will always put his team first. He is a pleasure to coach and I wish him all the best in his athletic and academic future. Lakehead University is lucky to have him and I look forward to being able to watch him develop into a great university player over the course of the next few years.”
Coach Scott Morrison hopes this is the first of a strong recruiting class: “With the possibility of returning 8 seniors to our roster next year, it is very important that we bring in a solid young group that can contribute to our short-term goals while providing the long term stability we need to continue to compete with the best teams in Canada.”
'Wolves Crack CIS Top Ten at #9
The Thunderwolves cracked the CIS Coaches Poll for the first time this season coming in at #9 after sweeping McMaster this past weekend.
The OUA West is well represented this week with three teams in the top ten; joining the Thunderwolves are this week's opponent, Windsor at #7 and Wilfred Laurier at #10.
Lakehead comes in at #8 in the CIS Hoops poll and is currently #7 in the national RPI.
Back Court Club Appreciation Night This Saturday!
This Saturday will mark the 3rd of 3 Lakehead Basketball "Back Court Club" Appreciation nights. The first was held in November after the home Queen's game and the 2nd was held in Ottawa after the Carleton game Nov 28.
This Saturday, January 29, Lakehead hosts Windsor in a battle of two teams currently ranked in the top ten and currently tied for first in the OUA West at 11-3. All individual members of the Club and all Corporate members will be given guest tickets to Saturday's game and are invited to meet the team in a social setting at Tony and Adam's in Thunder Bay (approx 1030pm).
The team would also like to extend a special thanks to our 2011 Corporate Members which include:
Erickson & Partners
Carrel & Partners
Alumni Association of Lakehead University
Blaze Basketball
Jack Dunsford Ltd
Quirion Financial Services
Thanks to all for the continued support of our team.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
'Wolves Complete Road Sweep at McMaster with 81-77 Win
In another 40 minute battle the Lakehead Thunderwolves overcame serious foul trouble and sloppy offense for much of the game to sneak out an 81-77 victory to move to 11-3 in OUA play.
Last night's leader Jamie Searle fouled out in only 18 minutes of play and starting forward Ryan Thomson joined him with 5 fouls after only 16 minutes of action. MAC were granted 40 free throws (29-40) to Lakehead's 31 (19-31) for the game.
With two normal "finishers" on the bench for most of the game, 'Wolves Greg Carter, Venzal Russell and Yoosrie Salhia led the way down the stretch. Russell kept the 'Wolves alive in the 3rd quarter after the team blew a 12 point lead to start the second half. The Detroit product scored 11 straight in the 3rd quarter when the team went cold from the outside. Russell finished with a game high 24 and added 10 rebounds. Joseph Jones recovered from a rough outing on Friday to connect on 4 three pointers and 16 points adding 8 rebounds of his own and 0 turnovers in 27 minutes off the bench. Ben Johnson added three 3's in the first half to finish with 11 and 4 assists in 30 minutes, also off the bench. For the game Lakehead had 19 turnovers and shot 12-31 from three point land.
McMaster was led by Cam Michaud who was 8-10 from the FT line in the first half alone who finished with 22. IN the second half Kenan Etale was virtually unstoppable as he got to the middle on penetration and finished well around the rim for 19 points and 5 rebounds.
"I was proud of how our players overcame some adversity tonight in the form of persistent foul trouble and some poor turnovers and missed lay-ups. At the end of the day we re-grouped and got an excellent team effort and two big W's on the road. Credit to McMaster who is battling injuries but continued to put tough matchups on the floor tonight for us. The key now is to get some rest and get ready for a great week of prep as we host the top team in the league, Windsor, in the Thunderdome next weekend."
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thunderwolves Tough Out McMaster 78-76 in Game 1
In what was a physical and highly competitive game from tip-off to the final buzzer, the Lakehead Thunderwolves earned a tough 78-76 win over McMaster in game 1 of their weekend series.
Jamie Searle (5th Year Belleville) led the 'Wolves 29 points on 9-14 shooting adding 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals with 0 turnovers in 35 minutes of play. Yoosrie Salhia had 11 and 8 but shot 1-7 from the FT line while Ven Russell also had 11 on 5-19 shooting. Lakehead's other starters, Greg Carter and Ryan Thomson both battled foul trouble throughout the game combining for only 39 minutes.
McMaster was led by Scott Laws who had 19 as well as Cam Michaud with 17. Scott Brittain had 6 points on 3-10 shooting and added 11 rebounds to lead all players on the glass.
McMaster lead by 1 at the half 33-32 but a strong 3rd quarter from Lakehead (26-19) allowed them to claim the lead for good, withstanding a furious Mac run in the 4th that saw Kyle Gietraitis hit three 3pt shots and ended up with McMaster missing two free throws with 2.4 second remaining to ice the Thunderwolves win.
Both teams shot well from 3pt land (Mac 7-20, Lakehead 12-25) but were horrid from the free throw line. McMaster was 11-20 from the line while Lakehead was a miserable 8-20. Taking into account Jamie Searle was 6-7 from the FT line, the rest of the Lakehead squad shot 2-15 for the game from the charity stripe.
"Anytime you get a road win in his conference you have to be pleased, however our time for reflection is short and we have to refocus on tomorrow's game which will again be a battle. We have to improve our free throw shooting and transition defense as well as get a team effort on the glass tomorrow night."
- Coach Scott Morrison
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thunderwolves Visit "The Hammer"
The Thunderwolves travel to Hamilton, Ontario Friday for a pair of OUA West games. 'MAC' trails Lakehead by 2 games in the conference standings. See the link below for the weekend preview from the "czar of the keyboard", Lakehead SID Hugh Mullally
View Article: .. Lakehead University Athletics
View Article: .. Lakehead University Athletics
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Lakehead Athletics Teams with Thunder Bay Catholic Schools
The following is a media release announcing an ongoing partnership between Lakehead Athletics and the Thunder Bay District Catholic School Board. The program see each Grade 4-6 student visiting Lakehead during the month of January and then again in May. The 1800 students will get a chance to play 5 different sports on each visit.
Catholic School Board Partners With LU Athletics
January 13th, 2011
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) and LU Athletics are pleased to announce that they have formed a unique partnership to promote healthy and active life choices for students. The new program, Partners in Sport, will assist students to develop the physical requirements needed to participate in a range of physical activities, and develop skills and knowledge that encourage engagement in physical activity.
Over the next few months, all Junior students (grades 4, 5, and 6) will participate in Partners in Sport, delivered by Lakehead University coaches and athletes. The program enhances the Active Living Strand of the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum.
Dave Bragnalo, (Education Officer), is excited about the possibilities: “It’s great when younger kids have the chance to see older kids who are really enthused about sport. Sport is a powerful tool for building healthy relationships, lasting friendships and lifelong memories. When our students see these varsity athletes committing to school and sport it inspires them. Plus, physical activity gives students confidence and energy. Our school board is very excited about this community partnership and we’re really pleased to be working with a fine school like Lakehead University.”
The unique Partners in Sport program is organized into two two-hour sessions at Lakehead University, where students participate in active, skill-based stations that include:
Track and Field - footwork, agility, running fundamentals
Soccer - ball handling, passing, large group games
Volleyball - passing, setting, serving fundamentals
Basketball - ball handling skills, passing, mini games
Wrestling - strength and balance activities, low organization games
The first sessions have been a real success and will continue until 14 schools have made their initial visit.The second sessions will take place in the spring with a second round of 14 school visits.Overall, more than 1800 students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 will have the opportunity to participate.
Partners in Sport brings many benefits to students and teachers. In each skill area, children learn from varsity athletes and coaches who, in addition to being well-rounded athletes, are sport experts in Track, Wrestling, Women’s Volleyball and Men’s and Women’s Basketball. Teachers benefit from professional learning as they observe and assist Lakehead staff in delivering these many fun and healthy activities.
“The benefits to our Lakehead student-athletes is tremendous. They take their sport skills and teaching skills and just plain old enthusiasm and fire up these Junior students. It is a mentoring situation, but because they’re all students in one way or another, there is a neat kind of symmetry,” says Lakehead University’s Athletic Director Tom Warden.
Furthermore,
Program consists of:
A. 14 visits to Lakehead in January (16 schools in the Catholic Board)
(A second round of 14 visits will occur in May for part 2 of the program)
B. Over 1800 kids in grade 4-5-6 will participate in the program
C. The instructors and coaches are coaches and varsity athletes from the 5 Lakehead teams competing in the C.J. Sanders' Fieldhouse (Track, Wrestling, Women’s V’Ball, Womens B’Ball, Men’s B’Ball).
Monday, January 17, 2011
Highlights from Saturday's Comeback Win
Lakehead 90 (9-3)
Laurier 84 (8-4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDsI7akHqbk
Lakehead Basketball Youtube Channel
www.youtube.com/11mofeed
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Thunderwolves Earn Split with Big Come Back
Down 56-35 at the half and 72-55 to start the 4th quarter the "Heart Attack Pack" put together one of the more impressive come backs in program history. An increased urgency on the defensive end and improved effort on the glass gave the team a fighting chance mid-way through the 4th quarter. Down 79-70 with under 5 minutes remaining, Lakehead dug in for a couple of key stops and 3's by Jamie Searle, Ryan Thomson and Greg Carter to battle back and trail 81-79 with just over two minutes to play. A rebound follow up dunk by Brendan King (3rd year, Petawawa, ON) tied the game at 81 and brought the loyal Thunderdome crowd to its feet.
Some key rebounds by Ryan Thomson(2nd year, Oakville, ON) on the defensive end and free throw shooting from Thomson and Venzal Russell (3rd year, Detroit MI) helped ice the comeback.
(To be honest I am not 100% sure of the exact order of things but I am watching the tape tomorrow)
The come back withstood some clutch shooting by Max Allin in the form of two late threes as well as a late 3rd quarter 3 by Kale Harrison which put the lead back to 17 to start the 4th. Travis Berry also hit a shot clock beating 3 in the 4th quarter that otherwise may have finished off the 'Wolves.
Lakehead was led by 5 players in double figures:
Jamie Searle 23pts 8 rebs 6 ast 4 steals
Ven Russell 20 pts 7 asts 5 steals
Ryan Thomson 16 pts 7 rebs (3-4 3pt)
Yoosrie Salhia 15 Pts 8 rebs 3 blks
Greg Carter 10 pts 4 asts 3 steals (2-2 3pt)
Brendan King had 6 and 4 boards.
Laurier had Max Allin lead the way with 21, 8 asts and 7 rebs on 8-17 shooting
Kale Harrison and Travis Berry had 12 and 11 a piece.
"Tonight everyone learned that we cannot be counted out of any game if we remain focused when opponents make big plays to attempt to stymie our momentum. We also learned what we are capable of doing defensively to strong teams if we put forth the maximum effort and communication. Laurier won the split this weekend but we are in much better shape right now than what things looked to be heading for around 930pm tonight."
Here is the link to the game story on www.tbaynewswatch.com
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/sports/Default.aspx?cid=127537
Highlights from Laurier's Win Over L.U.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zizSUyiMeA8
Lakehead Basketball YouTube Channel
www.youtube.com/11mofeed
Friday, January 14, 2011
Laurier Beats Up 'Wolves 91-82
The potent Laurier offense dropped 54 second half points including a decisive 27-14 3rd quarter to beat the 'Wolves 91-82 in Thunder Bay. Leading 42-37 at the half, Lakehead's team D fell apart after a strong effort in the first frame. Kale Harrison led all scorers with 25 on 7-22 shooting adding 3 big offensive boards, but the player of the game was easily Max Allin who had a huge second half en route to a 21 point 10 assist and 7 rebound performance with only 1 turnover in 36 minutes of play. He shot 8-12 including two game changing 3's - a shot clock beating fade-a-way in the first possession of the 2nd half and a late game dagger to finish off the 'Wolves.
Matthew Buckley had 15 points and 8 rebounds and Jamar Forde went 7-8 for 16 points off the bench.
Lakehead was led in scoring by Venzal Russell who had 24 and 3 steals. Yoosrie Salhia went 6-16 from the floor (0 FT attempts) for 12 points and 8 rebounds. Jamie Searle, Joseph Jones and Ryan Thomson all had 10 but Lakehead shot below 40% in the second half missing several good looks around the rim.
"I was really upset with our defensive effort to start the 2nd half. Unlike the first quarter we allowed them to move the ball with ease and gave up too much penetration to the middle. We can't give a scorer like Harrison any easy catches in the half-court and we can't allow an athlete like Forde to get 7 right-hand lay-ups in one game. I thought Carter did a decent job on Allin, but that Allin just had a great game, one of the best I have seen against Greg."
"Any team can be good for short periods of time, but only the great teams play consistently well all the time. We want to be great, but we have to start stacking together more consistent performances to take strides in that direction."
Lakehead Hosts Laurier Friday/Saturday
The Thunderwolves will welcome the high scoring Laurier Golden Hawks to the Thunderdome this weekend in two games that will tip-off at 8pm both Friday and Saturday night.
The 'Wolves and Hawks are 'neck-and-neck' in the OUA West standings and will feature of match-up of the division's top offensive scoring team (Laurier) vs the west's leader in opponent ppg (Lakehead).
See below for SID Hugh "BW" Mullally's take on the upcoming matchup:
Men's Match-up
Laurier's "Big 3" are 6'5 wing Kale Harrison (21.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG), 6'4 wing Max Allin (14.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG) , and 6'8 post Pat Donnelly (16.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG), who provide one of the toughest combination of matchups in the league. All are multi-dimensional scorers and are usually present match-up problems for usually shorter opponents. Laurier's other starting post player Matt Buckley is also having a good year, averaging 13.2 PPG and 9.1 RPG. With Lakehead usually preferring to play 'small ball', the taller opponents (currently CIS #1 in offensive rebounding) will challenge LU rebounding specialist Yoosrie Salhia, who has 5 straight 'double doubles' going into the weekend. Laurier is also currently averaging 89.4 Points Per Game, and LU 75.4, and with both teams apt to the 'run and gun' offensive strategy, a fast paced high scoring affair is not out of the question.
Last Match-up Results
These two team split the season series last year @ the Laurier gym, LU losing the first game 69-59 before winning the second 79-65.
Coach Morrison's Message:
"The big and skilled lineup that Laurier puts on the floor is a challenging group to match up with. It becomes a 'pick your poison' scenario. We have to be prepared to stay focused when Laurier heats up and stick to our game plan in order to keep the game close. It has been almost two months since our last home game and we are looking forward to getting out there and playing our first game of 2011 in front of the best fans in the country."
Games can also be watched on SSN Canada, www.ssncanada.ca/games , and heard locally on LU Radio, 102.7 FM.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Lakehead @ Guelph Highlights
Game 2 highlights are up on the Lakehead Basketball youtube channel.
www.youtube.com/11mofeed
(Or Click link on right hand side!)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Lakehead Beats Guelph 71-63 to Complete Sweep
The Lakehead Thunderwolves again battled a hard-nosed Guelph squad for 40 minutes, pulling away in the third quarter before allowing Guelph back in the game for the deciding 4th quarter.
Guelph's young perimeter had a great game as all four of their guards scored in double figures led by MIke Petrella who had a stand-out game finishing with 18 points and 5 assists. George Mason again scored in double figures with 10 and Drew Morris was 3-4 from 3pt range for 13.
Lakehead's victory came on the strength of 20 offensive rebounds to make up for some poor outside shooting (7-27 from 3pt range).
Yoosrie Salhia was again a leader with his 5th straight double double (11 points 13 rebounds) and Venzal Russell had some great hustle to pick up 17 points and 6 rebounds (5 offensive). Ryan Thomson completed a great weekend scoring 13 points and adding 8 rebounds with 0 turnovers. Greg Carter shot 3-6 from 3pt range to finish with 11 points.
"Yet again we had to scramble to beat a tough Guelph team that did not give up and kept coming at us 100% for 40 minutes. I thought our rebounding was the difference tonight as 20 offensive boards made up for missing 20 3pt shots. We have to regroup and start getting prepared to host a hot shooting Laurier team that attempted to break the scoreboard tonight."
Lakehead Vs Guelph Highlights
Game 1
http://www.youtube.com/11mofeed
(Or Click on the "Video Highlights" on the right side of the main blog page.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thunderwolves 66 Guelph 55
Down 5 points with just under 5 minutes remaining, the Lakehead Thunderwolves cleaned up their half-court defense and held Guelph to eight 4th quarter points to sneak out a 66-55 win at Guelph on Friday night.
Yoosrie Salhia had a big game for Lakehead and kept the 'Wolves in it through a tough 1st and 3rd quarters that saw Guelph out-score Lakehead 41-25. Luckily the 'Wolves controlled the 2nd and 4th holding Guelph to single digit scoring in those frames. Salhia (3rd Year, Toronto) finished with a season high 25 points and 12 rebounds to go along with 4 blocks from the weak-side.
Jamie Searle (5th year, Belleville) also had a good effort notching 12 points and 7 rebounds. Ryan Thomson (2nd year Oakville) was the only other Wolf in double figures with 10 points.
Guelph was led by George Mason who had 15 on 6-8 shooting and Jerald Greenidge who had 11.
"I have always considered Guelph one of the tougher defensive teams in Ontario since taking this job back in 2003. Tonight proved no different as a short-handed team battled us all night and if it were not for the extra effort on the boards of Salhia and Searle we would have come out on the losing end of this one. We need to make some adjustments and try to maintain our defensive intensity over 4 quarters tomorrow night."
Thunderwolves Meet Guelph Tonight
The Lakehead Thunderwolves are back in action for their first OUA West games of the season.
The team is in Guelph for 2 games both at 8pm on Friday and Saturday night. Both games will be broadcast on ssn at www.ssncanada.ca.
The 'Wolves are coming off a tough 1-2 record at the Wesmen Classic just before the New Year where they beat Brandon, lost by 3 to #3 Saskatchewan in the semi-finals and then suffered a tough loss to Manitoba in the tournament Consolation.
Guelph faired better at their holiday tournament being named tournament champions at the UQAM invitational with a perfect 3-0 record.
See the link below for Lakehead SID Hugh "Buck" Mullally's weekly preview:
http://www.thunderwolves.ca/?page=articleview&id=4519
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