Lakehead Basketball

Lakehead 87 Windsor 83 (Video Highlights)

2012-01-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

'Wolves Win Shootout in Windsor

2012-01-27T22:19:00.005-05:00

The Lakehead Thunderwolves toughed out a close 87-83 win in game 1 of the weekend series in Windsor. The Thunderwolves battled foul trouble for much of the game but received good production from bench "bigs" Matthew Schmidt, Adam Johnson and Anthony McIntosh who combined for 20 points and 5 rebounds.

Lakehead had a good start jumping out to a 19-10 first quarter lead aided by Windsor starting 3-14 from the field. Starting in the second quarter Windsor found the range and brought the game to a 6 point lead at the half.

The third quarter both teams filled the hoop with Lakehead grabbing a 7 point lead to start the 4th quarter. Clutch 3pt shooting and offensive rebounding by the Lancers brought the game within one point but Ben Johnson hit a clutch 3pt shot and two big free throws in the last minute to push the 'Wolves over the top.

Windsor was led by Enrico Diloreto who had 22 on 7-16 shooting. Lien Phillip recorded his third straight double-double against the visitors with 12 and 12.

Playing in front of friends and family for the first time, Venzal Russell scored 20 on 8-18 shooting including 4-7 from downtown. Ben Johnson was 5-10 for 19 and Greg Carter added 13 and 6 assists.

From a team standpoint, Windsor won the battle of the O boards (16-5) and turnovers (21-22) but Lakehead won the 3pt shooting battle going 13-27 to Windsor's 8-21.

Coach Morrison on the win:

It was a great game that could have went either way. Windsor is the biggest team we have faced in some time and do a great job using their size on the defensive end as well as the O glass. We were fortunate to hit some tough shots throughout the game to keep our heads above water. Its hard to count on outside shooting to win games so tomorrow we are going to have to take better care of the ball on offense and increase our rebounding effort on the defensive end.

Lakehead Basketball Announces 1st Recruiting Commit for 2012

2012-01-26T12:00:00.008-05:00

Hamilton Product Dwayne Harvey Commits to Lakehead University Men’s Basketball

January 26, 2012

Lakehead University Athletics Department is pleased to announce the recent commitment of 5’11” combo guard Dwayne Harvey to transfer to Lakehead University and join the men’s basketball program in September 2012.

Harvey is a graduate of Cathedral High School in Hamilton (2009) from which he signed with NCAADivision 1 Alabama State University. At ASU, Harvey red-shirted during the 2009-10 season before playing 13 minutes per game in 23 games for the Hornets including the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Harvey transferred from ASU to Wilbur Wright College in Chicago for the current season where he is averaging over 11 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds per contest with the Rams.

Lakehead Assistant Coach Matt Erdman, a fellow Cathedral alum, has been a part of Harvey’s recruitment starting in 2007 and again since leaving Alabama State; “ It is great that we are able to add a player of Dwayne’s caliber to our program. Having watched and known him since his early years at Cathedral, I am confident he will not only add strength to our guard rotation but also be a fine addition to the campus and local community.”

Harvey, a member of the Dean’s list at Alabama State, is expected to enroll at Lakehead University this summer and is looking forward to joining his future teammates; “I am excited to have committed to Thunderwolves basketball and also to finish my studies at Lakehead University where I can reach my academic goals.” Said Harvey from his current residence in Chicago, “It will be an honor to play for one of the CIS contenders and fun to run up and down with a good group of hard working players like Greg Carter, Ryan Thomson and the rest of the lineup.”

Lakehead Head Coach Scott Morrison feels Harvey is a great fit for the program; “Dwayne is someone our coaching staff and many of our current players have been familiar with for some time. We feel that he will have no trouble sliding into our current system and show that he is an elite player for the next three seasons. He has been successful on the court and in the classroom during each phase of his career and we are excited to welcome him to our basketball family.”

As a high school senior with the Cathedral Gaels, Harvey earned the distinction of being only the second Canadian to be named Most Outstanding Player at the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. (Known as the top Catholic School tournament in North America) Dwayne joined past winners such as NBA players Mark Karcher, Kyle Lowry, Rasual Butler and Carmelo Anthony.

Harvey is known for his up-tempo style of play and sound ball pressure. With three years of eligibility remaining he is expected to add depth to next season’s back court while providing a longer term answer at the guard spot for the ‘Wolves who will graduate up to seven players in 2013.

A Hamilton Spectator feature on Dwayne Harvey playing in the NCAA Tournament (March 2011)

Lakehead 91 McMaster 71 (Video & Media)

2012-01-22T14:01:00.003-05:00

Game 2 Video Highlights (Lakehead vs McMaster)

Tbnewswatch.com Game 2 Story (Leith Dunick)

Lakehead Sweeps McMaster with 91-71 Victory

2012-01-21T22:45:00.002-05:00

Despite another terrible start to the game (this time McMaster went up 10-0), the #2 ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves picked up their defense and ball control starting in the second quarter and would battle back into the game at the half before taking over in the decisive 3rd quarter.

Victor Raso and Cam Michaud each went 2-3 from long range in the first half to lead McMaster to a 41-38 half-time advantage. 8 first quarter turnovers did not help LU's cause in the opening segment and neither did getting out-rebounded 7-5 on the offensive glass.

However the third quarter was a different story as Lakehead's turnovers became assists and their defensive pressure began to wear on the Marauders forcing 17 turnovers in the game. The second half glass was won by Lakehead to the tune of 11-3 on the O boards (16-10 for the game). LU's scorers also heated up as Venzal Russell slashed his way to 28 points and 7 assists and his second consecutive game with 5 steals. Ryan Thomson also broke a short shooting slump going 5-6 from long range adding 6 rebounds to his 18 points. Greg Carter did not finish as well tonight but still had 9 assists and 3 steals to only 1 turnover in 30 minutes. Ben Johnson hit 4-6 from three point range as well for 17 points and 5 assists.

Coach Morrison on the win:

I was pleased with our effort for 3 quarters tonight. We did a better job on the glass and moved the ball more effectively on offense. Our slow starts are a concern and I have challenged the team to get themselve more focused and ready to play for tip-off next week. Time to focus our efforts towards Windsor who is the hottest team in the OUA right now and will present many new challenges for us to prepare.

Lakehead vs McMaster (Game 1 Highlights)

2012-01-21T13:15:00.001-05:00

Lakehead 83 McMaster 76 (Video Highlights)

Game 2 Tonight 8pm!

www.ssncanada.ca

Lakehead Wins Weekend Opener 83-76 Over McMaster

2012-01-20T22:35:00.004-05:00

It was a tale of two halves on Friday night in the Thunderdome as the McMaster Marauders jumped out of the gate winning the first two quarters in route to a 19-12 first quarter, and 40-31 half-time lead. McMaster played great team ball with 8 different players touching the mesh and getting on the score sheet in the first half. Lakehead shot 0-8 from 3pt land in the opening segment while McMaster, the nation's leaders in 3 point shots were a costly 4-10. Adam Johnson gave LU a spark off the bench and helped keep the score respectable with a 4-7 shooting performance including a put-back dunk.

The second half saw a much more energized Lakehead defense as the 'Wolves did a better job getting back in transition and holding McMaster to one shot. Venzal Russell and Ben Johnson caught some momentum and led LU to a 25-16 3rd quarter which tied the game going into the final ten minutes. In the 4th LU pulled ahead by 5 with under 4 minutes remaining but Victor Raso hit three buckets in a row with an LU defender in his shorts to keep his team within striking distance until the final buzzer.

Yoosrie Salhia was a force for LU as he recorded an impressive double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds (added 2 blocks and 3 assists). Greg Carter had another strong game with 10 points on 5-7 shooting adding 6 assists to only 1 turnover. Russell had 19 and 5 steals, Ben Johnson had 14 points and 6 assists. Ryan Thomson struggled shooting but contributed with 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 0 turnovers in 25 minutes.

For McMaster Cam Michaud had 14 and 7, Adam Presutti had a solid game with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists to only 2 turnovers in 31 minutes.

Coach Morrison on the Win:

As good as we looked at times in the second half; we were very fortunate to escape with the win after a poor showing and effort in the first half. We have a great record right now but we depend on 100% effort from our players as well as executing a team orientated game plan to get wins. When one of those factors is not evident on the court - we risk getting blown out of the gym. MAC is a well coached team with some veteran players to go with talented freshmen, we better be at our best for a longer period of time tomorrow night.

Carleton, Lakehead are #1 & #2 in CIS Men's Basketball

2012-01-20T09:41:00.001-05:00

FROM OUA.CACIS Top Ten: OUA holds one-two spots in men's basketball

Posted by: Andrea Elliott (Communications Assistant)

Email to a Friend | Print

1/17/2012 12:14:52 PM

OTTAWA (CIS) – There is only one change this week at the top of CIS national rankings, as the University of Guelph Gryphons grab the pole position in women’s track and field.

In other CIS sports, Regina (women’s basketball and men’s wrestling), Carleton (men’s basketball), McGill (women’s hockey), UNB (men’s hockey), Calgary (women’s swimming), Dalhousie (men’s swimming), Guelph (men’s track and field), UBC (women’s volleyball), Trinity Western (men’s volleyball) and Alberta (women’s wrestling) all maintain their No. 1 status.

In women’s basketball, top-ranked Regina easily improved to 11-0 in conference play with a pair of road wins over Manitoba, 84-60 and 105-52. The Cougars are back on home court this weekend to face No. 10 Fraser Valley (9-3) and Trinity Western (6-6).

In men’s hoops, Carleton (12-0) also remained perfect in regular season action with road victories against Ryerson, 87-56, and Toronto, 98-64. The Ravens play three games in four nights this week, starting on Wednesday when they face cross-town rival Ottawa (8-4) in the sixth annual MBNA Capital Hoops Classic at Scotiabank Place. The reigning CIS champions then host Queen’s (0-12) and RMC (0-12) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

In women’s hockey, McGill (12-1-0) and Olympic gold medallist Charline Labonté posted a pair of shutout wins last weekend, 4-0 over Concordia and 5-0 versus No. 10 Montreal. The Martlets host Carleton (4-4-3) on Sunday.

In men’s hockey, UNB (13-3-2) holds on to the No. 1 spot despite a rare winless weekend. The Varsity Reds lost 2-1 at No. 10 Saint Mary’s on Friday and 5-4 in a shootout at StFX on Saturday. The University Cup champs hope to get back in the win column this weekend when they face No. 7 Moncton (12-6-0) and UPEI (11-7-0).

In women’s volleyball, UBC easily handled visiting Thompson Rivers and improved to 11-1 in Canada West action with a pair of straight-set victories. The Thunderbirds should be tested later this week when they host No. 5 Manitoba (9-3) for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader.

In men’s volleyball, Trinity Western (12-0) made a statement on home court last weekend, defeating No. 3 Alberta 3-1 and 3-0. The Spartans host No. 10 Winnipeg (6-8) on Friday and Saturday.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Regina (11-0) / 396 pts (33) / (1)
2. Windsor (11-2) / 362 / (2)

3. UBC (8-2) / 331 / (3)

4. Saskatchewan (7-4) / 295 / (5)
5. Alberta (9-3) / 252 / (6)

6. Carleton (8-4) / 237 / (4)

7. Ottawa (10-2) / 206 / (7)

8. Acadia (7-1) / 157 / (9)

9. Brock (10-3) / 111 / (8)
10. Fraser Valley (9-3) / 94 / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: Toronto (58), Concordia (36), Saint Mary’s (28).

MEN’S BASKETBALL

(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Carleton (12-0) / 516 pts (44) / (1)
2. Lakehead (10-2) / 460 / (3)

3. UBC (8-2) / 419 / (5)

4. StFX (7-2) / 362 / (2)
5. Saskatchewan (7-4) / 321 / (4)

6. Wilfrid Laurier (10-2) / 312 / (7)

7. Victoria (10-2) / 281 / (6)

8. Alberta (8-4) / 238 / (8)

9. Concordia (5-0) / 184 / (9)

10. Fraser Valley (7-5) / 92 / (10)

Other teams receiving votes: Ottawa (58), Windsor (37).

Lakehead Host McMaster in OUA West Showdown

2012-01-20T09:37:00.001-05:00

From Lakehead SID - HUGH MULLALLY

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January19, 2012

Six Home Games This Weekend, 'Think Pink' on Saturday

THUNDER BAY, ON -

The Thunderdome will be alive with varsity athletics activity this weekend, as the men's and women's basketball teams host McMaster for a weekend series (Friday-Saturday), and the women's volleyball team hosts Queen's for 2 games (Saturday-Sunday). All of the games played on Saturday will feature 'Think Pink' fundraisers and other activities in support of breast cancer research in North Western Ontario. Game times listed below.

Men's Basketball (10-2, 1st in the OUA West)

The men take on the 9-3 McMaster Marauders, who sit 4th in the OUA West.

Orienting their offense largely on the long-ball, they rank 1st in the country in 3-point attempts (28.6 per game) and 2nd in made 3's (9.8 per game) for an average of 34.4% overall. Junior guard Victor Raso is averaging 13.5 PPG and 6 rebounds per game - he also leads the nation in free throw percentage at 93.8%. Fourth year veteran Nathan Pelech (6'4", 210 lbs) is currently shooting 44.1% from long range and leads the team in that regard. Guard Cam Michaud has also been scoring 11.2 PPG so far this season.

The key to Lakehead's success will be closing out on McMaster shooters and controlling the glass. This task could prove more difficult as the mid-season injuries are starting to take their toll, with Joey Nitichoruk out this weekend with a stomach virus, and Yoosrie Salhia (stomach flu) and Greg Carter (lower body) status' listed as questionable heading into the weekend.

Coach Scott Morrison:

"McMaster is one of the top teams in the CIS when you combine their youth with their ability to compete with the best in the CIS. In addition to their 'young guns' they offer a couple of all-star quality players in Vic Raso and Cam Michaud. We are going to have build on and learn from our previous weekend vs Laurier where we saw how important taking care of the ball on offense as well as taking care of rebounding can be."

Game time is 8 pm Friday and Saturday.

Game coverage is available via SSN webcast (www.ssncanada.ca/games) and CILU Radio, 102.7 FM andwww.luradio.ca

Laurier Wins Game 2 92-89, Lakehead Holds 'Split'

2012-01-14T23:05:00.002-05:00

In another shoot-out in Waterloo, the Laurier Golden Hawks made tough shots down the stretch to edge the Lakehead Thunderwolves 92-89. A Venzal Russell steal of a WLU inbounds pass with 1.8 seconds led to a game tying 3pt attempt that rimmed out.

Costly turnovers including a "3 in the key" call with 1:35 remaining in the game did not help the LU cause but credit to Laurier for hitting tough shots during the entire game.

Laurier was led by Kale Harrison who had 19 points and 6 rebounds and possible game MVP Conor Meschino had 16 points on 4-8 shooting, most of which came in the third quarter when LU was making a run.

Lakehead had 6 players in double figures led by Ryan Thomson who had 19 ponts and 11 rebounds and 0 turnovers in 36 minutes of action. Greg Carter, who was banged up in Friday's win, toughed out 34 minutes adding 12 points 6 assists and 3 steals. Ben Johnson had 18 points on 5-10 shooting.

From a team perspective WLU won the valuable rebound battle grabbing 13 rebounds on 36 misses while LU grabbed 12 on 39 misses. Turnovers were also key as LU had 15 to WLU's 11.

Coach Morrison on the Loss.

Credit to Laurier - I thought our defence was actually better tonight but guys like Coulthard and Buckley hit timely shots late in the shot clock with hands in their faces. I was disappointed with our turnovers and poor finishing in the fourth quarter - better execution might have got us over the hump. No time to reflect on this weekend with a tough opponent like McMaster coming to the Thunderdome next weekend.

Video Highlights Lakehead 88 Laurier 83

2012-01-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

Lakehead 88 Laurier 83 (Video Highlights)

Lakehead Wins Opener vs #7 Laurier 88-83

2012-01-13T22:44:00.002-05:00

The #3 ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves won a tough game over the #7 ranked Laurier Golden Hawks 88-83 tonight in Waterloo. After a hot 10-0 start to begin the game, the Thunderwolves fell victim to a classic Laurier offensive explosion as the Hawks regrouped and went on a 42 - 22 run before Ryan Thomson knocked down a couple of free throws at the end of the 2nd quarter to make it 44-39 Laurier at the half.

The second half saw the 'Wolves better contain Laurier's potent transition offense and regained the lead by 5 at the end of the third. Big three's by Greg Carter, Ben Johnson and Brendan King in the 4th helped LU get a 12 point cushion with 6 minutes left, but as predicted Laurier kept coming and made it a nail-biter down-the-stretch. Lakehead held on for a 5 point lead in game 1 of a big OUA West double-header.

For Lakehead Venzal Russell had 24 on 9-28 shooting. Greg Carter had a big game with 15 points on 7-8 shooting with 6 steals. Ryan Thomson and Brendan King shot the ball well combining for 32 points and 4-8 shooting from long range.

Laurier was led by all-Canadian Kale Harrison who had 24 on 9-18 shooting with Max Allin and Pat Donnelly adding 12 and 11 respectively.

The team stats were highlighted by Lakehead's 20 offensive boards (Laurier had 11 of their own). Laurier had the FT edge (17-23 vs 13-20) and Lakehead won the battle of 3pt % going 7-23 as a team (6-16 second half) to Laurier's 2-14 (1-7 each half).

Coach Scott Morrison on the win:

As expected this was a tough game that saw both sides make runs. Laurier is a potent offensive team that keeps coming at you. In the first half they really taught us a lesson about transition. The key to our comeback was our ability to get better looks and O boards in the second half that limited their transition opportunities. Our goal now is to get ourselves focused on tomorrow's game and get ready to compete at 100% for another forty minutes.

Game time tomorrow is 8pm at Laurier.

Lakehead Hits Road to Face #7 Laurier

2012-01-13T01:10:00.002-05:00

From SID Hugh Mullally

Scott Morrison's troops will have to pack a lunch with them this weekend, as they put their 9-1 record on the line against 'Pistol' Pete Campbell's 9-1 Laurier Golden Hawks, as both teams vie for top spot in the OUA West.

Laurier is led by outside shooters Max Allin and Kale Harrison, while forwards Matt Buckley and Patrick Donnelly provide tough checks in the paint for Lakehead posts. Laurier's high-octane offense, which typically scores in the 80's, has produced 100+ point games this season. It will be key for Lakehead to control the flow of the game with their defense and not get into a shootout, especially on the second night when the 'Wolves' legs will likely be more fatigued. That being said, the bench has proven themselves capable of stepping up when called upon by Morrison to make stops and execute down the stretch.

Coach Morrison's focus is on transition defense and controlling the glass:

"This weekend brings the toughest back-to-back games we have played on the road this season. Laurier has many weapons on the floor and play well together- our first priorities for the weekend include finding Laurier's snipers in transition as well as giving our best effort of the 2nd half on the boards."

Game times Friday and Saturday are 8 pm.

Webcasts of the games @ Laurier are available at : www.laurierathletics.com/live

Thunderwolves Set Up "Feeding Station"

2012-01-09T20:26:00.003-05:00

The Lakehead Thunderwolves kicked off their 6th annual Shelterhouse partnership on Sunday night as the first group of players and coaches cooked up a patented first night menu of spaghetti and meat sauce.

Led by superfan (And head Team Chef) Roger Quirion, the team cooked up a big vat of "Coach's meat sauce" to go with some fresh vegetables and delicious spaghetti (different than spaghettini as we learned on Sunday night).

For the sixth year in a row, the team will cook up and serve a meal for 150+ patrons of Shelter House on each of their home weekend Sundays of the OUA West schedule. The next meal will be held January 22nd and will feature a piping hot serving of 'Greg Carter Chili'.

Game 2 Vs Western Highlights

2012-01-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

Lakehead 87 Western 66 Video Highlights

Lakehead Sweeps Western with 87-66 Victory

2012-01-07T22:49:00.003-05:00

The Lakehead Thunderwolves had the opposite start on Saturday night as they did on Friday as Western opened up the game with an 8-1 run and won the 1st quarter 21-17. In the second quarter Lakehead focused its defense and held the Mustangs to 11 points and a Ryan Thomson buzzer beater put the 'Wolves up 4 at the half; 36-32.

The third quarter opened with Venzal Russell leading the charge for LU as he scored 10 straight points himself and helped give Lakehead a big cushion heading into the 4th quarter 64-45. However in the 4th quarter Western's Peter Scholtes took over the game and brought Western back as he scored 24 of his game high 35 in the 2nd half. Scholtes took the 'Wolves off the bounce, stepped out for 3 and posted up and finished inside.

Lakehead was able to re-group and win the quarter (23-21) and the game.

Western played without all-star Ryan Barbeau and starting wing Quinn Henderson. Mustang role players also stepped up and as a team they shot 10-20 from 3pt range but only 8-15 from the FT line. Lakehead on the other hand shot 11-26 from 3pt but a solid 12-15 from the FT line.

Lakehead was led by Venzal Russell with 25 points and 3 steals (10-17 shooting), Joe Jones 16 points on 6-8 shooting and Greg Carter who had 13 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in only 20 minutes of play after sitting out much of the first half with two quick fouls. Ryan Thomson added 10 points and led all rebounders with 6.

Coach Morrison on tonight's win:

It was not our prettiest effort but it was good to see some guys like Russell, King and Jones have good games after struggling a bit since the break. Western's team really stepped up in the absence of two of their main guys and of course Scholtes was possibly the best player on the court offensively over the 80 minutes this weekend. This week in practice we will be working on our man defense discipline as well as looking to create some more opportunities on the glass before we travel to Waterloo to take on the hottest team in the OUA West right now in Laurier.

Lakehead 91 Western 73 (Video Highlights)

2012-01-07T02:29:00.002-05:00

Click here for last night's video highlights (Lakehead 91 Western 73)

Lakehead Beats Western 91-73 in Game 1

2012-01-06T22:27:00.002-05:00

A hot start and even hotter second quarter gave the Lakehead Thunderwolves a 55-32 lead at the half on the strength of 8-16 shooting from 3pt land in the first half. The Mustangs showed some good toughness to open the second half however, drawing some fouls on LU's guards and beating the 'wolves to the paint off the dribble. Western would win the 3rd quarter 25-18 but Lakehead would regroup and, led by Yoosrie Salhia in the 4th quarter, pull ahead for good.

Ryan Barbeau and Peter Scholtes (before fouling out late) put forth excellent games for UWO: Barbeau shot 10-13 for 24 points in 38 minutes of action - drawing the attention of LU's best defenders the entire game. Scholtes was an inside-outside threat dropping 19 points and adding 3 assists to only 1 turnover.

Lakehead was led by Ryan Thomson who hit on 6-9 from 3pt land for 23 points. Thomson added 4 asissts in 33 minutes of action. Salhia had 18 points and shot 4-5 from the free throw line while Venzal Russell had 12 points and 7 assists. Matthew Schmidt had 10 points and 3 assists off the bench for Lakehead.

Coach Morrison on tonight's game:

A great start was the key to the win tonight and much credit to Western for battling hard after their slow 1st quarter. We were fortunate to have shot well from the outside because Western won the battle of penetration tonight including two all-star calibre performances from Barbeau and Scholtes. I expect both teams to make some adjustments tonight and to see a 40 minute OUA West battle again tomorrow night. We are definitely going to have to do a better job making Scholtes catches tougher and keeping Barbeau outside of the paint on his dribble.

Lakehead Hosts Western to Open OUA West Schedule

2012-01-05T15:43:00.000-05:00

From SID Hugh Mullally

The men's team look to improve on their 7-1 record (2nd in OUA West) against the 3-5 Western Mustangs.

Key Players for Western:

#1 option is Ryan Barbeau, who is a good outside shooter and gets to the FT line and attacks off the bounce;
#2 option is Peter Scholtes. Big man who can put it on the floor from the high post area, bang down low and step out to the 3pt line and knock down shots.

Adam Jesperson has been hurt and is unknown as to his status.

Coach Scott Morrison, whose team went 3-0 over the Christmas break in Montreal, is looking for his team to get back to league play at their usual high standard of play:

"We experienced both good and bad moments on the court in Montreal, but at the end of the day we had three tough games that have hopefully helped prepare us for the 'real games' starting this Friday night. Like the rest of our conference, Western is a real tough team that executes well and has a couple of all-star caliber players in Barbeau and Scholtes. It is tough to contain those to guys let alone without worrying about their teammates who seem to all be able to knock down the 3 and finish around the hoop in transition. We are going to have to execute on both ends of the floor to put ourselves in a position to win in crunch time."

Game times are Friday and Saturday @ 8 pm.

Game coverage will be available on SSN Canada (www.ssncanada.ca/games) and CILU, 102.7 FM.

Lakehead 87 UQAM 77 (Video Highlights)

2012-01-01T17:15:00.001-05:00

Lakehead over UQAM Dec 29/2011 - Video highlights

Happy New Year to Lakehead Basketball Nation!

2011-12-31T15:03:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-30T21:25:00.002-05:00

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

2011-12-30T00:09:00.000-05:00

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)

2011-12-29T13:36:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-28T23:21:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-27T13:47:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-09T09:05:00.002-05:00

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)

2011-12-05T01:10:00.001-05:00

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

Lakehead Wins Thriller in OT vs Laurentian

2011-12-03T22:48:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-03T08:31:00.001-05:00

Lakehead 91 York 76 (Video Highlights)

Lakehead Survives York 91-76

2011-12-02T23:08:00.002-05:00

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

2011-12-01T08:14:00.002-05:00

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)

2011-11-27T12:33:00.004-05:00

#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

2011-11-26T22:50:00.002-05:00

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)

2011-11-26T08:49:00.001-05:00

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

Wolves Hold off Gee Gees 78-72

2011-11-25T22:46:00.003-05:00

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

2011-11-24T22:01:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-21T00:14:00.000-05:00

"Life on the Road" Queen's Journal

Lakehead Beats Toronto & Ryerson (Video Highlights)

2011-11-20T20:02:00.003-05:00

Lakehead 95 Ryerson 54 (Video Highlights)

Lakehead 68 Toronto 63 (Video Highlights)

Media From Lakehead-Ryerson Game

2011-11-20T12:25:00.002-05:00

'Wolves Take it to Rams - Chronicle Journal

Ram Toughened - Tbnewwatch.com (Leith Dunick)

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

2011-11-19T22:54:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-19T11:14:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-19T01:25:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-12T18:38:00.002-05:00

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)

2011-11-12T02:47:00.001-05:00

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

Lakehead Wins Opener At Queen's

2011-11-12T01:11:00.000-05:00

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)

2011-11-11T01:19:00.002-05:00

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

Lakehead Opens OUA Season vs Queen's and RMC

2011-11-11T01:17:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

Lakehead 70 Stout 67 (Highlights)

Lakehead Edges Hamline University in Shoot-out

2011-11-05T23:06:00.003-04:00

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

2011-11-04T22:43:00.002-04:00

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

2011-11-03T15:13:00.001-04:00

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

2011-11-03T15:11:00.001-04:00

Tbnewswatch.com on CIS Rankings

Lakehead vs Regina Highlights (Game 2)

2011-10-24T11:55:00.003-04:00

Highlights from Lakehead's 104-79 Win over Regina

Game Recap from Lakehead SID Hugh Mullally

Lakehead 105 Regina 79 (Game 2)

2011-10-22T23:49:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-22T12:27:00.002-04:00

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)

2011-10-15T13:26:00.002-04:00

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)

2011-10-03T19:07:00.002-04:00

Lakehead 92 Winnipeg 61 (Game 2)

2010-11 Wilson Cup Highlight Reel

2011-10-02T15:30:00.001-04:00

(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

2011-10-02T14:16:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of Leith Dunick

Lakehead 92 Winnipeg 61 (Game 2)

Lakehead 80 Winnipeg 68 (Game 1)

Lakehead Completes Sweep of Winnipeg

2011-10-02T14:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-02T14:10:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-01T01:29:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-30T17:01:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-09-25T21:25:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-09-07T11:31:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-04T16:55:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-04T16:43:00.002-04:00

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

2011-07-07T16:07:00.002-04:00

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

2011-06-08T12:39:00.004-04:00

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

2011-06-06T11:32:00.005-04:00

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

2011-05-25T13:21:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-16T14:01:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-04T10:48:00.002-04:00

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

2011-04-06T09:45:00.002-04:00

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

2011-04-01T12:27:00.004-04:00

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

2011-03-31T16:48:00.002-04:00

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

2011-03-30T15:31:00.002-04:00

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

Lakehead Basketball Announces 2nd Recruit

2011-03-21T17:45:00.002-04:00

For Official Release Click Here

New LU Basketball Addition: J.R. Alexander

March 21st, 2011

Basketball - Men's

Recruiting

Author: Hugh Mullally

Lakehead Athletics and head men’s basketball coach Scott Morrison are pleased to announce that Sylvestor “J.R.” Alexander has committed to joining the varsity basketball team upon enrolling at Lakehead in September 2011. Alexander is a 6’2” combo guard who starred in both basketball and football at Grant Park high school in Winnipeg.

“We are very excited to welcome J.R. to our program and basketball family. Not only is he an excellent athlete with unlimited potential at the next level, he is a good kid who has fit in well with our returning players during the recruiting process." said Coach Morrison of his latest addition.

Alexander has started at both quarterback and the point guard position for the Grant Park Pirates and has recently been named one of the top ten schoolboy basketball players in the province of Manitoba by the Winnipeg Sun. His resume also includes being named a top ten football player in the province and earning a 2^nd team all-star at the Canadian U15 national basketball championships while representing Manitoba.

Alexander looks forward to joining his new school and team in September:

“I am very happy to commit to Lakehead for the next stage of my student-athlete career. Aside from being a successful basketball team, I chose Lakehead due to the fact there is a close bond amongst its players and a hard working and successful coaching staff leading the group. I look forward to putting in a lot of work this summer to be prepared for the next step in Thunder Bay.”

Sylvestor Alexander is the second recruiting announcement for the Thunderwolves as local product Alex Robichaud announced his intentions back in mid-January. Robichaud went on to lead Superior High School to their first Thunder Bay city championship in late February.

Coach Morrison hopes to add more newcomers to this year’s class in the upcoming weeks: “While we do not lose a high % of our roster this year, we have the potential to have up to eight seniors in our lineup next season. This is an important recruiting class to help us take the next step in 2012 but to also form the future core of the team as we move towards a new era in Lakehead basketball.”

Story on the Bryson Johnson (Ben's Brother playing for Bucknell)

2011-03-18T09:27:00.000-04:00

Bryson Johnson hits the big time

Spring League Dates & Info Released

2011-03-16T14:22:00.002-04:00

The 2011 Boys spring league is set to go for a May 3rd start. Leagues are available on Tuesday and Thursday nights thru June 16th. Ages include 6-18. Please click on the link below for full information and registration details.

Pizza Hut Spring League Information

Finishing up the Media Links on the Final 8 (Some Links)

2011-03-16T14:14:00.003-04:00

Strong Finish - Chronicle Journal Story on Sunday's Finale

Lakehead's Student Paper - The Argus - Recaps all 3 games with photos

Big Bodies Pound Lakehead - Chronicle Journal on Friday's Quarter-Finale

Thunder Bay is in the House - The Argus breaks down LU's OUA Award Winners

Morell also is in the House - The Guardian

Fifth-place finish - Tbnewswatch.com

2011-03-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

Fifth-place finish - Tbnewswatch.com

Leith Dunick captures the spirit of Lakehead's consolation victory leading to a 5th place national finish.

Lakehead Beats Dalhousie 84-80 to Claim 5th Place in Nation

2011-03-13T13:49:00.003-04:00

The Lakehead Thunderwolves beat the Dalhousie Tigers today for the CIS Final 8 consolation championship and finished a great season on a winning note.

Down for much of the game the Thunderwolves staged a rally with under 3 min remaining (down 8) to bring the score to 80-79 in favor of Dalhousie with 12 second remaining. With Dalhousie in control and inbounding the ball, Joseph Jones (3rd year Washington, DC) stole the inbounds pass and hit ahead to a streaking Greg Carter who drew an intentional foul and calmly drained both free throws to give Lakehead a 1 point lead with 7 seconds to go. Lakehead then would hit 3 more free throws to finish with an 84-80 victory.

In his final CIS game, Jamie Searle (Belleville, Ontario) again was instrumental in a Thunderwolves come back going for 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and only 1 turnover in 31 minutes of action. Searle drained two three pointers late in the 4th quarter to help bring the 'Wolves within striking distance for the last defensive stand of the season.

Yoosrie Salhia had his best Final 8 game to date scoring 12 points and 8 rebounds while adding 5 blocked shots and 4 assists. Venzal Russell had 15 points and 3 steals while Ryan Thomson had the outside stroke working to the tune of 13 points in only 12 minutes. Ben Johnson completed a well-played play-off month with 10 points on 3-5 3pt shooting before fouling out late in the 4th quarter. Andrew Hackner had 5 points and 2 rebounds over 19 minutes in his final CIS game. For Dalhousie, All-Canadian Simon Farine had a stellar game with 31 points and 6 assists to finish his excellent career. Fellow senior Joe Schow also had 13 and 11 boards to get a double-double in his last run.

For the game Dalhousie out-rebounded Lakehead 45-35 (15-13 O boards) however Lakehead made up for the rebounding edge by forcing 21 Dalhousie turnovers. Lakehead shot 10-28 from three point land. Lakehead was 31-75 from three point range for the tournament.

With the win, Lakehead finishes 2-1 at the Final 8 and sees a fantastic season finish with a 27-12 win-loss record (5-1 post season), the school's first ever OUA Wilson Cup championship and a top 5 national standing. Congrats to the team on a great effort and to Jamie Searle and Andrew Hackner

"I was proud of the team for providing a solid effort today and for not quitting when it looked like Dal was ready to pull away at various times throughout the game. Jamie Searle and Andrew Hackner were both key instruments in the win - which was a fitting way for them to end their careers. Credit to Dalhousie for playing tough as well and providing one of the better consolation finals to take place in recent years. "

"We are quite proud of the success we have enjoyed this season and all we have accomplished - however we will be looking forward to taking a break and then getting back at it to work toward playing in the 5:00pm game this time next year. Thanks to all of our fans in Halifax this weekend as well to all those following at home - we appreciate and need your continued support!"

- Coach Morrison

#2 Carleton plays #6 TWU in the CIS final today at 5:00PM Atlantic time.

Lakehead gets Final 8 win over Acadia 75-67

2011-03-12T15:08:00.002-05:00

While not as important as last night's loss to TWU, the Lakehead Thunderwolves earned a big win for the program this afternoon in Halifax as they topped the #8 seed Acadia Axemen 75-67. The win "broke the Final 8 ice" for the 'Wolves who had lost 3 straight in the tournament including 2010 in Ottawa. The victory also avenged a non-conference loss to the Axemen in Wolfville back in October.

Lakehead gave a consistent effort on both ends throughout the game, but it was the ball pressure of Lakehead guards Greg Carter, Ben Johnson and Venzal Russell that provided an early boost to the Ontario Champs leading to a 19-16 1st quarter advantage. The story of the first half on the other end was Venzal Russell who took advantage of some smaller match ups in game 2 to put up 16 first half points and finished with a game high 29. Acadia also put forth a great effort and beat Lakehead on the 10-5 on the O glass in the first half.

The second half was a back and forth battle with each teams answering each other. Acadia's Owen Klassen (6'10 C) started to become a major factor inside and finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Twice Acadia would take the lead but Lakehead answered each time with a 3pt bomb of their own to reclaim and remain composed throughout. For the game Lakehead shot 10-19 from 3pt land while Acadia was 3-17. Jamie Searle had 4 of those 10 3pt buckets including a couple of daggers late in the 4th quarter to put the game out of reach. Searle finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds in just under 40 minutes of play.

"This was not the most important win that will take place on this court today, but it was still a very big win for our program. We get a chance to play one more game in what has been an excellent season tomorrow morning and also get a 2nd chance at a team we lost to in October. Our goal is to keep pushing and 'leave it all on the table' tomorrow morning vs Dalhousie."

- Coach Morrison

The Thunderwolves take the court bright and early at 10:30am at the Metro Centre.

'Wolves Fall Short to TWU

2011-03-11T17:22:00.003-05:00

Trinity Western started the game with a 22-6 1st quarter that the Thunderwolves could not overcome the rest of the game. TWU took advantage of their general size mismatches to beat up the 'Wolves 10-5 in the offensive rebounding category in the first half and held Lakehead to only 6 points in the paint over the opening 20 minutes.

Lakehead found some holes in the big team's defense but could not sustain a long enough run to get back in the game. Down 6 with under 5 minutes to go, Lakehead looked on the verge of making one of its patented 4th quarter come-backs, however Jacob Doerksen, a 1st team all-Canadian, played big when it counted grabbing two offensive rebounds for scores as LU after tough defensive stands for Lakehead. With Doerksen's late second chances LU was forced to foul down the stretch and TWU made their free throws going 17-23 for the game.

Ryan Thomson (2nd year Oakville) led the Thunderwolves with 18 points on 7-14 shooting while Jamie Searle had 15 and 6 rebounds. Venzal Russell and Greg Carter were also in double-digits for LU.

TWU rode their all-Canadian Doerksen to the tune of 20 points and 9 rebounds in 39+ minutes with Kyle Coston getting player of the game for his 20 point 11 rebound double-double (9-9 Ft).

"Obviously it was a tough loss for us in a game that we felt we had prepared well for. I was not happy with our attitude to start the game as we forgot our gameplan on both ends and played desperate; despite the fact it was only the first quarter. We had our normal good effort once we settled down, but a big deficit is hard to overcome in the metro centre against one of the best and biggest teams in the CIS."

- Coach Morrison

Lakehead plays Acadia in the consolation round tomorrow at 12pm.

"While we cannot reach our ultimate goal of winning a CIS title this weekend, we are already looking towards Acadia and hoping to break into the win column and exact some revenge for a pre-season loss at Wolfville."

Thanks to all the Lakehead fans who made their presence known tonight, we'll try to get one for you tomorrow afternoon.

Worst to first - Tbnewswatch.com

2011-03-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

Leith Dunick is on the road covering the CIS Final 8 for Tbnewswatch.com in his hometown of Halifax. (Link to the story from Thursday's Prep)

Worst to first - Tbnewswatch.com

Tip Time is 3:15 (Atlantic) / 2:15 (Eastern)

Game is webcast @ www.ssncanada.ca

Lakehead - TWU Round 1 Preview

2011-03-09T16:25:00.002-05:00

From the desk and mind of Lakehead SID Hugh "Thesaurus" Mullally (RIP Biggie Smalls)

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thunderwolves to Battle Trinity Western Spartans in First Round at Final 8
March 9, 2011
THUNDER BAY, ON

The Skinny

After winning their first Wilson Cup in history in Hamilton last week versus #1 nationally ranked Carleton, the Lakehead men's basketball team is poised to take to the floor at the CIS Final 8 tournament in Halifax, colloquially known as 'The Big Dance' in Canadian university basketball talk. First on their dance card are the Trinity Western Spartans, from Langley, B.C., who finished 3rd in the Canada West division, and were awarded the Wild Card selection to the Final 8.

This will be Lakehead's second consecutive trip to the CIS Final 8, although this time it will be hosted by the Halifax Metro Center after having been held in Ottawa the past three years. Last year's campaign did not go as planned for LU, as they lost both their games, vs. UBC (first round) and Cape Breton (consolation). It certainly promises to be an emotional home coming of sorts, for both the tournament as a whole, and for LU head coach Scott Morrison, who last stepped onto the floor at the Metro Center as a player for UPEI during the Atlantic University Sports basketball playoffs in the late 90's.

For the Spartans, this is their first trip to the Final 8 tournament, and have only been in the CIS league for 11 years since joining in the 1999-2000 season. But they have impressed many throughout the year, and have sat in the #3 or #4 spot in national rankings for most of the 2010-11 season.

This first game will be webcast on SSN Canada, beginning at 3:15 ADT, 2:15 locally here in Thunder Bay. (www.ssncanada.ca)
Depending on outcomes, Lakehead games may be broadcast on TSN2, if not via SSN Canada webcast. Stay tuned for further details atwww.thunderwolves.ca, and the Lakehead Basketball Blog (http://lakeheadbasketball.blogspot.com/).

Match-up Details

The Spartans finished with an overall 25-5 record against Canadian competition during the 2010-11 campaign, but have limited game experience against any Canadian teams east of the Manitoba border (90-76 win against Laurentian in October of 2010). They are led in scoring by Jacob Doerkson (Abbotsford B.C.) with 21.6 PPG (in 30 minutes per game) and led in rebounding by Tyrell Mara (White Rock, B.C.), with 8.9 per game. Trystan Smith (Los Angeles, CA) runs the point and has averaged 4.4 assists per game.

As is the case with many Canada West teams, the Spartan's key to victory is to out-shoot an opponent flat-out, and not so much on getting defensive stops. They have scored 100+ points in 8 games this season, and 90+ points in 9 other games. Their season scoring average is 92.4 PPG, while their opposition has averaged 75.4 PPG. This is contrasted with the Lakehead Thunderwolves, who have predicated their path to success on grinding defense and keeping their opponent's score under the 70 point mark (Overall opponents average: 70.47), as they have averaged 78.3 PPG during their 25-11 season overall (exhibition, season and playoffs). The Thunderwolves have proven that they are capable of getting defensive stops against high-octane offenses, as they held the Carleton Ravens to 62 points in the Wilson Cup final (and 75 points in their regular season match up), a team that has averaged 91.6 PPG in their regular season.

Coach Morrison's Message:

"It is a tough turnaround this week but we have departed to Halifax with a more focused approach than we did Ottawa last year. We have a tough match-up in Trintity Western that seem to out-size us by 3-4 inches and 25 pounds at each position. We will have to play the ultimate team game to advance Friday afternoon and we are confident we have the personnel needed to accomplish this next goal."

Games can be watched on SSN Canada, www.ssncanada.ca/games

Game time is Friday @ 2:15 Thunder Bay time.

CIS Hoops.ca: SSN Canada to do Friday afternoon games

2011-03-09T01:05:00.000-05:00

CIS Hoops.ca: SSN Canada to do Friday afternoon games: "Got word overnight that SSN Canada will carry the first two games of the CIS Final 8 on Friday afternoon with local Halifax announcer Bill M..."

Searle is OUA Athlete of the Week

2011-03-08T08:23:00.003-05:00

For the first time in 8 years a Lakehead men's basketball player has been named OUA Athlete of the Week. Jamie Searle was recognized by the OUA this week after helping to lead Lakehead to its first ever Wilson Cup OUA Championship.

The following is taken from the OUA website.

MALE: Jamie Searle, Lakehead Thunderwolves, Basketball
Jamie Searle of Belleville, Ont., led his Thunderwolves to their first Wilson Cup in history, beating Ottawa 71-69 on Friday and Carleton the next evening 77-62. In the Wilson Cup final, Searle, a fifth-year guard and OUA first team all-star, was named the Porter Player of the Game and awarded the Kitch Macpherson Trophy as the outstanding player in the Wilson Cup final. Searle posted a team-leading 23 points, including 14 points in the fourth quarter. He connected on eight of 15 field goal attempts, and was a perfect six-for-six on free throws. The night previous in the win versus Ottawa, Jamie had only two points. His two free throws in the final minute to tie the semifinal were followed by a turnover forced by Searle that led to Lakehead's dramatic win.

Lakehead draws No. 4 Trinity Western at nationals - Tbnewswatch.com

2011-03-07T00:05:00.000-05:00

Lakehead draws No. 4 Trinity Western at nationals - Tbnewswatch.com

Hamilton Spectator Article on Wilson Cup

2011-03-07T00:04:00.000-05:00

TheSpec - Lakehead shoots down Ravens at Wilson Cup

CIS Hoops.ca: Lakehead puts up a Championship Banner

2011-03-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

CIS Hoops.ca: Lakehead puts up a Championship Banner: "Congratulations to Coach Scott Morrison and the Lakehead Thunderwolves for capturing their first OUA Wilson Cup championship ever with a sup..."

Click the link above for 3-4 articles on Lakehead's Wilson Cup win summarized by CIShoops.ca

Wolves stun Ravens, win OUA championship - Tbnewswatch.com

2011-03-06T03:45:00.000-05:00

Wolves stun Ravens, win OUA championship - Tbnewswatch.com

Lakehead Wins OUA Wilson Cup with Victory over #1 Carleton

2011-03-05T23:38:00.002-05:00

Big win for Lakehead tonight winning our first OUA Wilson Cup in school history.

Stay tuned for a game report tomorrow.

Enjoy this win Thunderwolves' Nation - we are working hard to try and get a couple more next week in Halifax.

Highlights of Lakehead's 71-69 win over Ottawa (theScore)

2011-03-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

Highlights from the Score television network's coverage of the game.

(Copy and paste the link for highlights)

http://video.thescore.com/watch/lakehead-71-ottawa-69

Off to nationals - Tbnewswatch.com

2011-03-05T01:50:00.000-05:00

Friday's Post Game Report from Leith Dunick of Tbnewswatch.com

Off to nationals - Tbnewswatch.com

Thunderwolves Earn 4 OUA West Awards

2011-03-05T01:47:00.000-05:00

TheSpec - Kuon, Hinz named OUA hoops players of the year

Jamie Searle - OUA West 1st Team All-Star

Venzal Russell - OUA West 2nd Team All-Star

Greg Carter - OUA West Defensive Player of the Year

Scott Morrison - OUA West Coach of the Year

Lakehead Punches Ticket to Second Straight Final 8

2011-03-04T22:53:00.002-05:00

The Lakehead Thunderwolves survived a late Ottawa Gee Gees rally to get a huge victory and clinch their second consecutive berth in the CIS Final 8 tournament in Halifax next week.

Lakehead got an early lead on the back of 8-17 3pt shooting in the first half to lead by 13 at the half 42-29. Ben Johnson subbed in for Jamie Searle who had two quick fouls in the first half and promptly knocked down 3 straight 3's and finished 4-8 from 3pt land for 12 points.

In the second half, Ottawa battled back on the strength of their own hot shooting from Nem Baletic and Louis Gauthier (14 and 18 pts respectively) and took a brief lead 69-67 when Jamie Searle hit 2 clutch free throws with 12 second remaining. Searle, who was held to only two points, then proceded to steal the Ottawa inbounds which led to a Venzal Russell baseline jumper to win the game with .9 seconds remaining sending the Lakehead bench and faithful fans into a frenzy. Russell led Lakehead with 17 while Yoosrie Salhia was the third 'Wolf in double figures with 13 and ten rebounds.

"It was a great win for a lot of reasons tonight. Obviously to get to 'the dance' for a second consecutive year is huge for our program and the fact we battled some cold shooting in the second half to come out with a win should give us confidence for the next time we miss a couple of shots. Very proud of a team effort on the glass as we out-rebounded Ottawa 14-2 in terms of O boards and that was a major difference."

Lakehead meets #1 Carleton for the Wilson Cup OUA CHampionship tomorrow night at 8pm - also like on The Score television network.