WEEKEND RECAP: #3 Gee-Gees defeat York, fall to #8 Lakehead

The U SPORTS third-ranked Gee-Gees men's basketball team returned home after two consecutive weekends on the road for matchups against York and eighth-ranked Lakehead on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, the team defeated York 100-75, and on Saturday, suffered their first loss of the regular season to Lakehead by a final score of 80-73.

NOV. 22 VS. YORK 

Against York, the Gee-Gees were led by a balanced attack that saw 11 different players register points in the game, five of which scoring in double-figures. 

Despite a quick start from the Lions, the Gee-Gees responded and reeled off a 30-15 second quarter, and a 28-10 third quarter, before taking their foot off the gas pedal in the final frame.

Ottawa forced 19 turnovers, turning them into 18 points and outrebounded York by a 47-34 margin. 

In his first regular season action, fourth-year guard Gage Sabean scored 15 points, Marlon Kordrostami also added 15 and nine rebounds. Calvin Epistola (14), Dragan Stajic (12), and Kevin Civil (11), rounded out other Gee-Gees in double-digit scoring.

The game signified a new career high for first-year point guard Stajic, who has seen his numbers take an uptick in recent games.

In the final minutes of the game, Montpetit Hall went electric when first-year forward Cole Newkirk blast through the lane and jammed home a vicious dunk to add an exclamation point to the night.

NOV. 23 VS. #8 LAKEHEAD

Against Lakehead, the Thunderwolves came into the night riding high off of a great start to the season, capping off a signature upset win.

The two teams could not have had more opposite starts in the game, Lakehead coming out blazing, taking control of the tempo of the game early. Holding a slim 16-14 lead after the first frame, Lakehead effectively put the game to rest in the second quarter, outscoring the Gee-Gees 23-9 to hold a 16-point lead at halftime. 

In the second half, Ottawa fought valiantly to regain the lead, however their heroic late game three-point barrage fell short. The Gee-Gees outscored their opponents 50-41 in the second half, but it was too little too late to close the gap.

Epistola finished with a game-high 24 points, 18 of which came in the final two frames, along with seven rebounds, and three assists. Thomas Chilton added 11 points and nine rebounds to the effort, while Civil had 10 points, four rebounds in the loss.

The win marked Lakehead's first against the Gee-Gees since the national semifinals in the 2012-13 season. 

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

"You just can't spot a team that kind of lead. We fought back, but couldn't get it under eight really until the end. That's a testament to how hard they defend and how hard they work, they're a really good team and we weren't ready for it tonight." – Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin following the Lakehead game.

"We need to really take advantage of these games against high quality opponents, because they can really expose our weaknesses. We have to treat every game the same and keep the same approach regardless of the opponent, that way we'll be ready to play every time." – Fifth-year guard Sean Stoqua on the team's approach going forward.

UP NEXT:

The Gee-Gees will have no time to dwell on the loss with another pair of Northern Ontarian opponents coming into town this upcoming weekend. On Friday, they will face a Nipissing team currently sitting with a 3-6 record, but will get another Top 10 opponent in Laurentian on Saturday for the annual "Shoot for the Cure" matchup.

Both games tip off at 8 p.m. at Montpetit Hall and tickets are available at tickets.geegees.ca.