BY THE NUMBERS: #2 Ottawa takes to Waterloo for meetings with Golden Hawks and Warriors

January 5, 2023

January 6 & 7, 2023
The Matchups: #2 Ottawa Gee-Gees (8-1, T-1st in the OUA East) vs. Laurier Golden Hawks (6-4, 2nd in the OUA West) & Waterloo Warriors (0-8, 6^th in OUA West)
Location: Athletic Complex – Waterloo, ON (Friday) & PAC Gymnasium – Waterloo, ON (Saturday)
Tip-off: 8 p.m. (Friday) & 6 p.m. (Saturday)
Watch Live: OUA.tv
Last Meetings: Ottawa def. Laurier 80-72 – Nov. 1, 2019 / Ottawa def. Waterloo 90-62 – Nov. 2, 2019

OTTAWA MAJOR STAT LEADERS

Points (per game): Guillaume Pépin – 15.0 pts.
Assists (per game): Dragan Stajic – 6.0 ast.
Rebounds (per game): Dragan Stajic – 6.4 reb.
Field-goal percentage: Brock Newton – 67.9 per cent
Three-point percentage: Liban Abdalla – 50.0 per cent

LAURIER MAJOR STAT LEADERS

Points (per game): Ethan Passley – 15.3 pts.
Assists (per game): Taye Donald – 3.6 ast.
Rebounds (per game): Ben Stevens – 9.3 reb.
Field-goal percentage: Ben Stevens – 58.3 per cent
Three-point percentage: Ethan Passley – 41.4 per cent

WATERLOO MAJOR STAT LEADERS

Points (per game): Kanayo Nnadi – 11.6 pts.
Assists (per game): Raf Llorin – 3.0 ast.
Rebounds (per game): Stefan Djukic – 6.5 reb.
Field-goal percentage: Cristian Craciun – 35.8 per cent
Three-point percentage: Kanayo Nnadi – 29.4 per cent

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Ottawa will continue their lopsided schedule of OUA West opponents as they kick off the second half of the OUA season against two teams they have not faced since 2019. In the Gee-Gees' home opening weekend in 2019, Ottawa defeated both Laurier and Waterloo at Montpetit Hall.
The Gee-Gees are fresh from a successful showing at Winnipeg's Wesmen Classic tournament in late December, where the team went 3-0 to win the tournament title defeating Canada West foes #8 Manitoba, Regina, and Winnipeg. Guillaume Pépin was named the tournament's MVP, while Kevin Otoo was named an All-Star.
Ottawa boasts an eye-catching shooting stat heading into the first weekend of the semester. They possess the top field goal shooter, and three-point shooter in the conference with Brock Newton leading the OUA and ranking second in the nation shooting 67.9 from the field, while Liban Abdalla is tied for first in threes, shooting an even 50.0 per cent from beyond the arc.
Against Laurier, the Gee-Gees will once again meet former lead assistant coach, Justin Serresse, who has been the Golden Hawks' head coach since 2016. Serresse spent six years with the Gee-Gees from 2010-16 and has since posted a winning record in his six years at the helm of the Hawks.