WEEKEND RECAP: #10 Ottawa defeats McMaster and Guelph at home

The U SPORTS 10^th ranked Gee-Gees men's basketball team secured two wins at Montpetit Hall, defeating McMaster 77-70 on Friday and Guelph 81-45 on Saturday.

With fifth-year captain point guard Dragan Stajic returning to action from injury, the Gee-Gees added a crucial piece back to their lineup for the first time since the regular season opener on Oct. 25.

All five Ottawa starters scored in double figures with Ankit Choudhary leading the way with 20 points, to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta has a 18-point, 12-rebound double-double with five assists and three steals. Stajic and Justin Ndjock-Tadjore rounded out the others with 10 points apiece.

On Saturday, the Gee-Gees powered to a lopsided win over the Gryphons. Ottawa shot 41.5% from the field and hit nine threes, while Guelph struggled shooting averaging only 22.7% from the field and 13.3% from three.

A 31-10 third quarter blew the lead wide open for Ottawa as they had a chance to play their full bench in the win.

Choudhary had 22 points, while Ndjock-Tadjore had 12 points, Guemeta finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Stajic turned in a well-rounded performance with nine points, six rebounds and assists, and four steals. Matthew Smith tied his own record with seven blocks, while first-year Will McCauley had seven points and four rebounds in nine minutes off the bench.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

"Obviously it's been a tough couple of months for me, but having the support of the team, the coaching staff, and everyone has been a blessing. Without their support I wouldn't be here and it's great to be back with them on the court and sharing the moments together. I'm excited to keep it moving." – Gee-Gees point guard Dragan Stajic.

UP NEXT:

The Gee-Gees will travel to Toronto for a school-day matchup with the Varsity Blues at 1 p.m. on Friday, before taking on the TMU Bold at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will be streaming live on OUA.tv