SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - The term "mid-season form" is relative in a season like this year's, but the purple and gold sure seem to be in fine shape at the midway mark.
For the second straight night, the Golden Hawks came into the George Leech Centre and defended it as if it were their own nest, beating the Algoma Thunderbirds in a dominant 89-63 win.
Tight defense and tenacious rebounding were the keys to the Laurier victory, with the Golden Hawks pulling down an impressive 18 offensive boards.
The first quarter saw a sluggish start from both sides, with the score remaining 2-0 for Algoma until roughly four minutes in. It wasn't until the last three minutes that either team was able to put together a significant run.
With Laurier leading 18-10 heading into the second, both teams found their groove offensively, with the Golden Hawks outscoring the Thunderbirds 33-26 in the quarter, good for a 51-36 lead at halftime. Laurier was led offensively by fifth-year forward Andan Begovic (Mississauga, Ont.), who finished with a season-high 18 points, including five three-pointers.
Much like Friday's game, it was in the third quarter that the Golden Hawks began to pull away. The offense was spurred by
Romello Taylor (Driftwood, Ont.), who lead the team in assists for the second straight game with nine.
Laurier held a 74-48 lead after three quarters. Unlike Friday, in which Algoma mounted an impressive comeback effort, the Thunderbirds seemed tired out in the fourth quarter, unable to crack the Golden Hawks' defense.
Laurier had been unable to complete a two-game sweep so far this season, losing the second games of their series with Lakehead and Windsor. With the two wins over Algoma, the Golden Hawks are now back to .500 with a record of 4-4, as they look to secure one of the six available playoff spots in the OUA West Division.
While that's certainly a confidence boost of sorts, Manager of Men's Basketball Operations & Head Coach
Justin Serresse is more concerned with the road ahead.
"We can't get ahead of ourselves," he said. "We'll go one game at a time... even one quarter at a time."
Top Performers
Golden Hawks - Romello Taylor
Taylor had another impressive night, leading the team in assists (nine) and steals (four) while also contributing 13 points on very efficient 67% shooting.
Thunderbirds – Maxime Bellony
Bellony was once again the leader offensively for Algoma, scoring 16 points on 63% shooting while pulling down six rebounds.
Up Next
The Golden Hawks will be back at the Athletic Complex for their first home game since November 27th, as they take on the Waterloo Warriors at 8 p.m. this Wednesday. Tickets are on sale at
tickets.laurierathletics.com and will be live on OUA.tv
