WATERLOO, Ont. - The first half of the Golden Hawks' 2022-2023 season was chock-full of close finishes and late-game heroics, so it should come as no surprise, really, that they welcomed in the new year with more of the same.
Facing the #2 Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night, Laurier gave the home crowd plenty to cheer for in their first game back from the holiday break. The back-and-forth contest finished with the Golden Hawks on top, 87-83 in overtime.
Also unsurprising was the stye of play to begin the game. Ottawa has allowed the fewest points per game of any team in the OUA, while Laurier sits tied for eighth in that regard.
Both teams played excellent defense throughout the first quarter, though the Gee-Gees had the edge, taking away any lanes to the hoop and holding the Golden Hawks to just 21% shooting from the field. All of Laurier's first-quarter points came from beyond or just inside the three-point line, and Ottawa took a 16-11 lead into the second.
The purple and gold were able to take control early in the frame, going on a 7-2 run to tie the score at 18-18. From there, the lead changed hands seven times before halftime as the game began to open up offensively. It was Laurier's defence which drove their offensive surge, with 13 of their second quarter points coming off turnovers.
With the score 41-35 Laurier at the break, the Golden Hawks held onto the lead thanks to their strong two-way play. Ethan Passley's 23 points led the team, while Ben Stevens (13 points, two blocks, three steals) and Taye Donald (15 points, one block, four steals) were standouts at both ends.
The Gee-Gees were able to slightly narrow Laurier's lead down to 62-58, despite the Golden Hawks shooting 53% in the frame. In the fourth, they ground away at the deficit before finally tying it with just under two minutes to play. A big shot from Justin Malnerich to regain the lead late wasn't enough to stop Ottawa from sending the game to overtime.
Laurier's defence went to work in the extra period, holding the garnet and grey to a measly 18% shooting from the field. Ben Stevens' four points led the way at the other end, while a late three from Benhur Gebrekidan put the game out of reach.
Stevens' 18 rebounds are tied for the most ever by a Golden Hawk in a game. With his dominance on the glass so far this campaign, he's on pace to break Kemel Archer's record for most rebounds in a season set in 2019. He currently sits third in the OUA with 10.1 boards per game.
The win is Laurier's first against an opponent sporting a better record than theirs, and is evident of the progress we've seen from them over the course of the season. Manager of Men's Basketball Operations and Head Coach Justin Serresse named the increasing maturity of the team's two young point guards – Donald and Passley – as a catalyst for their offensive improvement.
"Both of them still have room for improvement, and that's what we're excited about," he said.
Serresse also made sure to credit his players for staying in game shape over the exam period and holiday break, as well as Laurier Athletics' High Performance Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Sam Eyles-Frayne for her role in designing specialized conditioning programs.
The Golden Hawks now have a 7-4 record on the season, good for second place in the OUA West division. The loss is just the second of Ottawa's season, with their record now at 8-2.
TOP PERFORMERS
Laurier Golden Hawks
Besides hitting the overtime dagger, Benhur Gebrekidan finished the night with a career-high 19 points, sinking five three-pointers on just seven attempts.
Serresse also praised his defensive performance. "What I really liked about Benhur was he kept his match-ups. They had guys attack him and he owned up to the challenge."
Ottawa Gee-Gees
Second-year guard Cole Newton led the way offensively for the Gee-Gees with 19 points, He also had seven rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Golden Hawks will look to pull off back-to-back upsets Saturday night when they take on the #1 Carleton Ravens at 8 p.m. at the Athletic Complex. Tickets are on sale now.
