WINDSOR, Ont. - The Golden Hawks got a taste of their own medicine Wednesday night in Windsor, as the Lancers did what the purple and gold have done so often this season; overcoming a big first-half deficit with a dominant second half to complete the comeback. The final score was 89-70 for Windsor.
Laurier seemed to have cured the first quarter woes that have plagued them since the holiday break, as they were all over the Lancers to start, silencing the raucous home crowd with an early 7-3 run.
Justin Malnerich led the way offensively in the opening frame, picking up right where he left off from Saturday's 23-point performance. The Golden Hawks shot a combined 53% from the field in the quarter, taking a 26-19 lead into the second.
Windsor was able to battle back, led by OUA MVP candidate Thomas Kennedy. The fourth-year forward had seven points in a 13-2 Lancers run, giving them a two-point lead midway through the quarter.
The final minutes before the half saw the two teams trade big baskets, with Laurier forward Majok Deng answering back in a battle between two versatile big men. The Golden Hawks held a narrow 42-40 lead heading into the break.
The third quarter was where the game got away from Laurier. Windsor won the battle on the glass, 12 rebounds to six, while pouring in buckets at the other end, matching the Golden Hawks' first quarter clip shooting 53%.
Again, it was Kennedy leading the charge. He had 15 points in the quarter, nearly single-handedly putting together a 12-2 run to open the second half.
Kennedy was characteristically an imposing presence inside the paint, but he was also doing damage from the high post and even from three-point range. All this after being largely contained in these teams' previous meeting earlier this season.
"We gave him so many opens rebounds and transition buckets early, which gave him that confidence to get a rhythm [in the second half]," said Laurier's manager of basketball operations and head coach Justin Serresse.
Trailing 66-56 heading into the fourth, the Golden Hawks improved defensively but couldn't gain much ground with the Lancers still controlling the boards. Windsor doubled Laurier's rebound total in the second half, 22-11.
With the win, the Lancers clinch first place in the OUA West division and a bye through the first round of the playoffs. They also move into third place overall at 16-5. They'll ride an eight-game winning streak into their final game of the regular season on Saturday.
The Golden Hawks, meanwhile, will have to settle for second place in the division, while their record of 13-8 has them tied with Toronto for eighth overall. A win on Saturday and a loss by either Toronto or TMU will secure home court advantage for the first round.
The key to achieving that hasn't changed from what Serresse's been preaching all season; consistency.
"Today we got one quarter of our style of basketball, and then maybe some minutes here and there in the other quarters. I'm looking for three and a half to four quarters like that."
Top Performers
Laurier Golden Hawks
Majok Deng continues to impress in the starting centre role. His energy and versatility on the defensive end is strong as ever, and he was a main contributor offensively tonight, scoring a career-high 13 points on 6/7 shooting. He also led the team in rebounds with seven.
Windsor Lancers
Thomas Kennedy might have decided the OUA MVP race with his performance in this one. He scored 31 points while shooting a ridiculous 72% from the field. Nine of his game-high 16 rebounds came on the offensive end. He was also a nightmare for Laurier defensively, recording three blocks and a steal.
Up Next
Tip-off for Saturday's regular season finale is set for 8 p.m. at Western. Follow @WLUAthletics for live updates and catch all the action on OUA.tv.
