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Laurier Athletics - Waterloo Campus

Ben Stevens looks up for a rebound opportunity against Western.
Hailey Tripodi
90
Winner Laurier LAURIER 14-8, 14-8
86
Western WESTERN 10-12, 10-12
Winner
Laurier LAURIER
14-8, 14-8
90
Final
86
Western WESTERN
10-12, 10-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Laurier LAURIER 29 25 16 20 90
Western WESTERN 29 16 17 24 86

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Sam Bellerose

Laurier secures home playoff game with win over Western

LONDON, Ont. - The Golden Hawks held on to thwart the Mustangs' late comeback efforts in an exciting finish to what's been a wild regular season. The final score from Alumni Hall was 90-86. 

With both teams looking at one final chance to improve their seeding ahead of the playoffs, the energy was high to begin the game. Buckets poured in at either end, as both squads shot over 50% from the field in the opening frame. 

That energy was punctuated by an emphatic Ben Stevens slam, which nearly took the net off its moorings, causing a minutes-long delay while the officials checked to ensure it was safe to continue playing. 

Neither team was able to gain an edge, and the first quarter ended tied at 29-29. Taye Donald started out what would be a monster offensive performance with nine points before the first buzzer, and picked up right where he left off in the second. 

The same was true for Stevens. He had 12 of his 14 points and 10 of his 11 rebounds before halftime. He would continue to impact the game in the second half on the defensive end, recording four blocks. 

"I texted Ben today, I told him it's the last time you're going to be playing at Western and you know what that's meant to you in your career," said manager of basketball operations and head coach Justin Serresse. 

"We go there every year, we've got some amazing memories and we've got some tough memories back there. And so I just felt like, it's a chance for [Stevens] to say bye to this gym in a way where you're going to be proud of yourself." 

That he did. Worth mentioning that the Golden Hawks have not lost to Western since the 2020 OUA semifinal, which ended in a heartbreaking 104-103 overtime defeat. 

Laurier dominated the second quarter, outrebounding Western 12-6 and outscoring them 25-16. They took a 54-45 lead into halftime. 

The third quarter saw both teams tighten up defensively, and what was a high-flying back-and-forth game slowed to a crawl. The Golden Hawks were able to control play through most of the period, but an 8-0 Mustangs run to close out the quarter and cut it to 70-62 heading into the fourth. 

Laurier had so far been able to more or less shut down the OUA's leading scorer Aryan Sharma, who had only six points to start the final frame. He showed just why he's one of the conference's best players in the fourth, however, taking over offensively and bringing his team within striking distance. 

Twice the Mustangs cut the lead to just one, and then again to two points with only 27 seconds remaining. With Western locking them up on the offensive end, the Golden Hawks did a good job of staying active and calm on defence, not letting the game get away from them. 
 

In the final seconds, it was Donald on the line with a chance to ice the game. After missing his first free throw, he made no mistake on the second, giving himself a career-high 26 points on the night and pushing the lead out of reach. 

With the win, Laurier finishes the regular season in eighth place in the OUA with a record of 14-8, securing home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. 

In the OUA this year, getting home court with such a young core group of guards, it's an achievement in itself. We've got to be proud of what we achieved," said Serresse. 

They'll face the 13-9 Toronto Varsity Blues, who defeated the Golden Hawks 67-59 early in the regular season. 

"Toronto took care of business at home, and now it's up to us to host them and take care of business." 

The Mustangs, meanwhile, grab the twelfth and final playoff spot at 10-12, and will travel to Kingston to face #9 Queen's in the first round. 

Top Performers

Laurier Golden Hawks 

Taye Donald was his usual efficient self in this one, with his 26 points coming on 53% shooting from the field. He also had seven rebounds and three assists. 

Western Mustangs 

Tyson Dunn topped his OUA-leading average of 7.7 assists per game, collecting nine helpers on the night. He also contributed to the scoring with 13 points on 50% shooting. 

Up Next

The Golden Hawks will face the Varsity Blues on Wednesday at the Athletic Complex. Tip-off time is 7pm and tickets are available for purchase now!

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