WATERLOO, Ont. - Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Laurier Golden Hawks secured yet another win in a game that came down to the final seconds.
Facing a Waterloo Warriors team that ranks first in the OUA in points against and defensive efficiency, the purple and gold were forced into a defensive skirmish for the full 40 minutes, but came up with some clutch buckets when it mattered, including DeAndrae Pierre's late game-winner.
They leave the PAC with a 64-61 victory in the first leg of this week's battle of Waterloo home-and-home.
"You always expect [a close game] when they're playing us," said Manager of men's basketball and head coach Justin Serresse.
"Especially the way they've been playing this year. They've got great team chemistry, everybody has a clear role, you can see that everybody knows what they need to be doing on both sides of the court. They have a real identity and that's always a sign of a good thing."
"The goal was to close it out, find a way to win and we did."
The tone of the game was set early in the first quarter, as neither team was giving up any easy baskets. Both teams shot below 35% from the field in the opening frame, with the score just 12-11 heading into the second.
The Golden Hawks made an effort to quicken the pace, opting for a full-court press often and rushing the ball up the court in transition. Their shooting struggles remained, however, and many opportunities went unconverted.
With the Warriors locking down Taye Donald, Ethan Passley stepped up as the main offensive ball-handler, and led a 9-0 run to tie the game at 30-30 before halftime.
"For us, it's always important to have Ethan in attack mode," said Serresse. "He showed some great planning and I.Q. - sometimes he plays a lot with his instincts, and sometimes he forgets that he needs to read the game because instincts are good... I thought today was the best of both worlds."
Passley finished with a team-high 17 points and added four rebounds and three steals.
DeAndrae Pierre was the hot hand to start the third quarter. Waterloo's defence remained smothering, but Laurier's usual offensive flow managed a few gulps of fresh air here and there, breathing life into an otherwise stale game.
"To be honest, we didn't do too much difference. It's just that we actually executed," said Serresse. "For every [Waterloo] coverage, we had an execution, and we finally did it."
The Warriors still led 45-44 heading into the final frame. Donald - who was held to a season-low 10 points - saved his best play for the final minutes, draining a game-tying three and go-ahead layup on back-to-back possessions.
Then, tied 61-61 with under a minute to play, Vladimir Lukomski stripped the ball and dished to Pierre, who passed on a fast break chance to run down the clock. Pierre held the ball for the full shot clock before getting a good look on a Majok Deng screen and sinking the three-pointer with six seconds remaining.
Laurier would hold on and improve to 10-2 on the season. They remain a perfect 7-0 on the road. Waterloo, meanwhile, drops to 6-6.
BY THE NUMBERS
10
This marks Laurier's tenth straight men's basketball Battle of Waterloo victory, with the Warriors' last win coming back in December of 2018. They match Waterloo's 1997-2000 run for the longest winning streak by either team in this match-up. Laurier will have a chance to claim that title for themselves on Saturday.
5
First-year forward Elijah Idehen was a problem on the glass. He pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, including five offensive boards. Containing him will be a priority for the Golden Hawks this weekend.
UP NEXT
Besides a better shooting performance, Serresse hopes to see "a little bit more craziness, in a good way," on Saturday.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at the Athletic Complex. Tickets are on sale now.
