WATERLOO, Ont. - After a long four-game road trip, the Golden Hawks returned home and reignited the Highway 7 rivalry with the Guelph Gryphons. Both teams entered the contest looking to get back into the win column, and eventually it was the Golden Hawks who prevailed by a score of 78-75.
Joshua Loblaw and Aidan Whalen brought the heat in the first quarter, combining for 15 of the team's 24 points in the frame. With the score knotted at six three minutes in, Whalen took the hand-off from Loblaw into the paint and tried to shake off his defender, going up for the jumper and made it a three-point play, drawing the and-one.
The Gryphons tied the game again in the final three minutes, and Loblaw took matters into his own hands. The teams traded seven points apiece, but while Guelph had three players pitching in, Loblaw scored Laurier's seven single-handedly.
Guelph took off in transition off a missed bucket, but Malik Langenegger, making his first start of the season in place of Ethan Passley, snuck behind the Gryphon for the easy strip steal and found Loblaw on the wing for the catch-and-shoot triple.
A minute later, Loblaw worked his way into the paint for two points, but Guelph came right back to tie the score once again. Laurier's sharp shooters subbed back in for the final possession, including first-year Charlie Kuepfer, who took the dish from Loblaw and cashed in the buzzer-beater three.
Laurier took a 24-21 lead into the second quarter.
The Golden Hawks kept rolling in the second, putting up 21 points and limiting Guelph to 16. It was the only the third time this season that Guelph has allowed 20 or more points in a second quarter.
The teams went back-and-forth trading missed shots midway through the frame until Langenegger struck. Loblaw scooped up one of his five boards in the game and spotted Isaiah Fisher who took it to the paint and drew in three Gryphons, leaving Langenegger wide open to hit the no-doubt three-pointer.
After Fisher's layup put Laurier ahead 40-29 with just over three minutes remaining, the Gryphons went on an 8-0 run, closing the 11-point gap to just three.
The Golden Hawks would pull away again, and with 30 seconds to go, Langenegger and Whalen played a little game of give-and-go, getting the defense to commit two to the rookie guard, and Whalen, as the shot clock was about to expire, banked in his first three-ball.
The Golden Hawks went into the half up 45-37. Laurier was locked in on both sides of the ball, shooting 50% from the field and made seven threes, while Guelph went 14-38 from the field. The Golden Hawks were dominant on the boards as well with 25 total rebounds to Guelph's 15.
Laurier stayed hot coming out of the break, putting up 23 points led by Whalen's nine points and five rebounds. It was the second-most points allowed in a third quarter for the Gryphons, the most being 26 by McMaster two games prior.
"Through the first three quarters, I think we were doing some really good things, like noticing where the shooters were on the floor and controlling the defensive glass," said manager of men's basketball operations and head coach Cavell Johnson.
But the tides started to turn with two minutes left in the third quarter as two technical fouls led to Guelph's coach being ejected. The Gryphons found themselves down by 14 going into the final frame.
The Gryphons came out energized on both sides of the floor. They went on a 15-4 run from the opening of the fourth quarter until the 4:30 marker where Laurier had to burn a timeout.
"I think we got stagnant. We stopped moving the ball as well as we had been. We stopped taking care of the ball, and that makes the press even more effective if you're not attacking with poise, the press will attack you. And they did, so credit to them," Johnson said.
Whalen's defensive effort did not falter in the face of Guelph's surge, making a game-changing play. The Gryphons forced a turnover that sent an odd-man rush downhill with Whalen the only Golden Hawk back. He went up at just the right time and absolutely denied the easy layup attempt.
"I saw that we were in a bad situation. Coach always talks about if there's a fire, you got to put it out," Whalen said. "So, I'm sprinting back with everything I've got, and when I saw the smaller guy going up, I got lucky and timed it well. I had to get back as quickly as I could to shut it down."
Later in the quarter, a layup and a pair of free throws put Guelph in front 75-72. The Gryphons put up 21 points, and limited Laurier to just 10, which was the fourth-fewest points allowed by the team.
This season, the Golden Hawks have struggled in the fourth quarter with a -13-point differential, and it was the fifth time this year that they have been outscored in a final quarter.
However, an unlikely hero emerged for the Golden Hawks: the rookie Langenegger.
Guelph gambled, like Laurier did against Queen's last week, and put the home side in the bonus, committing their fouls against Langenegger. He was sent to the line with seconds left, a one-point lead, and a chance to close out the game.
He went 6-6, giving the Golden Hawks a three-point cushion, and on the defensive end, he won the battle on the glass, and Laurier escaped with the win.
"I went to the line and tuned everything out. I trust my teammates and they trust me, so regardless of missing or making those shots, I trust that we would've gotten the job done at the end," Langenegger said.
"Ethan [Passley] has been mentoring me pretty much throughout the year. He's been motivating me and giving me that confidence in order to play that position, and telling me not to be nervous, to play my game, and find my flow."
"He handled himself great. Some first-year mistakes, but we can live with that. He overall played with a lot of poise and a certain sense of calm that's hard to find in a young guy that hadn't started a game and then was thrown in the fire," Johnson said, reflecting on Langenegger's game.
"He got sped up a few times and rushed into some decisions, but that's part of it; he's got to experience it. He handled it well, adjusted well, and played with a lot of confidence. And coming down the stretch, knocking down those crucial free throws, that shows what kind of mentality he has and how much he's ready for those types of wins."
He ended the game with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 32 minutes.
Two other Golden Hawks made massive efforts in the win. Loblaw had a career high 17 points along with five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Whalen made an impact on every area of the floor, recording his third double-double of the season, and second in as many games, with 24 points, a career high 14 rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.
Whalen spoke about his ability to play big games, saying, "The coaching staff, my teammates, the trust they put in me every day. They're just breathing confidence through me."
"Being a fifth-year guy, I know the team relies on me to perform. I think it's a good situation for me, and I'm blessed to be playing for Laurier with a great group of guys and coaching staff that puts me in positions to succeed."
With the win, the Golden Hawks snapped their four-game losing streak and got back to .500 at 5-5. They also leap frogged Guelph for third in the OUA East standings.
UP NEXT
The Golden Hawks will play their final game of 2025 on Friday, November 28 for Alumni Night when they host the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
"We want it. My dogs want to eat, and I'm going to make sure they eat," Johnson said about the team's mindset going into the game and into 2026.
Tipoff is set for 8pm, and tickets are available here.
