Monday, December 31, 2012
'Wolves Win Wesmen Classic Championship
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December 30, 2012
T-Wolves Claim Wesmen Classic Title Over Winnipeg, 84-67
WINNIPEG, Man. -
The men's basketball team finished the 46th Wesmen Classic in winning style, 84-67 versus the Winnipeg Wesmen to claim the tournament banner.
Both teams fought hard in the first half, with a halftime score of 32-27 for the T-Wolves. Matt Schmidt sparked a key Lakehead run in the third quarter, scoring a string of 11 Lakehead points to establish a lead that Winnipeg could not overcome.
Ryan Thomson would continue to hit three's down the stretch (5-9) to put the game out of reach, and a game-high 22 points with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Yoosrie Salhia had a solid 12 points and 12 rebounds with 5 assists. Greg Carter had 12 points and 7 assists on 6-8 shooting.
Yoosrie Salhia won the tournament MVP award, while Ryan Thomson was named to the all-star team.
Leading the Wesmen was Benny Iko with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Steven Wesley had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Travis Krahn hit some desperation threes down the stretch to finish with 14 points (4-7 from three).
The Thunderwolves out-rebounded the Wesmen 37-28, and shot a blistering 13-25 from 3-points range.
Coach Scott Morrison:
"Overall I was quite pleased with our play this weekend. Winnipeg is a tough team and I thought our guys rose to the challenge for the majority of the game. We met our defensive goals for 10 out of 12 quarters this weekend - something we have to build on for a tough two months of OUA action coming up."
The men will resume OUA league action in 5 days against the Waterloo Warriors for a double header in Waterloo.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
LU Rolls to Wesmen Classic Final Tonight
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December 29, 2012
Hart Lights Up Hawks, Lakehead Wins 80-53
WINNIPEG, Man. -
The men's basketball team came away with another blow-out win in their second game of the Wesmen Classic, this one a 80-53 rout of the Dikinson State Blue Hawks.
Halftime showed a 41-28 Lakehead lead, and they were up 62-48 heading into 4th Q. The T-Wolves would deliver the coup-de-gras to any hope of a Blue Hawk comeback with a final 10 minutes of stifling defense and precision shooting, beating Dikinson State 18-5 in the final frame.
Once again Yoosrie Salhia and Ryan Thomson were running their two-man game, with Greg Carter directing traffic and his shooters from the top. The hot shooter tonight was Joe Hart (Southend, UK) who caught fire from behind the arc, hitting on 8 of his 12 long range attempts for a total 28 points in as many minutes of play. He would add 4 rebounds and 2 steals to his stat line. Salhia shot an efficient 8 of 10 from the field for 17 points with 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Thomson had 12 points and 6 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting.
Carter finished with 10 assists, 7 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Joseph Jones came off the bench for 7 points with 5 assists in 21 minutes of play.
Dikinson State's top scorer was Johnie Sanders with 13 points on 6-8 shooting. Jarek Hansen added 11 points and 6 assists.
As a team Lakehead out-rebounded the Blue Hawks 36-34, and made 24 assists compared to only 8 for Dikinson.
"We had a strong defensive 3 quarters that I was pleased with. That being said we can still improve our weak side rotations and transition D. Winnipeg is going to be a tough matchup for us tomorrow - they are one of the top teams in Canada West and playing good ball right now."
The men's weekend at the 46th annual Wesmen Classic will conclude tomorrow evening at 9pm ET against the host Winnipeg Wesmen
Friday, December 28, 2012
'Wolves Open Wesmen with Defeat of UNBC
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December 28, 2012
Thunderwolves Chop Down Timberwolves, 90-50
WINNIPEG, MB -
From the tip Lakehead showed defensive and rebounding intensity, limiting the Timberwolves' looks in the first quarter, leading 27-12 after 10. At the other end, Yoosrie Salhia and Ryan Thomson ran their hi-lo game to pick apart the UNBC defense, combining for 33 of Lakehead's 46 first-half points and a comfortable 20 point lead.
The third quarter saw much of the same, with Lakehead keeping the foot on the pedal and never looking back. LU went on a 10-1 run to begin the second half and would cruise from there.
The third quarter saw much of the same, with Lakehead keeping the foot on the pedal and never looking back. LU went on a 10-1 run to begin the second half and would cruise from there.
Yoosrie Salhia led the Pack with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 21 minutes of play and was named the Player of the Game. Ryan Thomson showed his scoring and his notably adept passing game with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists with no turnovers in 20 minutes of court time.
Sophomore Joey Nitychoruk (Winnipeg, MB) had a homecoming to be proud of with 10 rebounds, 8 points and 3 assists.
In terms of playing time management, it was an ideal way to begin a '3 games in 3 days' tournament, as all 11 dressed players got a chance to get back in the groove following the winter break. Ben Johnson clocked 30 minutes (6 pts, 6 assts), while no other T-Wolves played more than 22 minutes. Currently there are 3 players on the injured list for Lakehead (Anthony McIntosh, Brendan King and Nathan Wainwright).
For UNBC, Joel Rybachuk scored 9 points with 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
As a team the Thunderwolves shot 50% (35-70) from the floor to UNBC's 27% (16-60) and out-rebounded UNBC 47-36; they also held a 29-10 advantage in assists.
Coach Scott Morrison:
"Considering it was the first game back after a long break I was fairly pleased with our defensive effort today. UNBC has an explosive team and our guys did a good job setting the defensive tone early. Our goal will be to improve our execution each day and look to maintain a high level of energy for the entire tournament."
The men's next game will be tomorrow at 9:30 pm ET vs. the winner of the Brandon vs. Dikinson St. game played later today (3:00pm ET start)
*Please note* (DICKINSON STATE BEAT BRANDON _ LIVE STATS ONLY TOMORROW)
Thursday, December 27, 2012
'Wolves Finish Non Conference Schedule at Wesmen Classic
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December 27, 2012
Holiday Basketball Preview: Women in Halifax, Men in Winnipeg
THUNDER BAY, Ont. -
Both basketball teams will be in action over the winter break, with the Women playing at the Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic, hosted by Saint Mary's in Halifax, while the Men will be challenging at the 46th Annual Wesmen Classic in Winnipeg.
Men (3-4 OUA, 11-7 overall)
The 46th annual Wesmen Classic, hosted by U of Winnipeg, will begin for the Thunderwolves against the U of Northern BC Timberwolves on Friday at 1pm ET. The two teams met in October of this year, resulting in a 88-72 win for the Thunderwolves. This time around they will be without bigs Anthony McIntosh and Brendan King (lower body injuries) along with sharpshooter Nathan Wainwright (upper body). UNBC's (5-5, 4th CW Pacific) last league game was a 93-90 win over the U Sask Huskies, and they figure in the CIS top 10 in PPG (82.6) and 3PT % (38.2). The Timberwolves also have 4 players averaging double digits in scoring.
LU's side of the draw also includes the Dikinson St. Blue Hawks (N. Dakota) and the Brandon Bobcats.
On the other side are the Winnipeg Wesmen, the Mount Royal U Cougars (Calgary, AB), Mayville St. Comets (N. Dakota) and Keyono College Huskies (Fort McMurray, AB).
Coach Scott Morrison:
"After a much needed rest we are excited to get back on the court this weekend at the Wesmen Classic. It's tough when you have to match up against a tough team like UNBC with minimal prep time, but at the same time our purpose for competing in this tournament is to prepare us for the OUA West schedule starting next week. The potent offensive attack that UNBC brings each time out will offer plenty of reps for our team's defense to get tuned up."
Webcast Coverage:
(coverage limited to games vs. Canada West teams via Canada West TV)
Dec 29 vs TBA
Dec 30 vs TBA
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Lakehead 93 York 57 (Highlights & Game Story)
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December 1, 2012
T-Wolves Throttle Lions, 93-58
THUNDER BAY, ON -
The second half would not see the Lions get any closer than the 40-29 halftime margin, as Lakehead out-scored them 28-15 in the third quarter and would roll from there.
Five Thunderwolves scored in double figures, led by Joseph jones (Washington, DC) with 17 points. Ben Johnson had his best home game of the season thus far with 15 points (6-10 shooting). In his second game back from injury, Ryan Thomson dropped 13 points with 5 rebounds.
In the final 7 minutes of the game, Joseph Nitychoruk (Winnipeg, MB) would enter and put his exclamation mark on the game in the form of a one-handed put-back slam, totalling 7 points and 6 rebounds in limited time.
York had no player score in double digits, but had Nick Tufegdzich and Daniel Tulloch put in 8 points and 8 rebounds apiece.
Lakehead out-rebounded York 40-33.
Coach Scott Morrison:
"I was proud of our consistent effort over 40 minutes tonight. We weren't perfect on the defensive end but have our best effort of the semester in that regard. It was also good to see our ball movement pick up on offense this weekend. It was not our best semester, but we survived it and head into the break playing our best ball to finish up."
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
Saturday, December 1, 2012
'Wolves Win vs Laurentian
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Movember 30, 2012
Salhia's Career Night Lifts T-Wolves
THUNDER BAY, ON -
Lakehead got to work early, breaking out to an 11-0 advantage. Laurentian would spend the first half battling back to tie the score at 41 going into the break. Lakehead would explode for 32 points in the third quarter, more than the Voyageurs would score the remainder of the game (30).
From start to finish, Salhia would take care of business on the block, although it should be noted that the Voyageurs never elected to double team the 5th year senior. Salhia exploited the single coverage and went 12-21 (57%) from the field and 8-10 from the line. Salhia's 32-point performance was the best of his career as a Thunderwolf, which he added to 5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in 28 minutes of play.
Supporting Salhia was a full team effort from his teammates. Dwayne Harvey was active on defense, picking up 5 steals, 8 rebounds and 6 points. Thomson would also grab 8 rebounds with 8 points and 5 assists in 23 minutes of play. Joe Hart (Southend, UK) filled it up from long range, hitting 4 of 5 attempts from behind the arc for a 14 point total. Senior point guard Greg Carter (Ottawa, ON) was the steady hand on the throttle of the Lakehead offense, with 7 assists, no turnovers with 7 rebounds and 8 points.
Laurentian had four players score in doubles figures, led by Nelson Yengue with 17 points and 5 rebounds, followed by Jamie Weldon (13), Alex Ratte (12) and Manny Pasquale with (11). Yengue also had 4 blocked shots.
Lakehead out-rebounded Laurentian 38-23.
Coach Scott Morrison:
"Its always nice to beat a tough team like Laurentian especially in the midst of a small slump that we have battled through the last couple of weeks. I thought tonight was our best game plan execution of the OUA season and we received strong energy for three quarters. I was still disappointed in our 2nd quarter effort where our hustle dropped as did our communication. It's a step in the right direction and the focus now becomes on taking a second positive step tomorrow night vs York."
The men play the York Lions tomorrow at 8 pm.
"Its always nice to beat a tough team like Laurentian especially in the midst of a small slump that we have battled through the last couple of weeks. I thought tonight was our best game plan execution of the OUA season and we received strong energy for three quarters. I was still disappointed in our 2nd quarter effort where our hustle dropped as did our communication. It's a step in the right direction and the focus now becomes on taking a second positive step tomorrow night vs York."
The men play the York Lions tomorrow at 8 pm.
Webcast coverage via SSN Canada
Broadcast via CILU Radio, 102.7 FM
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
Thursday, November 29, 2012
'Wolves Wrap Up 1st Half Hosting Laurentian/York
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Movember 29, 2012
T-Wolves Welcome Voyageurs, Lions to Thunderdome
THUNDER BAY, ON -
Men (1-4)
The men take on a Voyageurs team (5-1) they narrowly defeated in overtime last year, 99-95 in Sudbury. This year's game should be just as tough, given that Laurentian brings back the majority of their roster, including senior Manny Pasquale, who is averaging 16.2 points and over 10 three-point attempts per game.
For York (3-3), David Tyndale has scored 17.3 points per game thus far, and is complimented by Daniel Tulloch, Nick Tufegdzich and Raheem Isaac, who are all scoring around 10 points per game.
Coach Scott Morrison:
"This weekend we tip-off against two very tough teams in Laurentian and York. Laurentian on Friday poses a challenge of guarding 5 quicker players all capable of scoring. We are going to have to move our feet defensively and close-out well to keep their numerous perimeter attackers from getting to the hoop or drawing help for open looks from 3pt range. York has a number of threats from the outside as well as an underrated front court that can step outside as well as play above the rim. We are working towards sticking to our game plan for each team for 40 minutes starting with Laurentian Friday night - our goal is to finish the semester on a positive note and hit the break with some solid building blocks for the OUA West schedule in 2013."
Game times:
Friday vs Laurentian 6pm (women) 8pm (men)
Saturday vs York 6pm (women) 8 pm(men)
Webcast Coverage will be provided via SSN Canada
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Ravens Stomp 'Wolves, Team Looks to Ottawa U Tonight
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Movember 23, 2012
T-Wolves Lose Large vs Ravens, 94-53
OTTAWA, Ont. -
The men's basketball team's early season woes got no smaller on Friday evening, taking a sound beating from the CIS #1 Carleton Ravens, 94-53. With the loss their OUA regular season record slips to 1-3.
Lakehead stuck with the reigning national champs for the first quarter, trailing 17-11 after 10 minutes, but couldn't compete much past that point, giving up a 29-13 2nd quarter.
Halftime score was 46-24 Ravens, and they would cruise from there.
As was expected, the Ravens' starters came to play, Philip Scrubb setting the pace for the Carleton offense, totalling 20 points in his 27 minutes of play. Clinton Spring-Williams would also hurt the T-Wolves, scoring 16 points (4-of-7 from three).
For Lakehead, Matt Schmidt was the top scorer with 11, followed by Dwayne Harvey with 10. As a team Lakehead shot 13-46 from the field (28%), compared to Carleton's 32-63 (51%). The only apparent battle Lakehead won was from the free throw line, going 22-29 (76%) to Carleton's 20-28 (71%).
Lakehead was out-rebounded 38-20, and committed 13 turnovers to CU's 6.
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
"Our biggest problem right now is maintaining our defensive intensity for an entire half let alone a game. We struggled offensively most of the night but I saw some bright spots in our defense at times. Unfortunately the teams we are playing are too strong to have a quarter of defensive letdowns like we did in the 2nd quarter. Carleton always makes their opponent pay for miscues resulting in open looks and tonight was no different. Big game for us tomorrow against Ottawa."
The men will play the Ottawa Gee-Gees tomorrow evening at 8pm, with webcast coverage provided via SSN Canada.
--
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
'Wolves Look to Bounce Back Against Two of The CIS' Best
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Movember 21, 2012
Basketball Teams to Head Nation's Capital
THUNDER BAY, ON -
The basketball teams will head to Ottawa this weekend for what has perennially been the toughest duo of match-ups in OUA league play for many teams: the Carleton Ravens and the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
The Ravens will host the T-Wolves on Friday night, followed by hospitality at Montpettit Hall on Saturday provided by the Gee-Gees. Game times are 6 & 8 pm.
The Ravens are nationally ranked #1 on the men's side, and #5 for the women's team. The Gee-Gees, while not in the Top 10, are still a very tough out at home.
Men (1-2)
While Lakehead's men's team is still clutching to the #9 ranking nationally, they have many other priorities ahead of rankings. Namely, how to slow down the well oiled machine that is the Carleton Ravens, led by Tyson Hinz and Philip Scrubb. Hinz is shooting 63% from the field with 17.2 PPG and grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game while playing an average of 33 minutes per contest. Scrubb is scoring at a 19.5 PPG clip, and also playing 33 minutes per game and has connected on 14 of his 32 long range attempts thus far (44%).
The Gee-Gees are led by Johnny Berhanemeskel, who is averaging 21 PPG and 5th year veteran Warren Ward, who has put in 14.5 PPG thus far in 2012-13 OUA season play.
For Lakehead, they will be without forward Anthony McIntosh who suffered a nasty ankle sprain against Toronto two weeks ago, and Ryan Thomson's status is still listed as day-to-day.
Lakehead's veterans have been doing their best to fill in the gaps left by Thomson and McIntosh, but will have to dig a little deeper this weekend if they hope to turn things around in these marquis matchups.
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
Game times are 6 pm (women) & 8 pm (men) both evenings.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wolves Open OUA Home Schedule Vs Queens
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Movember 14, 2012
Basketball Teams Host Queen's Friday Night
THUNDER BAY, ON -
The men's and women's basketball teams will host the Queen's Gaels on Friday evening (Women at 6, Men at 8 pm) in the Thunderdome. A note to fans that this will be 'Pots and Pans' night at the Thunderdome, with free macaroni and cheese being awarded to the loudest fans. While most homestands are double headers for Lakehead teams, this weekend will only be a single night of action, due to the absence this year of Queen's traveling partner, the RMC Paladins' basketball teams (who disbanded earlier this year).
Men (1-1)
The men's team took a hard loss last Friday against Ryerson (69-64), resulting in a slip from #5 to #7 in the national rankings this week. The loss seemed to have a positive effect on their play Saturday, when they easily beat up on U of T by 20+ points. The Queen's Gaels, meanwhile are 2-0 and are tied for 1st in OUA East standings (with Ryerson) for the first time in recent memory, coming off wins vs Laurier (83-80) and Waterloo (83-63).
Forward Greg Faulkner is leading the Gaels in scoring and rebounding with 22 points per game and 12 RPG. It will be a test to Lakehead's interior defense to shut him down, although they'll be short-handed as Anthony McIntosh is out with an ankle sprain and Ryan Thomson listed as doubtful, recovering from a nagging upper body injury. It will test the wills of starting center Yoosrie Salhia, power forward Brendan King, along with that of local stud Matt Schmidt to lock down the paint against a potent Gaels' forward in Faulkner.
Head Coach Scott Morrison:
"After 13 games [including preseason] we have shown signs of playing to our potential, but still need to strive for a full 40 minutes of execution. With only one game this weekend we have no excuse to waiver our focus from a tough Queen's team. They are a dangerous transition team specializing in strong ball movement that will force us to execute our transition and half court defense at a high level. Our own goals will include carrying over the strong team effort we received at U of T last Saturday night."
Game times - Friday, Nov 16:
Women vs Queen's Gaels - 6 pm
Men vs Queen's Gaels - 8 pm
and broadcast via LU Radio, 102.7 FM in Thunder Bay, and online at www.luradio.ca
--
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
CBC Film Based on Experience of LU's Robichaud & Bathurst Phantoms Airs Sunday
CBC will debut its latest feature film "The Phantoms" on Sunday November 18th. The movie is inspired by the real life story of the 2009 Bathurst High School Phantoms. Lakehead's Alex Robichaud was a member of the team and a character in the movie is also inspired by his personal experience.
A quick trailer for the movie can be found HERE
Robichaud was a member of the Phantoms' roster in 2008-09 and 2009-10 before moving with his family to Superior High School for his senior year 2010-11.
For More Information on the True Events Click HERE
Or HERE
Robichaud & The Phantoms. February 2009
A quick trailer for the movie can be found HERE
Robichaud was a member of the Phantoms' roster in 2008-09 and 2009-10 before moving with his family to Superior High School for his senior year 2010-11.
For More Information on the True Events Click HERE
Or HERE
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Wolves Win, Finish 1-1 in Toronto
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Movember 10, 2012
T-Wolves Even Record With Win vs Blues
TORONTO, ON -
The men's basketball team took care of business on Saturday evening, earning a 94-73 win against the U of Toronto Varsity Blues and bringing their record to 1-1 on the season.
The first half was a fairly even contest, with the score 45-39 for Lakehead at the break.
It was in the second 20 minutes that T-Wolves would separate themselves from the Blues, scoring 27 compared to the Blues' 19 in the third quarter. They would continue exacting their will to the final buzzer, finishing with a 22-15 advantage in the final quarter to snuff out any inkling of a Toronto comeback.
Top scorers for LU were Ben Johnson and Dwayne Harvey with 16 apiece (Harvey also had 9 rebounds and 4 assists), while Joe Jones scored 13 with 5 rebounds. Yoosrie Salhia had a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 8 points, 3 blocks and 3 assists.
Top Blues' scorer was Arun Kumar with 19. Ben Garvin had 17 and Alex Hill 16.
Lakehead out-rebounded U of T 52-28, with an impressive 24 offensive rebounds, of which Harvey and Salhia had 13.
Coach Scott Morrison:
"I was pleased with the effort the guys gave tonight after a tough loss last night. We are only successful when we outwork the other team and play together for 40 minutes. We are getting closer each night but still have a lot of work to do."
The men's and women's basketball teams will play their home openers next weekend versus the Queens Gaels.
Injury report: Ryan Thomson was out of the line-up this weekend with an upper body injury. His return date is currently unclear and his status listed as day-to-day.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tough one in Toronto for the 'Wolves
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Movember 9, 2012
Men's Hoops Downed 69-64 by Ryerson
TORONTO, ON -
The men's basketball team could not redeem themselves against the Ryerson Rams on Friday evening, losing 69-64.
The first scoring play for Lakehead was a three pointer by Yoosrie Salhia, which is not out-of-the question, but perhaps not the way one might expect the 'Wolves to begin. Lakehead built off of it early getting out to a 9-2 lead at 4:40 of the first quarter, which was reversed to a Ryerson 10-9 lead by 2:35 of the quarter. They managed to salvage the cause for a 13-12 lead after one.
The game's pace would not get any faster from there, especially for the T-Wolves, who were out-scored 23-12 in the second quarter. Half time score was 35-25 for the Rams. After mounting a 17-12 rally in the 3rd quarter, both teams were dug in deep, with neither giving an inch in the key or anywhere on the court.
Lakehead would battle all the way back, led by Yoosrie Salhia under the hoop, who finished with 11 rebounds (4 offensive) and a game-high 21 points. LU went ahead 53-50 on a Brendan King 3-pointer. From there it was a dog fight all the way down the stretch, with the Rams coming up with a few key offensive rebounds when it mattered most.
The T-Wolves were out-rebounded 36-34 on the game.
Brendan King finished with 12 points. Matthew Schmidt had 10.
For the Rams, Aaron Best had 19 points, Jahmal Jones 17 and Bjorn Michaelson 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
"We didn't do a great job sticking to our defensive game plan and following the rules we have laid out for ourselves, especially in the second quarter. They came up with a couple offensive boards when we missed our assignments late in the game. Credit to coach Rana and his team for getting a tough victory. We've got a tough turnaround to play Toronto tomorrow night, and we'll have to execute defensively tomorrow what we didn't tonight."
The men's team play U of Toronto tomorrow evening at 8 pm. Webcast will be available via SSN Canada.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wolves Open OUA Season In Toronto
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Movember 7, 2012
Thunderwolves Begin Season vs Ryerson, U of T
THUNDER BAY, ON -
Men (8-3 pre-season)
Friday's game against Ryerson has likely been the most prominent on the OUA schedule in the minds of the men's team since the OUA schedule was announced this past summer. It is no mystery why. The last time these two teams met it was in the heat and hardship of the OUA Final Four tournament, a game in which Ryerson soundly ran Lakehead off the floor (86-70) and out of the running to repeat as OUA Champions. To say they have a score to settle would be an understatement.
Lakehead will be trying to contain the likes of Jahmal Jones and Aaron Best, who at 6'0 and 6'4, respectively, hold a height advantage over their likely defenders, Greg Carter and Ben Johnson. Jones, his third year is no stranger to playing 40 minutes per game, and will present a challenge to Lakehead defenders who allowed him 18 points and 7 assists the last time out. Aaron Best scored 26 with 8 rebounds in the Rams' playoff win versus Lakehead last year.
Moving onto the Toronto matchup, Lakehead captured the victory versus the Blues last year, 68-63 to begin the 2011-12 season. They are led by guard Alex Hill and veteran post Ben Garvin, who have both scored over 20 points (and in Hill's case, 30 points) in the preseason against various opponents.
Head coach Scott Morrison:
"After a tough non-conference schedule we will be thrown directly into the conference fire with an opening match-up against Ryerson. Ryerson has one of the top starting line-ups in the CIS and their young roster gains confidence and experience with each season. For starters, we must give extra effort on the glass and take care of the ball and hope to slow down their transition game. University of Toronto has a smaller lineup but can really stretch the floor with a number of excellent outside shooters and attackers on the perimeter.
Morrison continues, "We are hoping to execute at our highest level so far this season and I expect our players to raise their level of focus and intensity with the beginning of this next phase of the season."
Game time is 8pm, both Friday and Saturday.
Additional preview coverage: Coach Scott Morrison will be interviewed Thursday morning from 11-11:45 am (Eastern) on The Thunderwolves' Sports Feed on CILU Radio, 102.7 FM and www.luradio.ca
Weekend Webcast Coverage
U of T Webcast Saturday: SSN Canada
Women at 6pm, Men at 8pm both nights!
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Lakehead Opens at #6 in CIS
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2012
Lakehead Men's Basketball Ranked #6 to Begin Season
THUNDER BAY, ON -
The only other OUA team in the Top 10 was the Windsor Lancers, a division rival for Lakehead, and one they have gotten the better of in recent years (5-1 since 2009).
To put things in perspective from more recent results, Lakehead's 3 losses in the preseason have all come against Top 10 teams - #5 Saskatchewan (80-71), #4 Fraser Valley (88-70) and #2 UBC (84-81). Complete Top 10 listed below.
Lakehead's first game of the season (Nov 9) will come with payback on the minds of the T-Wolves, as they will take on the Ryerson Rams, who soundly expelled them from the OUA Final Four in the first round last season. The game will be played in the newly refurbished Mattamy Athletic Center, formerly Maple Leaf Gardens.
CIS Men's Basketball Top 10
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)
2. UBC (0-0) / 457 (1) / (-)
3. Acadia (0-0) / 338 / (-)
4. Fraser Valley (0-0) / 320 / (-)
5. Saskatchewan (0-0) / 314 / (-)
6. Lakehead (0-0) / 313 / (-)
7. McGill (0-0) / 309 / (-)
8. Cape Breton (0-0) / 150 / (-)
9. Windsor (0-0) / 131 / (-)
10. Alberta (0-0) / 87 / (-)
Lakehead Finishes 4-3 on West Coast Swing
The Thunderwolves Men's basketball team finished in a flurry but fell just short vs #2 ranked UBC in Vancouver on Saturday night. The team finished the trip at 4-3 losing two straight to finish the trip to the #2 and #4 ranked teams in the country.
See below for the game story:
The men's basketball team came within a shot of recovering from a game-long deficit to the hosting UBC Thunderbirds, but were three points short, 84-81 at the end of 40 minutes.
See below for the game story:
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2012
'Birds Elude T-Wolves, 84-81
VANCOUVER, BC -
The game began with both teams digging in defensively, 15-10 UBC after 10 minutes. The 'Birds would extend their lead by another 4 points to 38-29 at the break. With the 'Birds up 10 heading into the 4th, Lakehead would empty whatever energy they had left in the tank in the final 10 minutes of what was their 7th game in 10 days. With some heroic plays in the very last minute of the game, Lakehead pulled within 3 points with under 10 seconds left on the clock, but could not force overtime.
Matt Schmidt (Thunder Bay) had a game and season-high 23 points in 31 minutes of play, and connected on 5 of 8 three-point attempts. Ben Johnson (Pictou, NS) was next leading scorer with 18. Dwayne Harvey had 10 points and a team-high 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Four UBC players hit double digits, led by Doug Plumb with 19 points, Tommy Nixon and O'Brian Wallace with 17 apiece and David Wagner with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
Lakehead shot 17-28 (61%) from the free throw line, compared to UBC's 25-35 (71%).
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
"Despite falling just short, I could not be prouder of our guys. Outsized and short handed we did not quit and battled hard enough over 40 minutes to have the last shot to tie the game. Our turnovers, missed FT and sloppy play in the first half could be pointed to as a reason for the loss and also something we can focus on heading into next week's practice. We are going home with a winning record on a tough trip and with the confidence to know that even without a full team, we can play with anyone in the CIS."
The team's record on the extended Can West road trip ended at 4-3. Their total pre-season record stands at 8-3. They will begin their regular season schedule on Friday, November 9th in Toronto vs. Ryerson.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Shorthanded Wolves Fall to Cascades
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2012
T-Wolves Washed Out by Cascades
ABBOTSFORD, BC -
The men's basketball team took their second loss of the pre-season, 88-70 at the hands of the Fraser Valley Cascades. The game took on a similar flow to the encounter the two teams had at the CIS Final 8 last March, with UFV bringing more energy and leading early to begin the game, followed by repeated failed Lakehead attempts to close the gap. UFV put the game out of reach with a burst to begin the second half, extending the lead to 29 at one point. It was obvious that Lakehead was suffering from some road fatigue, as their usual spry defense was a step behind all night, leading to lots of open looks.
The host team was red-hot from the word go, jumping out to a 24-11 after one quarter. Lakehead would keep things even in the second to trail 44-31 at the half.
Living and dying by the 3-pointer on their recent road trip finally showed its double edge for the 'Wolves, who up to this point had out-gunned their opponents from beyond the arc. On Friday evening, The Cascades would show just how good they were feeling from downtown, at one point in the 4th quarter shooting at a 63% success rate as a team. They finished hitting 15 of 26 long-range attempts (58%). The T-Wolves, on the other hand
Power forward Kyle Grewal was absolutely on fire for the home side, hitting 6 three-pointers, totalling 31 points. Point guard James York finished with 9 assists and no turnovers.
Limited Lakehead stats were available following the game.
Alex Robichaud had 12 points in 14 minutes of play, and Anthony McIntosh was a bright spot in the paint for Lakehead, active on the glass to score 14 points and grab 7 rebounds.
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
"We were a short handed team that ran into a talented starting 5 that was really feeling it tonight. I was disappointed in our game plan execution to start the game and 2nd half - when you play a top ten team missing 2 starters you have no choice but to execute the game plan to near perfection.
At the same time I was quite pleased with the effort of our young bench who played even with UFV's starters for the last 15 minutes of the game.
We are heading to play our 7th road game in 10 days tomorrow and 5th against a top ten team- I don't know how much gas is left in our tank but I do know we are getting tougher and closer as a team on this trip. We have to keep learning from these tough match ups and invest in our season long development"
At the same time I was quite pleased with the effort of our young bench who played even with UFV's starters for the last 15 minutes of the game.
We are heading to play our 7th road game in 10 days tomorrow and 5th against a top ten team- I don't know how much gas is left in our tank but I do know we are getting tougher and closer as a team on this trip. We have to keep learning from these tough match ups and invest in our season long development"
The men bring their road trip to a close tomorrow evening versus the UBC Thunderbirds, a perennial Canada West power.
Game time is 9 pm EDT.
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
Friday, October 26, 2012
Lakehead Moves to 4-1 on West Coast Swing
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2012
Thunder Trumps Timber in War of the 'Wolves
ABBOTSFORD, BC-
Despite playing with a road-weary roster, the Thunderwolves got out of the gate fast against their opponent 20-15 after ten minutes. Halftime score was 41-37 Lakehead.
Top scorer for Lakehead was veteran point guard Greg Carter with 23 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 turnover in 36 minutes. Three other Thunderwolves broke double digits thanks to 15 from Dwayne Harvey and 10 each from Anthony McIntosh and Ben Johnson. McIntosh and Harvey combined for 13-16 from the free throw line. Mike Thorne-Finch had 6 points in as many minutes.
On the other side the Timberwolves' Francis Rowe had 18 points on 8-10 shooting and his compadre Joel Rybachuk had 17. UNBC committed 8 turnovers compared to only 4 assists made. Charles Barton had 10 points and a game-high 6 rebounds.
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
"Tonight we saw some excellent toughness from our team. After a difficult travel day and several nagging injuries we managed to get enough key hoops and stops to get the job done. UNBC is a challenging opponent as their guards are skilled and hard nosed. We could not take a possession off tonight and the game was much closer than the score indicated."
Morrison concluded, "We were already short handed and are now playing hurt for our 6th and 7th games of the trip the next two days- I am looking forward to seeing just how deep our bench is before we jump into conference play."
On Friday evening Lakehead will take on the hosting Fraser Valley Cascades, the team that knocked them out of the CIS Final 8 last year.
Game time is 9 pm EDT. Webcast available via CanadaWest TV
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Lakehead 80 Victoria 71
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2012
T-Wolves Plunder Vikes, 80-71
VICTORIA, BC -
The men's basketball team came away from the U Victoria Vikes' McKinnon Gym with a 80-71 victory on Wednesday evening.
The Vikes were led by Michael Acheampong with 18 points and 4 assists with 5 turnovers. Terrell Evans was next with 17 points and 7 rebounds. 6'10 center Chris McLaughlin was held to 9 points and 7 rebounds with 3 turnovers to a hounding Lakehead defense.
After ten minutes, the score was 22-14 Lakehead. After a push by the Vikes in the 2nd Q, Thomson tied the game at 34 with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer before halftime. He also gave the T-Wolves a 10-point lead (twice) late in the 4th with deep three's that would separate the 'Wolves for good.
Lakehead coach Scott Morrison:
"It was a great team win tonight with everyone contributing plus all five starters scoring in double figures. We had better intensity to start the game and it helped us get off to a better start than we have been getting. Victoria has some tough match-ups and exploited us on our rotations tonight as well as on the glass. We are seeing that our defensive rotations and defensive rebounding must improve in order for us to win games when our outside shooting is not as strong. We have three games left to focus on improving in those areas prior to conference play.
Games will be webcast on Canadawest TV
--
Hugh Mullally
Sports Information Director
Lakehead University Athletics
Office: 807 766 7157
Fax: (807) 343-8203
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