The #6 Lambton
College Lions Men's
basketball team are
the OCAA Team of the
Week after a pair of
thrilling and
meaningful victories
in the past seven
days. The Ontario
College Athletic
Association broke
the news to the
squad late Tuesday
night.
“The team is
ecstatic to be
recognized as a
unit,” says Lambton
Head Coach James
Grant. “As Coach
Elsley reiterates in
practice, we have a
team of individuals
who were all stars
on their high school
teams. It’s not the
easiest thing to
bring pieces
together and have
them gel. The
players began to
realize this pretty
early on and have
done a great job
growing together on
the court. We have a
couple of great wins
this week and the
credit goes to our
players. The
executed well. They
moved the ball. They
trusted each other.
They played their
game. It was fun to
be a part of and to
have them recognized
is wonderful”
Lambton started
things off at home
Friday with a
thrilling come from
behind 83-79 win
against their arch
rivals from St.
Clair (Windsor, ON).
Shawn Hill played
his best game of the
season in helping
the Lions erase a 16
point third quarter
deficit as he scored
18 of his 24 points
in the second half.
Branden Padgett
continued his great
play with 21 points
and eight rebounds
while Mike Lucier
contributed another
double-double – 16
points and 17
rebounds. Jason
Marshell and Trey
Langford put up
seven points and
three rebounds each
while Jordane Tello
had five and Jeff
Asiamah three.
The win moved
Lambton to 6-4 on
the season in the
nation’s top
division while St.
Clair fell to 4-6.
But, the tougher
test awaited the
Lions two days later
in London.
The country’s 7th
ranked men’s
basketball team, the
Fanshawe Falcons,
awaited Lambton at
Budweiser Gardens as
the pair squad off
before the National
Basketball League of
Canada game between
London and
Mississauga.
Fanshawe was also
set to unveil their
new athletics logo.
Lambton spoiled the
party.
“We were heading
into the game
knowing that we were
facing a great
opportunity,” says
Grant of his team’s
current run. “We
were on a seven game
winning streak,
facing a nationally
ranked opponent in a
professional
setting. We had
nothing to lose and
everything to gain.
This is all new for
the program at
Lambton. We knew we
had a shot. We knew
a win would get us
closer to our
playoff goals and
our players
performed like it
was old hat.”
The Lions trailed
23-12 after the
first quarter as
Fanshawe was sending
wave after wave of
attackers in
transition. But, the
second quarter saw
things change.
Lambton was able to
make strong
defensive
adjustments and took
the lead for the
first time with
three seconds left
in the half at
35-34.
The Lions would hold
off the Falcons in
the second half for
a 74-66 win.
Lucier led Lambton
with 19 points, 18
rebounds, four
assists and a pair
of blocks. Langford
returned to haunt
his former team by
scoring 18 and
grabbing seven
boards. Hill had his
second strong game
of the week with 13
points and nine
rebounds while
Marshell scored 12.
Padgett, who had
four fouls in the
first half thanks to
an ill-advised
technical somehow
lasted the entire
game putting up
seven points and
seven board. Scoring
was rounded out by
Asiamah with three
and Tello two.
Lambton takes the
court this Saturday
against Canada’s #9
ranked team, the
Mohawk Mountaineers.
Tip-off is set for
3pm at the College.
