OSHAWA, Ont. – It wasn't mathematically a must-win game for the Durham College men's basketball team, but the road to the playoffs would've been extremely uphill if they hadn't knocked off the Georgian Grizzlies 71-69 on Friday night.
 
Heading into the game the Lords were four points back of the final playoff spot in the OCAA east division – coincidently it was held by the Grizzlies. 
 
After a slow start Durham took the lead late in the opening quarter, going into the second up 17-15. In the lowest scoring quarter of the game it was Georgian that dominated play with a 9-0 run in the middle of the period to take a five-point lead into halftime.
 
Durham continued to hang around in the third, but it appeared the game was slipping away as the Grizzlies increase the gap to 48-39 heading into the final ten minutes.
 
The Lords were the better team to start the quarter as they got within three, down 52-49, but Georgian went on a 6-0 run to stretch their lead again. Durham didn't go on any significant runs to end the game, instead they chipped away at the Grizzlies lead and relied on key foul shots to be made by Rashaun Bennett (Scarborough, Ont.) and Christoff Pierre (Brampton, Ont.) to keep them neck-and-neck.
 
Dylan Pelissero (Ridgeway, Ont.) hit the final go-ahead basket with just over 30 seconds to play in the game. Durham got the stop on the next possession for Georgian as they forced them out of bounds. After Pierre was fouled on Durham's next trip down the court, he went one-for-two to make it a two-point game. A missed three-point shot with under ten seconds to go sealed the win and snapped the Lords four-game losing streak.
 
Durham had six players in double-digits, with Pierre leading the pack with 14 points. Darian Rowe (Maple, Ont.) added 12 points, while Pelissero, Bennett, Fioti Mabanza (Whitby, Ont.) all picked up 11 apiece. Aaron Hayles (Pickering, Ont.) scored 10 in the Lords win.
 
Bennett also had eight boards to lead Durham.
 
Georgian's Justin Mitchell and Connor Laronde each scored 23 and 20 points respectively to lead the Grizzlies' offence. Tequilan Zwarych earned the lone double-double of the game with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
 
With six games remaining in the regular season the Lords will now travel to Peterborough on Wednesday to take on the Fleming Knights.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE LORDS
Overall Record: 6-15
Conference Record: 5-9
 
Next Game: Wednesday, Feb. 3 at Fleming Knights