OSHAWA, Ont. - The final act of Day One at the belairdirect OCAA Men's Basketball Championship had everything you'd want in a headlining showcase.
Well, except a happy ending for the tournament hosts.
There was drama, tension, and a sea of emotions from the partisan crowd at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
When all was said and done, the St. Lawrence Vikings broke the hearts of the Durham Lords, emerging with a hard-fought 69-65 victory and booking a place among the OCAA's final four teams.
Andrew Dawkins (Brampton, Ont.), who was named an OCAA east second-team all-star earlier Friday, paced the Vikings with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Donald Gibson (Freeport, Bahamas) had 21 points and seven rebounds.
Jaz Bains (London, England), also an OCAA east second-team all-star and the OCAA rookie of the year, added 19 points for St. Lawrence, who will now battle the Mohawk Mountaineers in the late semifinal Saturday at 8 p.m.
OCAA east first-team all-star Ajahmo Clarke (Ajax, Ont.) led the Lords with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Eric Smith (Ajax, Ont.) contributed 17 points, and Darian Rowe (Maple, Ont.) added 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
It's a heartbreaking defeat for the OCAA east regular season champions, and now they must regroup to play the Seneca Sting in the consolation bracket at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Durham's loss means both OCAA east teams that earned byes to the tournament have been eliminated, as the Georgian Grizzlies lost 76-73 to the Fanshawe Falcons earlier on Friday.
Riding the wave of the home crowd, the Lords got off to a strong start at both ends of the floor while the Vikings took a bit of time to get a feel for their surroundings.
However, it didn't take St. Lawrence long to find its footing, particularly when Bains found his footing. The speedy Bains, along with Gibson, helped carry the Vikings through the quarter as both finished the opening frame with seven points to give St. Lawrence an 18-14 lead through 10 minutes.
The second quarter started in much the same manner, with the Lords and Vikings trading early baskets. However, Durham got hot shortly after that, using a 12-0 run in 2:48 to go up 30-22 midway through the second quarter. The Lords sustained their momentum through halftime, taking a 42-32 advantage into the locker room.
Durham and St. Lawrence traded runs in the third quarter, but when all was said and done, the Lords led by the slightest of margins at 52-50. The Vikings comeback came largely thanks to Dawkins, who put up 12 points in the quarter.
The Vikings carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, where they used a 12-2 run to go up 61-54 and put the host team on its heels. However, the Lords dug in, and the restless Durham crowd came roaring back to life with a three-pointer from Aaron Hayles with 3:36 to go, bringing Durham back within one.
However, Dawkins and the Vikings closed the deal in the end, with St. Lawrence's player of the game converting a pair of crucial free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining.
Source: Durham College