KITCHENER, Ont. - Lambton College has a new all-time men's basketball career scoring leader.

Branden Padgett entered Tuesday's OCAA West game against Conestoga College with 1,477 career points at Lambton which left him just six shy of breaking the mark set by Mike Lucier almost three years ago. Lucier, a Lion stalwart for five seasons who currently sits eighth in Ontario collegiate history in scoring, finished up his career with 1,482 points. He broke the earlier mark of 1,106 points set by Chad Pereira when he drained a shot on Feb. 7, 2015. Lucier has now moved on to a professional basketball career and is currently suiting up with the Windsor Express of the NBL after a year in Germany.

The focus when the Lions hit the floor in Kitchener, Ont., was squarely on Padgett and it took him just three minutes against the Condors to notch his sixth point with his second three-point make of the first quarter. He would go on to score 19 points as the Lions defeated Conestoga 87-67 to move to 9-6 in league play. The squad now sits fifth in the OCAA West, currently ranked No. 7 in the province.

"Branden has always played the game with a lot of passion," says head coach James Grant, in his 10th year with the Lions, and who has been on the bench for all of Padgett's games. "He has now really focused that passion into the critical aspects of the game that allow us to be successful. He has matured so much and it's been a special season as we see just how far he's came as a player, a leader, and a man. Branden has worked extremely hard and truly deserves this record."

Padgett is the fourth Lion to break the 1,000 point mark, joining Lucier, Pereira and Shawn Hill in the club last season. Lucier, Hill and Padgett, along with the College's fifth all-time leading scorer Jason Marshell who sits at 928 points, were main contributors to Lambton's 2016 OCAA bronze medal – the first D-I medal in Lions history.

"I remember when I first arrived at Lambton and Mike (Lucier) had just became the all-time leading scorer," says Padgett. "Mike was such a great player and it is hard to believe I surpassed his point total. What Mike did for the basketball program here at Lambton is special and I'm happy to think that I'll leave here one day with all those memories we had."

"The record itself is overwhelming to think about honestly. All the long nights in the gym with Jason (Marshell) and Mike feel as though they have really paid off. I want to thank everyone that has believed in me from my first day at Lambton College from the coaching staff to all the teammates that I have had over the years. I am looking forward to playing out this final season and getting back to a crossover playoff game with a great group of guys."

Branden is the son of Barbara and Marty of St. Clair, Mich. He attended Anchor Bay High School in New Baltimore where he was a standout on the court as well.

Source: Lambton College