OSHAWA, Ont. - Almost a year to the day from their last meeting, the Durham Lords men's basketball team had their OCAA championship hopes ended by the visiting Fanshawe Falcons following a 79-67 playoff loss on Saturday night at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre.
Boasting a 9-1 record in 2019, the Lords looked to finally jump over the playoff hurdle that has been the Falcons, matching up with the London opponent for the third postseason in a row. However, heartbreak was in the cards as Durham's season comes to an end following the OCAA crossover loss.
From the opening frame onward, the story was Fanshawe's dominance in the paint. By halftime, the Falcons had outrebounded Durham 9-3 on the offensive glass. Despite this disparity, the Lords trailed only 31-30 at the half.
Brandon Halliburton (Brampton, Ont) proved himself an all-star at both ends of the court; on assignment covering one of the provinces top scorers in Fanshawe's Chris Parker, limiting the Falcons' star to 10 points on 17 shots, while scoring 13 points of his own.
After a back-and-forth third quarter, which saw officials calling the action tightly, the Lords kept pace with the Falcons heading into the final minutes. With Durham beginning to show signs of lagging, courtesy of the continually strong rebounding of Fanshawe, a three-pointer from
Dondre Huggins (Scarborough, Ont.) turned it once again into a one-possession game for Durham. Unfortunately, foul trouble took its toll, undermining the Lords opportunities and handing the Falcons free points to close the game, allowing Fanshawe to advance to next weekend's OCAA championship in Barrie.
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Brandon Halliburton finished his season with a valiant effort, leading the Lords with a team-high 22 points.
• Getting hot from deep, late in the contest,
Dondre Huggins added 19 for Durham in 35 minutes of action.
• In a team-high 37 minutes of play, Chris Parker tallied a game-high 28 points for the Falcons.
• Despite playing nearly the entire fourth quarter with four fouls, veteran forward
Julian Hinckson Jr. (Ajax, Ont.) was able to grab a team-high eight rebounds for the Lords, to go along with two assists and two steals.
• Coming off the bench to play 24 minutes for Durham,
Craig Hanson (Ajax, Ont.) contributed five rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
• Alfred Johnson was a game-changer for Fanshawe, putting up a double-double with 13 rebounds, seven of which came off the offensive glass, and 16 points.
Overall Record: 18-10
Conference Record: 14-6
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