NORTH YORK, Ont. - "Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing."
The words spoken by Oscar Wilde rang true in The Hive on Saturday afternoon as a pair of third years carried the Seneca Sting to victory.
In a back-and-forth battle, Seneca's Jamal Boyce and Felix Adjei lifted their team in the fourth quarter after seeing the lead they had held for most of the game, evaporate against a very game Algonquin Thunder. The two veterans helped Seneca overcome a six point deficit in the game's final frame for a 70-68 victory.
Seneca jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter thanks to hot shooting by Adjei. The Sting went on a run late in the quarter and led 16-8 before a timeout by the Thunder halted the momentum. The Sting still held a 16-10 advantage after one with Adjei lead the way with six points. Devan (RJ) Allen-Leslie added four for the Sting. Garnet Blais paced the Thunder with six points.
The Thunder slowly chipped away at the Seneca lead over the next two quarters, eventually surpassing the Sting with a run midway through the third quarter. Outscoring the Sting 20-11 in the third, Algonquin took a six point lead into the fourth. The lead was aided by Blais' nine points over the middle two frames while Seneca's shooting went cold, save for Adjei and Boyce's 10 apiece.
The crowd was treated to a gem in the fourth as the teams battled back-and-forth, right down to the wire. Algonquin maintained a 66-62 lead with 2:16 to play before a pair of free throws by Adjei tied the game at 66 with 1:35 to play. Another third year, Derek D'Jesus, made a runner in the lane to give the Sting a 69-66 advantage with 43.6 seconds to play. The teams exchanged a pair of free throws late as Seneca held on for the win. Adjei (12) and Boyce (eight) scored 20 of Seneca's 25 in the fourth.
Adjei finished with 28 points while Boyce had 18. No other Sting shooter had more than six. D'Jesus matched Boyce's team lead with three assists while Kevin Cornwall had two steals.
Algonquin's balanced attack was led by Blais with twenty on 8-of-13 shooting while Nehemiah Campbell was the next highest scorer with 10 points. Louis Boursiquot had six rebounds while Mahamat-Ali Hagger had a game-high five assists.
Seneca has already matched their wins total from a year ago and are seeking their first OCAA men's basketball championship since 1986-87.
The Seneca Sting (8-1) will travel to play Georgian (1-7) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. while the Algonquin Thunder (7-3) will rest for the holiday season before getting back in action at Cambrian (0-10) on Saturday, January 12 at 8 p.m.
Source: Seneca College