OSHAWA, Ont. - Somehow, the super seven of the St. Lawrence Vikings found a way to win again at the belairdirect OCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
After allowing the Lambton Lions to storm back in the fourth quarter, the Vikings, who were again without Shaqeem Downey (Toronto), righted the ship just in time for a 74-73 comeback at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
After trailing for the majority of the game, Lambton went on a 20-3 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, but they didn't score a basket in the final four minutes, allowing the Vikings to find another gear and come back on a 9-0 run in the final 2:47 to escape with the win.
That run culminated with 13.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Lions up 73-72. Lambton's Jason Heron (Toronto) committed a foul after Vikings guard Thomas Aufleger (Ottawa) stole the ball off a Lions inbound.
Aufleger made both free throws, and a shot attempt from Mike Lucier (Forest, Ont.) missed the mark as time expired, giving St. Lawrence the victory and a chance to win its first OCAA medal since 2010.
All seven of Aufleger's points came in the fourth quarter, and his efforts were good for St. Lawrence's player of the game honours. Andrew Dawkins (Brampton, Ont.) led the Vikings with 29 points and eight rebounds, while OCAA rookie of the year Jaz Bains (London, England) ended the game a rebound and assist short of a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Lions captain Shawn Hill (Brantford, Ont.) led the way with 17 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Brandon Padgett (China Township, Mich.) added 15 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds.
Lucier, the OCAA west first-team all-star, registered his third double-double of the tournament with 13 points and 12 rebounds, but he wasn't as effective as he was the first two days, making just five of 18 shots from the field.
St. Lawrence now finds itself facing the Durham Lords in the bronze medal game at 5 p.m. It's a rematch of the OCAA quarter-final on Friday, won 69-65 by the Vikings.
The Lions got off to a good start in the opening minutes of the game, but the Vikings, ever the resilient bunch, worked their way back into the game, eventually rattling off a 12-2 run in a span of 2:29 to go up 19-13, then holding form for a 22-16 lead through the first 10 minutes.
St. Lawrence got its perimeter game working in the opening frame, shooting 44 per cent on its three-point attempts. Bains connected twice from three-point range, and he finished the quarter with eight points.
Lambton rallied twice in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 27-26 with 6:02 to play in the first half. However, the Vikings got hot late in the frame, closing the half on an 11-2 run while keeping the Lions off the scoreboard for the final 3:01. A pair of free throws from Bains gave the Vikings a 41-30 advantage at halftime.
The second half started with Lambton and St. Lawrence trading baskets, and neither team really went on a sustained run. However, momentum shifted to the Lions side late in the third quarter, as Lambton clawed back to cut the Vikings lead to 59-54 after three quarters, setting the stage for the wild finish.
Source: Durham College