OSHAWA, Ont. - It came a day later than they would have liked, but the Lambton Lions have written a new chapter in their history books at the belairdirect OCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
One day after a crushing defeat at the hands of the Humber Hawks, Lambton rebounded for an 82-71 victory over the Georgian Grizzlies in the first bronze quarter-final at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
It's the first OCAA championship victory for the Lions, who persevered in a hard-fought battle showcasing a pair of all-star big men in Mike Lucier (Forest, Ont.) and Tequilan Zwarych (Whitby, Ont.).
Lucier, an OCAA west first-team all-star, took charge for the Lions offensively, putting up 35 points to go along with 15 rebounds and three blocked shots en route to being named Lambton's player of the game. Shawn Hill (Brantford, Ont.) added 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Brandon Padgett (China Township, Mich.) scored eight of his 12 points in the final quarter, to go along with six assists and five rebounds.
For the Grizzlies, the CCAA all-Canadian Zwarych was a force, pacing Georgian with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Justin Mitchell (Newmarket, Ont.) added 12 points and five rebounds, while Glody Madymba (Mississauga, Ont.) contributed eight points and nine rebounds.
Lambton will play the loser of tonight's semifinal between Mohawk and St. Lawrence in a bronze semifinal at noon, while Georgian, whose 14-6 regular season record was good for a bye into the tournament, now looks ahead to next season.
After a slow start offensively for both teams, the Grizzlies were the first to wake up, going on a 10-2 run in a 1:29 span. However, the Lions used the long ball to get right back into the game, connecting on three three-point shots in 1:33 to get level, then used free throws to take a 20-18 lead through the opening 10 minutes.
Georgian got off a strong start in the second quarter, using an early run to go up 29-25 with just over six minutes remaining. Once again, Lambton got hot from the field, but they also locked down on the Grizzlies defensively, keeping Georgian off the scoreboard for the last 3:25 of the quarter to take a 48-34 lead into halftime.
Lucier played like a man possessed in the second, as he put up 17 of his 20 first-half points in the quarter on 7-of-9 shooting, along with five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
The second half started with the Lions extending their lead as big as 19 early in the third quarter. However, the Grizzlies roared back with a 14-0 run to close the gap with 62-57 with 10 minutes left. The Lions also went cold from the field, scoring just four points in the final 6:23 of the quarter, all on free throws.
The Grizzlies continued the charge in the fourth quarter, twice getting it back to a three-point deficit and opening up the possibility of Lambton blowing a 19-point lead for the second straight day. However, the Lions closed out the game strong as Padgett stepped up with some aggressive drives.
Source: Durham College