Friday, September 27th saw the Niagara College men’s and women’s basketball programs tip off their 2013-14 seasons in the fourth annual Peninsula Hoops Classic. The event saw the two Knights teams visit the Brock University Badgers for a pair of exhibition matches designed to raise money for the United Way.
Brock won both games, defeating the Knights 83-31 in the women’s contest and 91-51 on the men’s side.
The event raised over $1300 in support of the United Way, bringing the four year total to over $8300.
Both Niagara College teams saw a large number of changes to their rosters and coaching staffs in the offseason, and the Hoops Classic served as the first time the new players had been in a Knights roster.
On the women’s side, Friday night served as Mike Beccaria’s first game as the head coach of the women’s basketball program. Beccaria, along with his new team were up against a strong Badgers team that finished the 2012-13 season ranked number eight in the CIS with an overall record on 18-3.
“Brock is an excellent team this year and they are very well coached” commented Beccaria after the game.
Despite the score, Beccaria felt “as a team we will take a lot from this game. I loved how we competed and stayed focused and positive throughout the contest. I think there is much optimism about where we are headed.”
Former Brock Badger Tara Giallonardo led the way offensively for the Knights recording nine points and eight rebounds. Giallonardo spent four seasons with the Badgers, before graduating and pursuing a graduate diploma in Exercise Science for Health and Performance.
In the men’s game, the Knights entered the contest with just four players having any post-secondary playing experience. The young Knights struggled through the first three quarters of the contest before finding their team chemistry late in the game and outscoring the badgers 24-22 in the fourth quarter.
Niagara College men’s basketball head coach Steve Atkin commented “the Badgers played well tonight and deserved the win. We have 12 new players on the roster this year with just two week practice together under our belts. Our goal is to be at our best about fve months from now when the playoffs come around.”
Veteran guard Aiden Alize-Minty (Midland) led the way offensively for the Knights recording 14 points. The second year Fitness and Health Promotion student will assume a leadership role for the team this season as one of the Knights’ team captains.
Both the men’s and women’s basketball programs will be back in action this week when they host the Seneca Sting on Wednesday, October 2nd at the Welland campus athletic centre. Tip-off for the women’s game is set for 6:00pm while the men will get underway at 8:00 pm.
