The Niagara College Men's Basketball Program moved to 7-5 on the season after a pair of weekend games that saw the Knights lose to the Lambton Lions (2-8) on Saturday, before defeating the St. Clair Saints (3-9) on Sunday.
Saturday afternoon saw the Knights travel to Sarnia to take on the Lambton College Lions.
Niagara came out flat, trailing 39-37 at the half before dramatically outplaying the Lions in the third quarter.The Knights outscored the Lions 26-17 in the frame and seemed poised to earn an elusive road victory.
The Lions however battled back early in the fourth quarter, riding a 17-6 run that saw the team take the lead in the contest.
The Lions went on to win the game 83-78 prompting Niagara Head Coach Steve Atkin to comment that in the fourth quarter "Lambton outplayed us in every aspect of the game."
The Knights had little time to dwell on the loss, as tip-off for the team's next game was scheduled less than 24 hours later against the St. Clair Saints.
The Knights played a much better game against St. Clair earning an impressive 94-74 victory.
The first three quarters of the contest saw the two teams play a tight, high-scoring affair. Niagara however, found their offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Saints 34-16 in the final frame to secure the 20-point victory.
Leading the way for the Knights was third-year guard Jimmy Bilenga. The six-foot Hamilton, Ontario native finished the game with a season high 28 points, while also adding seven rebounds and eight assists.
Also having a strong showing for the Knights was six-foot-four forward Marako Lundy. The Nassau, Bahamas native shot 54% from the floor, finishing the game with 22 points.
The Knights will have a few days off before playing a pair of games next weekend at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre. Saturday, January 19th will see the team host the 7-4 Algoma University Thunderbirds at 2:00 pm. The team will also host the 2-9 Sault College Cougars on Sunday, January 20th at 1:00 pm.
All Niagara College Varsity Athletics feature free admission, and are live broadcasted and archived at www.sportslive.ca.
