Thursday night saw the Niagara College Men's Basketball Program prove to the OCAA West division that they are a legitimate threat heading into the playoffs. The Knights knocked off the CCAA's #6 ranked Mohawk Mountaineers, 105-93 in front of a large and boisterous home crowd.
Niagara Head Coach Steve Atkin felt his team "really got after it. Worked hard, and got the result we wanted."
Despite being badly outrebounded in the contest, the Knights dominated from behind the three-point line, shooting an impressive 44%.
Late in the second quarter with Mohawk leading by five points Coach Atkin called a time out. The strategy immediately paid off, as Niagara went on a red hot 24-6 run to close out the half. The Knights outscored Mohawk 34-17 in the quarter and took a 13 point lead into the break.
The offensive outburst was led by second-year forward Marako Lundy. The six-foot-four native of Nassau, Bahamas scored 11 second quarter points, including baskets on three straight possessions that allowed the Knights to pull away from the Mountaineers. Lundy finished the game with 23 points, 16 rebounds and four assists.
Despite the Mountaineers high CCAA ranking, Coach Atkin was not surprised by his team's victory, "we believe we can play with anyone in league, and we expect to win every single night."
For the fifth straight game, the Knights' leading scorer was third-year guard Jimmy Bilenga. The Hamilton native scored 25 points, including 4 of 6 from three point range while also adding seven assists.
Coach Atkin was pleased with his team's performance particularly when it came to turnovers. "We were able to force some key turnovers tonight, while protecting the ball for the most part" added Coach Atkin. The Knights forced 18 turnovers in the contest versus just 13 of their own.
Second-year forwardAlex Campbell had his strongest outing of 2013. The reigning OCAA West Rookie of the Year, recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
The victory moves the Knights into fourth place in the OCAA West Division. The team's next two regular season matchups are against the first place Sheridan Bruins and second place Fanshawe Falcons. With strong performances against the OCAA West's top-two teams, the Knights can assure themselves strong position heading into the playoffs.
The Knights will return to action on Sunday, February 3rd at 2:00pm at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre when the team hosts U.S. based Daemen College.
