In the midst of a season of 'almosts' and 'near misses,' Friday night saw the Niagara College men's basketball program win for the first time in the 2013-14 season. The long awaited victory was aided by a large and boisterous crowd at the Welland Athletic Centre that helped will the Knights to an impressive 77-58 victory.
The Knights never trailed in the contest leading from the opening tip-off, while keeping the lead double digits for much of the second half.
After the game Niagara College men's basketball head coach Steve Atkin commented "the monkey is off our back. We've played well in a lot of games, and tonight we put it all together, and showed what our young team is capable of."
The offensive catalyst for the Knights was six-foot-eight center Ryan Christie. The Hamilton native was dominant at both ends of the court for the Knights. Christie played over 36 minutes in the contest, shooting 47% and finishing with game high in both points (20) and rebounds (17).
Also turning in a strong game for the Knights was team captain Aiden Alize-Minty. The second year native of Elmvale, Ontario turned in 15 points and six rebounds.
Niagara Falls native Chris Louis recorded one of his strongest performances of the season contributing 15 points, while Brampton's Ty Rogers finished with 14.
The Knights are one of the OCAA's youngest teams, and despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the team will look to build towards the 2014-15 season with strong showings in their final four games.
The team will face a short turnaround when they host the St. Clair Saints (8-5) on Sunday, February 2nd at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre. Tip-off is set for 3:00pm and for those unable to be in attendance, the game will be live broadcasted via www.ocaatv.com.
