Taking on the reigning OCAA Champions to begin the season is exactly what the Niagara College men's basketball program had to do Tuesday night, as they travelled to Oakville to take on the Sheridan Bruins.
Nerves seemed to be a factor to begin the game as Niagara was outscored 32-10 in the first quarter. As the game progressed, the Knights inched closer by winning the next three quarters but the first quarter deficit was too large to overcome.
A difficult matchup for any team, the Knights battled but ultimately fell 95-84.
Leading the Knights offensively was freshman guard Trevon Ash (San Diego, CA) who had a game high 26 points. Freshman Delroy Grandison (Kingston, JA) filled the stat sheet in his first official OCAA game, recording 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds, 6 steals, and 6 blocked shots.
As a team, the Knights were outrebounded by the Bruins 50-48 and failed to shoot well from three point range, making only 5 in 25 attempts. Despite the poor numbers, the Knights kept the game in reach, outscoring the Bruins 73-64 in the final three quarters.
Up next for the Knights is the 2014-15 home opener as they host the Lambton Lions on Sunday, October 26th. Tip-off is set for 4pm at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre.
