The Niagara College men's basketball (3-0, 3rd West) program extended their win streak Sunday afternoon when they hosted the St. Clair Saints (1-2, 7th West) in their 2015-16 OCAA home opener at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre.
Led offensively by first-year standout Jordon McDonald (Mississauga), the Knights were able to grind their way to an 80-69 victory over the Saints. McDonald finished the game with a game-high 21 points and 17 rebounds, his second double-double of the young season. McDonald also added two blocked shots, four assists, and two steals to fill out the stat sheet.
Despite what the final score may indicate, the win for the Knights was not easy. Entering half-time with an 11 point lead, the Saints clawed their way back into the game, outscoring Niagara 20-14 in the third quarter. St. Clair's full court pressure created turnovers for the Saints; however Niagara's confidence never wavered as St. Clair cut the lead to five points.
Fifth-year forward Marako Lundy (Nassau), Niagara's leading scorer, finished with 16 points while Tenerro Fegusson (Nassau) and Alex Elliot (Welland) scored eight points each.
The Saints were led offensively by guard Jermaine Lynch, who had 14 points and five rebounds.
The win over St. Clair now makes Niagara 20-10 against the Saints at home, 29-30 all-time.
Niagara's three-game win streak is the longest to begin a season since the 2010-11 season, where they eventually finished fourth in the OCAA west division with an 11-7 record.
The Knights now face a short turnaround as they will host the Redeemer Royals (1-0, 4th West) at home on Wednesday, November 4th. If you can't make it to the gym to watch your Knights play in-person, remember all home games are streamed live at goknights.ca/WatchLive. Tip-off is set for 8:00pm.
