Thursday night saw the Niagara Knights men's basketball program lose for the first time this season, as the team was beaten 100-95 at home by the visiting Lambton Lions. The loss drops the Knights to 4-1 on the season and into second place in the crowded OCAA West Division.
"It was a back and forth game and each quarter was very close as neither team could pull away from one another" said Niagara Knights men's basketball head coach Mike Hurley. "In the end we shot the ball very poorly from the floor and the foul line."
The difference in the game proved to be the Knights inability to convert on free throw chances. The Knights shot just 41% (11 of 27) from the charity stripe, compared to the Lions who shot 70%.
The two teams traded leads throughout the contest. Niagara led 22-21 after the first quarter, while the Lions carried 43-40 and 72-68 leads after the second and third. The Knights appeared to have the inside track towards victory late in the fourth, when Welland's Danny Lokole hit a three-pointer to put the Knights up by two with just over a minute left. A pair of costly turnovers by Niagara down the stretch allowed the Lions to secure the hard fought win.
Van Hutchinson Jr. finished with games highs in both points with 26 and rebounds with 15. The six-foot-four native of the Bahamas was a force all game for the Knights.
Levi Mukuna (Hamilton), Danny Lokole (Welland), Deysean Thompson (Orangeville), Jordon McDonald (Mississauga), and Jordan Wilson (Nassau) all finished in double digit scoring for Niagara.
Up next the Knights will travel to Ancaster to take on the CCAA's No.10 ranked Redeemer Royals on November 15th. Tip-off is set for 8:00pm.
