February 1, 2025
WELLAND, ON: The Niagara College Knights men's basketball team (8-8) played host to the Lambton Lions (6-11) and the St. Clair Saints (15-2) this past weekend in a double header that saw the Knights split the home matches. The Knights beat the Lions 86-62 and lost to the Saints 80-65.
The Knights came out ready to play on Friday evening, scoring a season-high 29 points in the 1st quarter – more than double the score of the Lions. Starting guard Khayden Stewart set the tone for his team, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the 1st quarter alone. The second was another strong quarter, as they scored 19 points compared to the Lions' 13 points to go up by 23 points at the half.
The Knights were able to slow things down and play their bench in the second half while maintaining their lead and ultimately securing the 24-point victory. Nearly every rostered athlete for the Knights was able to secure at least one point in this game, gaining some valuable experience heading towards the playoffs.
Head coach Lequan Hylton felt this game was a "very good overall win for us, especially after our loss last game". He added that the team "came out with the right mindset and tenacity [and] were able to control the game by getting stops and executing on offence".
Saturday's game against the 2nd place Saints was a different story for the Knights. They started out strong in the 1st quarter, keeping pace with the Saints and you could sense the frustration building on the visitors' bench. The Saints kicked their defense up a notch, holding the Knights to only 14 points in the second quarter and taking a 7-point lead at the halfway mark. The 3rd quarter was a similar story, and although the Knights attempted to mount a comeback in the 4th, a 20-point deficit was just too large of a comeback to make in the final quarter.
5th year shooting guard and wing player, Raheem Dennis, had a strong game shooting 53% from the floor and scoring 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Riley Bleich, the 2nd year forward from E.L. Crossley Secondary School in Fonthill, also had a strong game shooting 54% from the floor and adding 18 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.
When asked to reflect on this game, coach Hylton replied: "I thought we played a decent first half, [although] there were some mental lapses that unfortunately cost us. This was a good test for us to see where we are at and really lock in on what we need to improve on to be able to beat one of the top teams in the country".
The Knights have a couple of days to rest before they host their final game of the 2024-2025 regular season on Wednesday evening at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre. This game will be 'Senior Night' for the basketball programs and the men's team will be honoring Adrian Pajor for his time in a Knights uniform. Tipoff is scheduled for 8pm, immediately after the women's game and the men's senior night presentation.
For more information on the Knights teams, please visit us at www.goknights.ca.
