Photo by: Charlie Martin

On Jan. 27 the Brock men’s basketball team headed North to take on the Nipissing Lakers for their one and only matchup this season. Heading into the game, the Badgers were 11-3 with six of their 11 wins coming on the road. Meanwhile, the Lakers have not had the greatest season to date with a record of 4-11. 

The Badgers got off to a hot start moving the ball around well on offence leading to the first bucket scored in the game. The Badgers continued this intensity on offence, spacing the floor and leading to high-percentage looks from mid-range and beyond the arc. Though they had trouble converting on their early looks as they shot 3/7 to start the game. 

Thankfully, their defence was also clicking all over the floor, forcing the Lakers to turnover the ball three times in the first three minutes of the game. The Badgers led 13-5 after five minutes of play. 

But Nipissing went on an 11-1 run to end the quarter on the back of guard Danny Lukusa, who scored 10 total points in the quarter, seven of them in the last five minutes. The quarter ended with Nipissing leading 20-19 as the Badgers were having a tough time despite the Lakers being below .500. 

In the second quarter, the Lakers’ strong play continued as they took the lead just three minutes into the quarter, 28-26. They continued to outplay the Badgers the remainder of the quarter, shooting 66.7 per cent from the field while the Badgers only shot 40 per cent. The Badgers were down 47-37 at the half and had just played their worst defensive quarter of the season, giving up 28 points.

To start the second half, both teams struggled on the offensive side of the ball, failing to make a basket for their first two possessions each. Though a three from Jevon Brown followed by a timeout taken by the Badgers on the next possessions would spark a reinvigorated Badgers squad. 

Brock went on to score 28 points in the third quarter and kept Nipissing to just seven. The offence was carried by Jevon Brown and Isiah Bujdoso in the quarter. Brown finished the quarter with 12 points and Bujdoso had 10 in the quarter. The team also saw an increase in shooting percentage from 40 per cent shot in the first half to 55 per cent in the third quarter. 

The third quarter ended with the Badgers up 65-54 and in the fourth quarter, the Badgers continued to dominate, adding 34 more points and allowing only 12. 

Jevon Brown continued to dominate, finishing the game with 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal. Not only did Brown put up nearly 30 points, but he did it efficiently by shooting 11 out of 16 from FG with six of his buckets coming from beyond the arc. 

Isaiah Bujdoso had another commanding performance, with 19 points and six rebounds. Eight other Badgers chipped in for at least a point and the Badgers won yet another game in convincing fashion, 99-66. 

Brock men’s basketball are back in action Feb. 3 and 4 at home against the University of Toronto and University of Guelph. 

Tickets for those games can be bought here and all information regarding the men’s basketball team can be found at gobadgers.ca.