In their final game of 2025, Brock Badgers men’s basketball defeated the Algoma Thunderbirds at the Bob Davis Gymnasium 75-61, nudging them ahead of the TMU Bold for first place in the OUA Central Division.
The vibes were off right from the jump in St. Catharines. A typically ruckus home crowd was tame for most of the night; however, that didn’t faze the Badgers, who looked poised until the game’s end.
The first few minutes were far from a high-scoring affair. Andrew McKenna got the Badgers started with a free throw off a tough drive. This was just the start to McKenna’s outstanding night, as the forward lived in the paint all game long. Though Brock commanded the lead through most of the first frame, Algoma was still sticking around thanks to big man Logan Whitmell, who displayed his value by stretching the floor for the Thunderbirds early. It was Whitmell and Brock centre Michael Matas who woke the crowd up with some chippy back-and-forth action as the two were jawing at each other all night. After any point, rebound, or block over the other, the two would share an interaction. It was playful at the start but appeared to turn malicious as the game went on.
The rest of the quarter saw Brock’s defence come alive, as guard Xavier Fearon was all over the court, forcing Algoma into some turnovers with his erratic energy.
It was on the glass where the Badgers thrived the most. Brock was playing with non-stop confidence around the rim, grabbing any loose ball off a shot, taking advantage of Algoma’s undersized lineups.
Brock led 24-18 at the end of the quarter, pulling ahead late after consecutive buckets.
The second quarter saw much of the same as the first, minus any offensive consistency from both teams. The Thunderbirds relied on their three-point shooting for most of the first half. Head Coach Ryan Vetrie was contempt with his players shooting pull-up threes on the break, somewhat reminiscent of the Boston Celtics’ offence from their ‘24 championship run.
The Badgers’ defence was on full display this quarter, punishing Algoma for any mistakes with their half-court pressure and imposing size. McKenna continued his outstanding play into the second, torching his defenders off the dribble on multiple occasions.
McKenna wasn’t the only one making an offensive impact, however, as both Matas and Cairo Perry were playing an inspired brand of basketball, helping the Badgers grow their lead. Perry, the first year forward, has carved himself a role on the team with his constant energy and knack for loose balls. Perry has been a menace on the offensive glass for Head Coach Willy Manigat, diving for 50/50 balls any chance he gets. The Pickering native also managed to knock down two threes in his 22 minutes played and shot an efficient 6/10 from the field.
Brock led 40-30 after 20 minutes.
Into the second half, and Brock’s lead would begin to grow steadily. Algoma’s offensive struggles were really starting to show. Not only was their reliance on the three-point shot hurting them more than helping, but their lack of size and ability to finish around the rim stopped them from forming any type of pushback. Brock had their second-highest scoring quarter of the game with 23, thanks to Matas, who continued his dominance with his usual back-to-the-basket style of play.
Despite leading by double digits for most of the quarter, Michael Okeke and Anthony Heys struggled mightily to score the ball. The two starters shot a combined 1-15 from the field and 1-11 from three-point land. Both men played under 20 minutes, despite Heys still dishing out five assists and Okeke playing relentless defence. Instead, the minutes were given to Magnus Carlos, a first-year guard, and Perry. Carlos has seen limited action so far this year; however, Manigat ran him as a playmaker against the Thunderbirds. A role that is somewhat new to the freshman, whose game usually revolves around scoring the ball. Carlos finished the game with three assists and three points. If he can limit his turnovers and improve his scoring numbers, Carlos can become a vital piece to the Badgers’ rotation in the coming years.
Brock extended its lead to 19 points by quarter’s end.
In the final frame, Matas and Whitmell’s mini beef climaxed with a three-pointer from the Algoma big man, who proceeded to make a celebratory gesture right in Matas’ face, who responded with some buckets of his own not too long after. For a game that lacked any real crowd engagement, it was a nice change of pace to see the two stretch bigs go at it.
Although it never felt like they would come back, Algoma was slowly but surely chipping away at the lead. A combination of some timely threes and an and-one made it seem for a second that the Thunderbirds may have a chance — until McKenna and Fearon stepped in and sealed it for the Badgers. McKenna tore apart the Algoma zone, playing at the free-throw line, showing off his touch with some late floaters. As for Fearon, he kept the pace steady for the offence, not allowing anything to get too out of control.
In the absence of former All-Star Devanté Hackett, Fearon has filled his shoes and more, playing the point guard role perfectly for Manigat. His ability to attack downhill off a pick-and-roll has been nothing short of fantastic thus far, punishing any type of coverage opposing teams throw at him. More importantly, he’s been the team’s best passer. Whether it’s out of a double team, drive, or a simple swing, Fearon has been a sensational playmaker this season.
When the final buzzer sounded, the score was 75-61, as Brock heads into the Christmas break with an impressive 8-2 record, while Algoma falls to 0-10.
Standouts for the game included McKenna, who finished with a dominant 19-point, 17-rebound double-double. His best stat line of the season so far.
Matas got the last laugh in his battle of the bigs, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds, securing a double-double of his own.
Fearon had a solid 12 points and five assists with only one turnover in the game.
Finally, Perry had the Badgers’ third double-double, finishing with a stat line of 14 points and 10 rebounds.
—
The Badgers finish the first half of the season on a high note and can relax over the break until they return to play the Nipissing Lakers on Jan. 9 back at home.