Brock Badgers Edge Laurentian, Build Team Cohesion Over Successful Weekend
TOP PERFORMERS
BROCK
- Jameson Tipping– 14 pts, 6 rbs
- Mark Gibson– 13 pts, 10 rbs
- Andrew Kraus– 13 pts, 8 rbs, 6 ast, 4 stl
LAURENTIAN
- Mike Hull- 19 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast, 4 stl
- Georges Serresse– 13 pts, 5 rbs
- Alex Ratte- 13 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl
PHOTO COURTESY: BROCK ATHLETICS
ST CATHARINES, ON–Less than 24 hours after suffering a loss to the powerhouse Saskatchewan Huskies, the Brock Badgers rebounded well, defeating the Laurentian Voyageurs by a score of 71-64 and displaying a taste of what is to come for the regular season.
The Badgers used a balanced effort to secure the win, with Jameson Tipping leading the way en route to 14 points and six rebounds. Mark Gibson recorded a double-double (13 pts, 10 rbs) while Andrew Kraus was rock-solid, filling the stat sheet! (13 pts, 8 rbs, 6 ast, 4 stl)
The Voyageurs faught hard all game, however Brock’s depth proved to be the difference in the end as multiple players answered LU down the stretch.
Mike Hull did the dirty work for Laurentian inside, as he cleaned the glass, ran in transition and moved well without the ball. Hall registered a game-high 19 points along with nine rebounds.
It was as if the Badgers had flipped the switch from the night before against Saskatchewan, transitioning from a sluggish, out of sync group to an energetic, polished team.
“Credit Saskatchewan, if you don’t show up, a good team will try and crush you like that,” explained Brock Head Coach, Brad Rootes.
With multiple new additions to the team, it will naturally take the course of time to have Brock’s team personnel mesh together.
“You can’t fake chemistry…you can wan’t it, but it’s going to take time to build that bond,” Rootes told NPH.
On the other hand, Laurentian looked solid, and are expecting their star guard Emmanuel Pasquale back in the lineup by regular season after a minor ankle injury.
The Voyageurs look very comfortable with each other from the coaching staff to every player on the roster. It will be interesting to see if they can compete with the cream of the crop in the OUA East conference.
However, based off a talented roster, and a concrete foundation spearheaded by Rootes, don’t be surprised if the Brock Badgers make noise in the OUA West.
According to Rootes, “It’s going to be a matter of mental focus for us, and team cohesion.”
Brock ended the RBC Brock Classic with a 2-1 record, while Laurentian went 1-2.
