“I just thought we locked in and got some really big stops when we needed them.”
The number one nationally ranked Gee-Gees faced off against the fourth-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks at Montpetit Hall Jan 27. in a Saturday afternoon matchup. The Gees have had a 14-1 record so far this year and they looked to hold their position in the rankings with this matchup before facing Carleton at the upcoming Capital Hoops Classic on Feb 3.
The first quarter started with a big alley-oop layup that forward Brock Newton served to guard Kevin Otoo. Newton, a 2022-2023 U Sports Academic All-Canadian has been averaging 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds this season, but struggled in the first half. The forward would step up in the second half though, and go on to finish with 23 points.
Some solid defensive work from the Gees as they would draw fouls, and contest shots to keep the Hawks at four points. Justin Ndjock-Tadore and guard Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta would hit a great set of wing three-pointers for a great shooting effort that improved over the quarter.
Guemeta had a stellar game, shooting 50 per cent overall, as well as hitting 5-8 from the three-point line., The second-year Gee talked postgame about his shooting mentality: “If I’m hooping, I’m going to shoot it. If I’m not, I won’t shoot it. So if I get in a situation where I have to take the shot, I will take the shot.”
The Gees struggled a little inside the paint but made up for it in their mid-range and three-point shooting, especially when guard Dragan Stajic got a big three from the top of the arc. The paint presence would improve near the end with Newton hitting a heavily contested layup to give him some extra confidence and a fadeaway jump shot from guard Khalifa Koulamallah. Guemeta would hit a corner three before the quarter ended to put the Gees up 21-11.
The second quarter started with the Gees struggling on defense as the Hawks used behind-the-back passes as well as pick and rolls to create space and get points on the board. The Gees would struggle with their shot selection in the offensive zone, making questionable shot attempts or turning over the ball unnecessarily.
The scoring drought would end with Guemeta making his third shot from deep for three points. The defense got better throughout the quarter as the Gees caused necessary fouls to stop shots from going to the net, grabbed defensive rebounds and protected the three-point line better. Guemeta would hit another three and Otoo would get a great layup as he aggressively drove to the net.
With Newton getting more contested layups, the inside shooting was getting stronger and stronger. The Hawks were playing full court press near the end to try and stop the Gees in the transition. The Hawks were playing desperation tactics but it was pointless as the Gees were dominating all over the court.
“Well, I mean, their guards especially are super skilled, there’s no doubt about that,” Coach James Derouin said postgame about guarding players like Taye Donald.
“When we helped and gave up open threes, then that’s how they made their run. When we stayed home and made them isolate and take tough jump shots, it’s just really tough against our length and athleticism to get a high number against, you know, shooting those kinds of shots.”
A Hawks player tried to posterize Newton but he blocked the dunk with incredible strength, which led to forward/guard Cid Ruhamyandekwe setting him up for a jump shot to end the half at 38-31.
The third quarter started with Newton drawing a foul while making a shot for a three-point play to kickstart a great offensive effort in this half. The Gees defence would struggle against defending three point shooting but were locking down the paint, preventing close shots. The team was drawing fouls in the offensive zone but were having a hard time making free throws to capitalize on these opportunities.
The Hawks were coming close to cutting the lead but the Gees were fighting back by blocking close shots on defence and hitting their shots on offence when possible. The Hawks were playing very aggressively but the Gees would fight with that same effort, as Stajic would fight three times in the paint, grabbing two rebounds and making a shot to end the quarter 54-49.
The fourth quarter started with aggressive defence and better shot selection from the Gees to get more points on the board as Newton hit a solid mid-range jumper and a contested layup.
“Man, that’s just all my teammates,” Newton said about what fuelled his performance in the second half, “Every time they see, if anyone has their heads down, whether it’s me or someone else, they pick you up and they tell you to keep going because they know what you’re capable of.”
The Gees were grabbing more defensive rebounds to get back in transition, causing travelling violations and stopping the Hawks from driving the net. Koulamallah would hit a three from the top of the key as the Gees grew their lead with their better shooting.
The Gees were fighting for a win on both ends of the court; hustling for rebounds in the offensive zone and using solid screen plays to create more opportunities and spacing. The atmosphere was getting so intense that the Gees’ bench was given a technical foul after the team was fouled against by the Hawks.
The Gees would bring the lead back to 71-62 with Guemata hitting another mid-range shot and Koulamallah drawing a foul to get a free point and hit a three in the last minute. The Hawks would try to fight back but the Gees would have an answer offensively to stay on top. With Stajic hitting his free throws after being fouled, the victory was secured with 4.4 seconds left on the clock 75-67.
The Gees will face off against their rival Carleton Ravens on Friday at TD Place for the annual Capital Hoops Classic. Some tickets are still available, but they won’t last long.
