Trips to Thunder Bay and Guelph fair well for men and women
Following a fantastic home opening weekend, both Gee-Gees basketball teams took to the road for matchups against the Lakehead Thunderwolves and Guelph Gryphons.
In the first game of the double header on Nov. 13, the Gee-Gee women stormed out to a convincing 21-point lead at one point in the game thanks to the shooting of Catherine Traer.
The Gees closed out the 65-50 win after a strong second half. Traer led the team with 15 points. Point guard Julia Soriano was also dominant in the game with a 13-point, six-rebound performance.
For the Gee-Gees men, being the number one team in the nation means every competitor has the game circled on their calendars, looking to take their shot at the best.
The game would start much slower than their typical pace after Lakehead hung with them throughout the first quarter, with the Gee-Gees only holding a narrow 23-22 lead until Mike L’Africain took the game over.
The Gees ramped up their offence behind L’Africain’s 25 points to come out ahead of the Thunderwolves 89-61.
Four players scored in the double digits for the Gees, including a dominant 13-point, 13-rebound effort from Nathan McCarthy. Brandon Robinson also sunk 3 of 5 threes for 14 points.
Riding high from their wins, both teams would struggle harder in Guelph.
Both Gryphons teams came to fight, handing the Gee-Gees everything they had, but, luckily for the garnet and grey, they couldn’t muster enough to get a win.
The women’s team was down for three quarters and at one point they trailed by 14, only to mount a fantastic comeback.
Once again, Catherine Traer was the star for the Gees with a huge 24 points on the night.
The tenacity of the team showed in their ability to come back for a massive win, improving their record to 4-0 on the young season.
The men also had their hands full with an inspired Gryphons squad who never let the Gees get much breathing room.
A vital 26-point third quarter finally gave the team the space they needed to close out the tight 77-70 win following a heavy push in the waning minutes of the game.
It was another big game for McCarthy as he led the team with 15 points, along with seven rebounds. Caleb Agada was also a dangerous force, netting 14 and pulling down 12 rebounds.
With both teams remaining perfect on the road trip, the men defended their rank as top squad in the country, while the women continued their bid to break the top 10.
Returning to Montpetit Hall for a final home stand before the holiday break, they will take on Algoma on Nov. 21 at 6 and 8 p.m., and then Windsor and Western on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28.
