The Brock Badgers men’s basketball team is through to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinals after a huge 81-58 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, Feb 24 in Ottawa.
This win eliminated the No. 2 seeded (No. 3 ranked nationally) Gee-Gees from the playoffs and sets the Badgers up for a clash with the No. 4 seeded and No. 8 nationally ranked Western Mustangs in the OUA semifinals next week.
“We get to live on and move on to the next round. Our focus as a coaching staff and as a team is already on Wednesday,” said head coach Willy Manigat. “This season is about getting to this point and putting it all together at the right time. We’re healthy now and showing what we could have been all year.”
The Badgers were led in this one by three senior players who all had huge games. Isaiah Bujdoso led the way with 21 points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal. Jevon Brown was scoring from everywhere and posted 19 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists, and Jordan Tchuente contributed 14 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
The game started out very close with the teams staying within a possession of each other for the first half of the opening frame. Tchuente and Kevaughn Ellis both scored in the paint, using nice moves to get the Badgers’ offence rolling. The Gee-Gees were then able to open up a multiple possession lead through the three-point shot as they hit four of them in the first. Bujdoso connected on a buzzer-beating four-point play to end the quarter and cut into Ottawa’s lead. The Gee-Gees led 25-19 heading into the second.
In the second quarter, the Badgers were able to erase the Ottawa lead quickly. Tchuente scored multiple times and both Jevon Brown and Georges Mfwamba Ngandu hit three-pointers to give Brock the advantage. The Badgers battled the rest of the frame, but the Gee-Gees regained their lead through strong transition play and some timely shooting from beyond the arc. Ottawa led 45-38 at halftime.
The third quarter started very similarly to the second, as Brock got into the lead once again within the first few minutes. Ellis hit two three-pointers, Bujdoso scored twice and Brown hit a three and a floater to propel the Badgers into the lead. Ottawa was able to keep the Badgers close for the rest of the quarter but a huge three-pointer from Davanté Hackett in the final minute gave Brock a little more breathing room up 59 53 heading into the fourth.
Brock quickly gave themselves more of an advantage to begin the fourth, with Brown and Ellis both hitting fadeaway mid-range jumpers to begin the frame. The Badgers would continue to stretch their lead out from there. Brock shot 9-for-11 from the field in the final quarter, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Ngandu had a couple breakaway dunks to close out the huge road victory for the Badgers.
“Our whole mantra is to defend and rebound and go have fun. Tonight, our guys did that,” said Manigat. “To hold a team like Ottawa to 13 points in the second half is the story of the game.”
Next up, the No. 10 seed Badgers (11-11) will travel to London on Wednesday, Feb. 28 to take on the No. 4 seed Western Mustangs (16-6) at 7 p.m. You can catch the game live on OUA.tv.