Men’s basketball Wolves come up short against Durham

In a back-and-forth game, Algonquin was a few minutes away from breaking Durham’s undefeated season
Photo: Vasileios Tselios
Wolves forward Tesloch Luk goes for a layup against the Durham Lords on Jan.17 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.

The Wolves men’s basketball team lost 81-68 against the Durham Lords on Jan. 17 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.

The matchup pitted two of the top seeds in the eastern conference, Durham in first and Algonquin in third place, respectively. Their previous matchup in Oshawa in November saw the Wolves narrowly lose by six points.

Durham came into the game in Ottawa looking to maintain their unbeaten record of 11-0, now 12-0, on the back of their defence. The Lords’ defence allows the fewest points, three-point percentage and assists in the OCAA.

The Wolves looked to become the first team to beat Durham this season and to prove its status as an elite team in the province.

“I think we have a good enough team to win it all this year. I think nationals is our ceiling to be honest,” said Wolves forward Ted Braden.

The first quarter proved a difficult one for the Wolves, as Durham’s full-court press allowed them to take a commanding lead early on. The Wolves were forced into turnovers, which led to easy opportunities for Durham in the other end.

With the first quarter ending 26-16 in favour of the Lords, the Wolves had a lot of ground to make up in the following three quarters in order to come back.

The two teams were much more evenly matched in the second quarter, as the Wolves cut down on the turnovers and the fouls that plagued them in the first quarter. The Lords went to the free-throw line only four times in the second quarter, compared to the 10 they shot in the first.

Due to the fewer mistakes, the Wolves cut the lead down to four points with four minutes left in the first half until the Lords went on an 8-0 team run. An unsportsmanlike conduct foul was charged to the Wolves’ Devonte Brooks, which sparked a new level of intensity between the two teams.

The Wolves headed into halftime down 42-34.

Wolves Forward Ted Brayden goes for a layup against the Durham Lords on Jan.17 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
Wolves forward Ted Brayden goes for a layup against the Durham Lords on Jan.17 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre. Photo credit: Vasileios Tselios

The Wolves’ halftime adjustments proved effective in the third quarter as they more than doubled Durham’s rebounds and free throws in the quarter. The Wolves slowly cut into the lead until an unsportsmanlike conduct foul was called on Durham’s Jasean Elliott.

The call, similar to the one in the second quarter, lit the game on fire, and the Wolves were able to take the lead with a Simon Desta jump shot and the crowd fully behind them.

“We came out in the third, and played a great third quarter at both ends. The defence was fantastic,” said Wolves assistant coach Jim Langis.

“That’s what the playoffs are like. You have to learn to play in those situations where you are going all out but you still got to be able to concentrate and execute the technical things.”

Heading into the fourth quarter, the emotion of the game reached an all-time high as the crowd exploded in cheers after Wolves forward Chris Lachapelle got fouled and still scored through the contact.

The Wolves raced to a 66-59 lead with eight minutes left in the game, after two made free throws from Tesloch Luk.

Wolves Forward Tesloch Luk dribbles against the Durham Lords on Jan.17 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
Wolves forward Tesloch Luk dribbles against the Durham Lords on Jan.17 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre. Photo credit: Vasileios Tselios

At that point, the Lords’ full-court press once again started giving the Wolves troubles, causing turnovers for the home team.

The Lords would go on to outscore the Wolves 21-2 until the end of the game.

“I thought we played solid in the second and third quarter but just the last seven minutes down the stretch, we fell apart there,” said Braden.

Head coach Trevor Costello highlighted two particular areas where the Wolves were outmatched on the night.

“Offensive rebounding, they killed us on the boards and turnovers. Crucial turnovers. Our main guys turning the ball over in crunch time doesn’t help and it leads to a loss,” said Costello.

Durham did a particularly good job on the Wolves’ main ball handler, Luk. He was constantly trapped on the elbow of the three-point line. Luk finished the game four points below his 21 points per game average, which leads the OCAA.

Despite the tough loss, the faith in the Wolves’ locker room is still high when looking ahead to the rest of the season.

“(Durham) are a good team, they deserve the record they have. But I don’t think there is anyone in our change room that thought that if we see them again in the playoffs, we are not capable of winning that game,” said Langis.

Costello is confident the Wolves can match up against any team in the OCAA.

“We are not afraid of anybody. Our record is whatever, 8-4, but we are not afraid,” he said. “We will take on anybody. If we put it all together, we are the best team in the province.”

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