Voyageurs come out strong against windsor in home opener

Date and Time :    16 November, 2012 — 22:00 pm

Game Recap:

SUDBURY, ON - The message from Laurentian Voyageurs head coach Shawn Swords appears to be hitting home.

Displaying an attention to defensive intensity not always seen in these parts, the L.U. men's basketball team were immediately rewarded.

Leading virtually from start to finish, the Voyageurs stopped the 5^th ranked Windsor Lancers 80-72, improving their record to 2-1 on the season after earning a split on the road to open league play.

The Laurentian attack was paced by Alex Ratte (21 pts), Georges Serresse (18) and Manny Pasquale (17), with Josh Budd (9) and Nelson Yengue (8) also providing key contributions.

Lien Phillip countered with 16 points for Windsor, with Josh Collins adding a dozen as the Lancers suffered their first loss after sweeping the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee Gees at home last week.

Playing in front of a very noisy capacity crowd, Laurentian bolted to a 16-11 lead after the first quarter, holding steady at the half (38-32), thanks to a three-pointer from Pasquale with seconds remaining that was arguably launched closer to the half court line that the three-point arc.

With the 6'8' Phillip leading the way, the visitors narrowed the gap slightly in quarter number three, trailing 58-54 heading into the final ten minutes of play.

But just as they had all night long, the Voyageurs compensated for a height disadvantage by using their quickness and ongoing hustle to level the playing field.

'We're clearly undersized this year and they're a pretty big team and very athletic,' said Ratte. 'I think for most of the game, we rebounded well. Pushing the ball up and getting back on defense, those were our most important keys.'

While it's still early in the year, the Ottawa native is encouraged that the L.U. crew might have taken another step forward from the squad that hosted a home playoff game last spring for the first time in a decade.

'I would say that this year, we're a lot faster, a lot more athletic,' Ratte noted. 'We're known to push the ball a lot more than others. Scoring should not be an issue with this team - it's just our defense.'

'Tonight, we showed glimpses of brilliance on the defensive end,' Ratte added. 'This year, we really care when we get scored on.' That must be music to the ears of Shawn Swords.

The Voyageurs will take to the court in search of a home opening sweep on Saturday night when the Western University Mustangs make a stop at the Ben Avery Gymnasium.