Voyageurs sweep aside gaels in play-off action

Date and Time :    20 February, 2013 — 20:00 pm

Game Recap:

SUDBURY, ON – With the regular season wrapped up, the first round of OUA playoff action got underway in the Ben Avery Gymnasium, with the Laurentian Voyageurs playing host to the Queens Gaels. With the winner progressing to the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference, the Voyageurs stepped up and swept aside the Gaels with a solid performance all round. When the final buzzer sounded, the Voyageurs emerged victors by a score of 93-80.

The first quarter saw the Gaels start off strong, dominating the opening minutes and erupting into a quick 5-0 lead. However, the Voyageurs did not take long to find their rhythm with Manny Pasquale beginning to fire on all cylinders. Helped by 5 Gael turnovers, the Voyageurs quickly assumed control thanks to some excellent ball movement from Josh Budd. Budd distribution allowed Pasquale to find space, where he continued to shoot well throughout the opening quarter. Heading into the second quarter, the Voyageurs has established a 9 point lead, with the scoreboard reading 24-15. The second quarter saw much of the same with the Gaels mounting some early pressure and cutting the lead down to just 6 points. However the Voyageurs were playing inspired basketball, fighting hard during every possession. This was evident when Serresse dove upon a rebound and dished the ball wide to Pasquale to sink the step-back 3. This play got the crowd on their feet, and shifted the momentum back in favour of the Voyageurs. From here, a double-block by Josh Budd helped to spring Nelson Yengue free for an easy basket, expanding the lead further. With arguably the highlight of the half, Georges Serresse produced a timely interception that led to a fast break. From here, Serresse showed why he is a crowd favourite inside the Ben Avery, slamming home the emphatic one-handed dunk. To end the first half, Manny Pasquale hit a remarkable 3-point effort that left the commentators speechless, and left the score line reading 52-38 in favour of the Voyageurs.

The Gaels needed to see vast improvement in the second half if they were to overcome the rampant Voyageurs. Their game plan became immediately recognizable, mounting extreme pressure on the Voyageurs on both ends of the court. This pressure caused multiple mistakes from Laurentian that allowed the Gaels to capitalize and cut the lead down to just 10 points. As the half progressed the Voyageurs restored their lead thanks to some more excellent play by Pasqaule. Entering the fourth quarter, the Laurentian team had regained their lead, and were up by a score of 73-58. This gave the Voyageurs a comfortable lead, with the game in their hands. However this did not deter the Laurentian offense, who continued to pressure even in the dying stages of the game. Pasquale continued to mount the points, totalling 33 points in an all-round excellent performance from the veteran player. To complete the evening, the Voyageurs gave the crowd more to cheer about when Nelson Yengue buried Pasquale’s alley-oop lob pass, putting the game to rest. This cemented Laurentian’s place in the semi-finals of the OUA Eastern Conference play-offs, after defeating the Gaels by a score of 93-80.

The Voyageurs now head to the Ravens Nest on Saturday, 23^rd February to take on the number one ranked Carleton Ravens in what is sure to me an exciting evening of basketball action. Tip-off is at 8pm.

For more information on your Voyageurs, visit www.luvoyageurs.com for the latest news and information.

Laurentian University's Department of Athletics is home to 15 varsity sports teams. The Voyageurs and Lady Vees decorated history of pride and tradition includes 61 provincial championships as well as 9 national championships in 50 years of competition.