Basketball fever ran high on the weekend as the OUA East Championships took place at the Athletic Centre’s Sports Gym. Friday’s main event on the men’s side was between the fifth-seeded Laurentian Voyageurs (9-13) and the fourth-seeded Varsity Blues (10-12).

The Blues came into the game trying to build on a three-game winning streak.

They had reason to be confident, not only because they had a better record during the regular season, but also because they were playing in front of a home crowd.

However, the Blues ran into a very strong-willed Voyageur team, and were defeated 70-61 in front of a sold-out crowd.

“It’s really tough for these guys because they lost in front of the home crowd,” said a disappointed Ken Olynyk, Toronto’s head coach.

The crowd was not an advantage to Toronto because Laurentian’s supporters were the vocal majority.

Every time the Voyageurs scored, their fans erupted, boosting the team’s morale.

After taking a six-point lead early in the first half, the Blues started to lose focus defensively, which resulted in a 7-0 run by Laurentian.

“It came down to defensive lapses and recognition on our part,” said Matt Sturgeon (9 points), who played with a hurt leg. “It’s costly when you can’t stop key guys from scoring.”

Those key players for Laurentian were James Jefferson (25 points) and Chris Tilley (18 points). Jefferson led the way with 12 points in the first half.

The Blues came into the second half trailing by ten points, but were immediately energized by the inspirational play of Tom Grochmal (2002 OUA All-Star second team).

With ten minutes left in the game, Grochmal hit a three-pointer to pull Toronto within four. He later hit two key free throws to cut the deficit once more.

“Our strong effort brought us back in the second but we couldn’t finish [the comeback],” said Grochmal, reflecting on his 18-point performance.

The Blues tied the game with four minutes remaining on a Paul Zyla basket that seemed to shift the momentum in Toronto’s favour. But Laurentian’s James Jefferson had other plans. He received a pass, stepped behind the arc, and buried a clutch three-pointer that once again gave the Voyageurs a comfortable cushion. Jefferson then potted another basket to spread the lead to five, crushing Toronto’s hopes.

“He really shut the lights out on us tonight,” said Grochmal, who also believed the Blues should have paid more attention to key players like Jefferson. “His success was our failure.”

According to Coach Olynyk, his team played well, “but got a little disjointed defensively.” He said that even though Toronto turned the ball over only 12 times, they did so at crucial stages. “The effort was good, but the execution wasn’t.”

Olynyk, who is already looking forward to next season, believes the team is finally starting to gel.

“It’s all about getting the right fit and trying to build on this year’s successes,” he added.