Fans, alumni, and professors alike packed the Athletic Centre Sports Gym this weekend to watch the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team battle the number-three Ottawa Gee-Gees and number-one Carleton Ravens.
As part of “White Out Weekend,” much of the crowd wore white in support of the Blues’ playoff bid. Even U of T President David Naylor, adorned in a tailored white shirt, cheered on the team at Friday night’s game against Ottawa. “I wish I could come out more often, but I think it’s great to see so many students out and a lot of alumni out tonight,” said Naylor. “Here we are giving the number three team in the country, a very strong game […] It’s fantastic.”
What began as a strong game resulted in a 80-72 loss to Ottawa. Despite being the team’s first home loss of the season, a general optimistic attitude permeated the entire court. While the crowd was decked in white, the Blues were unwilling to wave the white flag.
“We played the third best team in the country without our starting point guard [Nick Magalas], so we did okay,” said Blues head coach Mike Katz. “I thought our guys played really hard, and they tried their best, and the result wasn’t all that terrible. But [Ottawa is] a good team and we just got to keep going. I was proud of our team.”
The Blues lit up the court in the first quarter, outscoring Ottawa 25-19. They shot 55 per cent from the floor, going 3-4 from behind the arc. Guard Rob Paris scored two of the three-pointers, ultimately tallying 18 points in the game. While the team’s momentum began to dwindle in the second quarter, the Blues maintained a three-point lead going into the half.
Although some say that good things come in threes, bad things happened to the Blues in the third. They turned the ball over eight times out of their 19 total, propelling the Gee-Gees to a 61-50 lead. While four of the players scored in double-figures in the game, the team only mustered 11 points in the futile third quarter. Even Blues player of the game Ahmed Nazmi, who tallied an impressive game-high 22 points and nine rebounds, was unable to get a basket during those lifeless 10 minutes.
The team fought back in the fourth, outscoring Ottawa 22-19. But it was too little, too late. Plagued by turnovers and poor shooting from the line, the Blues succumbed to the Gee-Gees, 80-72. Yet the crowd remained boisterous up until the final buzzer.
“I think the fans recognize that Ottawa is a very strong team, much stronger than any of the other opponents we’ve played at home,” explained U of T Modern Jewish History professor and avid basketball fan, Frank Bialystok. “The atmosphere was supportive and strong, and not at all defeatist.”
In only his third start of the season, point guard Anthony DeGiorgio offered insight into what went wrong. “We came out flat in the third quarter and against a team like Ottawa, if we’re going to beat them, we have to play forty minutes,” he said. “We have to play the whole game really well.” For his part, DeGiorgio tallied five rebounds and 10 points, five of which came during his very impressive opening quarter.
While Blues forward Nazmi led both teams in points and rebounds, he modestly deflected praise, focusing on his team’s progress. “Basketball is funny in that it’s the collective, it’s the sum of the individual effort,” he said. “I’m humbled that I was able to step up today, and the trick is to keep that going, and hopefully, we can all do that together. And when we gel together, we can count on more winning.”
The Blues couldn’t count on another win in their following game, falling to the Carleton Ravens 74-54. Yet there’s still something to cheer about: The Blues remain in third-place in the OUA East. With only three games left of the regular season, they are a lock for the playoffs, and it’s almost guareenteed they’ll play at home during the first round. And if there’s one thing that’s been learned this past weekend, it’s that win or lose, with the crowd behind them, the Blues have the advantage.
