Rebounding is key for the Varsity Blues basketball teams, and that mentality isn’t limited to snatching loose balls after missed shots.
The Blues were at home this past weekend hosting the Windsor Lancers on Friday night. Despite out-rebounding them 51-47, the Blues came up just short, losing 61-60. Nick Snow was in foul trouble for most of the game, playing only 19 minutes. Nick Magalas led all players with 19 points. Drazen Glisic, who was unstoppable on the boards, ripped down 10 offensive rebounds and 17 in total. Despite these valiant efforts, the loss was chalked up to shooting an ice cold 27 per cent from the field.
“We don’t usually shoot like that,” said guard Anthony DeGiorgio. “We’re just as good as anybody else, but we just beat ourselves some of the time.”
Saturday night’s game against the Western Mustangs was the time for the Blues to rebound again. But this time, the rebounding wasn’t just on the glass. The Blues played near-flawless basketball, outplaying Western to the 84-68 win. Snow poured in a career-high 30 points, and Rob Paris, Patrick Sewell, and Magalas chipped in with 15, 13, and 12 respectively. The Blues were exceptionally better than the night before, shooting with 49 per cent from the floor, and an impressive 27-4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“Before the game we broke down the word ‘execute,’ what it means and how it relates to our offence and getting good shots at the right time,” explained Snow. “We focused on what to do when we get the ball in the post, where to cut and where to screen.”
“Coach [Mike Katz] emphasized us making the extra pass,” added DeGiorgio. “On defence, we created a lot of turnovers, we were active and had our hands in the lane.”
Assistant coach Mike DeGiorgio also noted the difference. “We ran our offense crisper. We pushed the ball up the court, and in the end we made shots. We had some open looks on Friday that we didn’t knock down.”
“This weekend was a bit of a gut check,” argued Magalas. “If this team takes [Saturday night], internalizes it, and realizes this is what we need to do to win, we’re the best team in the country.”
The Blues women’s team was also at home this weekend, looking to improve on their 4-2 start. Nicki Schutz had another impressive game, with 18 points and nine rebounds. Schutz and Megan Stoncius are usually notorious for suffocating opposing teams’ interior offence. Unfortunately both fouled out, allowing Windsor to come back and win 71-64, despite the Blues leading by six after three quarters.
On Saturday night against Western, the Blues started off strong. However, the 7-1 Mustangs took control midway through the first quarter and never looked back. Schutz’s game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds were not enough, and the Blues fell 84-67.
The 4-4 Women’s team played McMaster on Dec. 2 and is headed to Lakehead on Dec. 3 to play their last regular games of the year.
With the holiday break approaching, the Varsity Blues men’s team closes out the first third of their schedule with a 5-3 record.
