The Varsity Blues defeated the Windsor Lancers 86–81 Saturday in a dramatic game at the Varsity Arena. Toronto took the lead early and never looked back, capping a two game winning run at home to bring the Blues back to .500 (3–3) on the season.
Forward Alex Hill set the tone early, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to score the Blues’ first nine points. The Lancers felt the brunt of some precision shooting, with the Blues making 63 per cent from the floor in the opening frame.
Accurate shooting and strong rebounding allowed the Blues to open up a sizable 15-point advantage going into the second quarter. Hill acknowledged after the game that it was crucial to make a quick start: “We just wanted to push early, go at them, and not let off.”
Hill brought the crowd at the Athletic Centre to their feet with a play early in the first period, driving to the hoop from the left elbow and crowning a Lancer defender with a dunk plus the foul. “When I go to the rim, I go hard,” said Hill.
It was more of the same in the second quarter, as the Blues out-hustled their opponents on both ends of the court. Hard work off the glass from Sean Nickel and Andrew Wasik led to easy second-chance points allowing the Blues to maintain their double-digit advantage.
In the dying seconds of the first half, Nickel managed a steal and passed to Dakota Laurin, who was sent to the line and made both free throws. The Blues cruised into halftime with a 56–34 lead as the Lancers struggled from the field, shooting just 2-of-14 from beyond the arc.
The second half opened up with the Blues feeding Wasik in the post for two quick scores. The teams traded blows in an uneventful third period as the Blues headed into the final frame with a comfortable 20-point cushion.
But the Lancers full-court press halted the Blues offense in the fourth, while Windsor’s third-year guard Enrico Diloreto took over the game offensively. Diloreto, the CIS’ second-highest scorer poured in 11 of his game-high 33 points in the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter, including a stretch of eight straight points to bring the Lancers back within five of Toronto.
The Blues lead was cut to three points with just 25 seconds remaining, and the visitors were noticeably joyful as Toronto was forced to call a timeout. “Coach told us to relax and not listen to them … we [were] still winning,” said Hill.
Blues player-of-the-game Drazen Glisic recovered an offensive rebound from a Hill miss to finally put the game out of reach. Glisic scored a team-high 16 points, going 7-for-11 from the floor and adding six rebounds.
The win puts the Blues in a tie for second place with Ottawa in the OUA East Division. The two-game winning streak provided excitement for home fans, and put the team back on track after a disappointing three-game losing streak.
Hill said that the team has high expectations for the season given their wealth of vexperience. The Blues have more players in their fifth year of eligibility than any other team in the division, and Hill believes that could push them over the top. “We’re a savvy, veteran team and we’ve been through it all… We know what to expect.”
The Blues travel to Hamilton to take on the red hot McMaster Marauders, who have won five straight.
