After their big win against the Marauders on February 10, the Blues men’s basketball team were looking to finish their last home game of the regular season with a blowout against the Waterloo Warriors. 

As the two teams gathered at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, the fans filled the stands to show their support for the Blues. 

What happened

From the start of the match, the Blues were met with an aggressive, fast paced opposing team. The Warriors were quick to take an early lead and finished the first quarter ahead of the Blues with a score of 23–11. 

Determined to regain control of the game, the Blues applied tight defensive coverage and shut down the Warriors offensively. They attacked the key with the same aggression the Warriors displayed in the first quarter and closed the goal gap to five points in favour of Waterloo. 

After the half, both teams were evidently determined to finish every scoring opportunity they curated to get ahead. 

However, near the end of the third quarter, the Warriors took the lead again and went up 51–43. 

Despite the Blues’ efforts to catch up, their slow start to the match got the best of them and they were unable to shut down the Warriors in the final quarter; the Blues fell short with a final score of 69–61. 

Although it was not the result the Blues were hoping for, guards Callum Baker and Iñaki Alvarez led their team both on and off the court. They presented outstanding leadership and encouraged their teammates to walk off the court with their heads held high. 

Baker secured 22 points, three assists, two rebounds, and a steal, while Alvarez finished with 20 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. The dynamic duo did it again. 

What’s next

The Blues now sit in fourth place in the central division of the Ontario University Athletics standings, with a 13–8 overall and a 0.619 win percentage. 

On February 18, the Blues face the Marauders again at McMaster University and hope to bring home a second win over the Marauders this season.