Oshawa, Ont. - The Algonquin Wolves men's basketball team saw its three-game winning streak come to an end on Friday night, falling to the defending OCAA Champion Durham Lords in Oshawa.
Coming into the contest, the Wolves appeared to have found their rhythm after a slow start to the season, led by third-year guard Albert Opena, who was recently named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week. Algonquin faced a stiff test against the Lords, who entered the matchup at 9–2 and sitting atop the OCAA East standings. Durham quickly showed why they are the defending champions, racing out to an 11–0 lead.
Wolves head coach Trevor Costello made early lineup adjustments to try to stem the momentum, which provided a brief spark. Gezim Pjetergjokaj and Nestor Vaval came off the bench and combined for 11 points, helping Algonquin head into the first quarter break trailing 25–17.
The Lords continued to build their lead in the second quarter, shooting lights out from the floor. Durham shot 53% overall and 43% from beyond the arc in the frame, outscoring the Wolves 23–12 to take a 48–29 lead into halftime.
Algonquin's offense was more efficient in the third quarter, shooting 11-for-17 from the field, led by Nestor Vaval who scored 11 of the Wolves' 23 points in the quarter. Durham, however, remained red-hot, shooting 59% from the floor and 50% from three while outscoring Algonquin 37–23. With the game out of reach by the fourth quarter, the Lords went on to secure a 109–76 victory.
Nestor Vaval led the Wolves with 18 points, adding five rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Albert Opena also finished in double figures with 11 points, along with 5 rebounds and 1 assist.
Peterborough, Ont. - The Wolves bounced back in a big way on Saturday night, earning a big 86–65 road win over the Fleming Phoenix in Peterborough.
Fleming had defeated the Wolves 83–69 earlier this season, setting the stage for an important matchup with significant implications in the OCAA East standings. Entering the game, Fleming sat at 6–6, while Algonquin was close behind at 5–7.
The Wolves came out with urgency, opening the game on a 7–0 run capped off by a Frank Thomas corner three. Algonquin controlled the tempo throughout the first quarter, and after Thomas finished a transition layup, the Wolves carried an 18–7 lead into the second.
Algonquin continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, pushing the pace and capitalizing in transition. Albert Opena knocked down a fadeaway jumper from the elbow before finishing a tough contested layup at the rim to extend the lead to double digits. Opena then scored eight straight points, including two deep three-pointers, to give the Wolves a 36–20 advantage. Shyeem Brown added to the momentum with a strong transition layup plus the foul, sending Algonquin into halftime with a commanding 47–30 lead.
The second half followed a similar script, with Fleming unable to keep pace in transition. Frank Thomas added another fast-break layup, while Haven Holder dominated the glass, helping the Wolves out-rebound the Phoenix 42–20. Opena capped off the third quarter with a put-back layup at the buzzer, pushing the Wolves' lead to 68–50 heading into the fourth.
The cushion proved too much for Fleming to overcome, as Algonquin closed out an 86–65 victory.
Albert Opena delivered another standout performance, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Shyeem Brown added 14 points and six rebounds, Haven Holder recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Frank Thomas chipped in 13 points, five rebounds, and three steals.
The win improves the Wolves to 6–7 on the season and places them in a three-way tie with Fleming and Loyalist for fifth place in the OCAA East.