On Wednesday night inside the Lambton College Athletics & Fitness Complex, the Lambton Lions men’s basketball team took on the visiting Macomb Community College Monarchs in exhibition play.
Thanks to a motivated performance from forward Darrius Canty (Detroit, Mich.; 3rd Year) and a career night from guard Kam David (Brampton, Ont.; 1st Year), the Lions came away with the 93-88 win.
Wednesday night was a situation where the past met the present for Canty. Prior to joining the Lions this season, Canty played for the Monarchs last season in the NJCAA. In the Lions’ first meeting against the Monarchs, he made sure to bring everything he had on both ends of the floor.
Canty recorded his second double-double in a Lambton uniform, finishing the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 7-of-17 from the field.
From start to finish, the contest followed the up-and-down trend of Lambton’s regular season in the OCAA. Out of the gates, the Monarchs used their shooting stroke to take an early lead. After the opening 10 minutes, Macomb held a 24-19 lead.
In the second frame, the roles were reversed. The Lions started to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor, and it helped spur a 10-point turnaround. Lambton outscored the Monarchs by a 24-14 margin in the second quarter to take a five-point lead of their own into the break.
The second half was all about the play of David. The first-year guard was held to just six points in the first half, but he kicked things into another gear in the second half. Using his quickness to his advantage in the lane, David found ways to get himself to the line. When there wasn’t a lane to the basket, David hit long range jumpers with confidence.
David finished the night with a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor, 4-of-8 from three-point range, and 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
Lambton led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter, but they weren’t able to put the Monarchs away. Macomb continued to fight, cutting the deficit to just four points heading into the fourth quarter. The Monarchs came all the way back, as a pair of free throws from Justin Schultz gave the Monarchs an 85-84 lead with just 2:11 to play.
The Lions gave up their lead briefly, but they didn’t lose it for long. Canty responded with a layup on the next possession, and David added a three-point play shortly thereafter to give the Lions a four-point lead with just over a minute left in the game.
In the closing minute, Lambton hit enough free throws to seal the deal, while missed opportunities from the Monarchs on offense helped the case for the home side. The Lions came away with the 93-88 win over the Monarchs.
Now, the Lions turn their attention back to the rigors of OCAA play. Lambton will head on the road on Saturday to close out their four-game road swing with an afternoon match-up against the Humber Hawks.
Opening tip for the men’s game is set for 4 p.m., while the women’s game is set to begin at 2 p.m.