SARNIA – Embracing the underdog role.

The Lambton Men's Basketball Program will kick off their 2024 playoffs on the road. The Lions will be in Toronto to take on the nationally-ranked George Brown Huskies on Saturday afternoon at George Brown's Casa Loma Campus.

Down the stretch in the regular season, the Lions started to find hteir rhythm. They put together a record of 9-9 in the regular season for the second year in a row, and they enter the playoffs as the West Division's seventh seed.

Last season, after putting together a 9-9 record in the regular season, the Lions advanced to the Final Four before narrowly missing out on another OCAA medal.

On the other side, the Huskies come in as the East Division’s second seed after posting a regular season record of 14-4. They are the 12th ranked team in the country in the latest CCAA Men's Basketball National Rankings that were released on February 13th.

Tipoff on Saturday is set for 3:00 p.m. in Toronto. You can also find the game on OCAA Live.

How They Got Here

The Lions enter the postseason riding a three-game winning streak, and they are an even 5-5 over their last 10 games. Wins over Canadore, Redeemer, and Conestoga to close the season have put momentum at the backs of the Lions on both ends of the floor, as they've seem different faces step up in each game to help propel the team to victory. They are hoping to ride that momentum into Casa Loma and knock off the Huskies.

George Brown comes into Saturday’s match-up having won back-to-back games to close the regular season. The Huskies picked up an 85-84 win over Centennial in their regular season finale to secure the second seed, knocking the Colts to fourth in the process. The 14-4 Huskies are 7-3 over their last 10 outings.

How They Stack Up

Here’s a look at how the teams stack up against one another in terms of statistics from the regular season:

Players To Watch

Lambton Lions: Jerry Wilson (14.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.1 apg; 40.7% FG, 39.3% 3PT)

With all eyes likely on fellow guard JK Thomas, who led the OCAA in scoring this season (26.1 ppg), Wilson's play could very well be the X-factor for the Lions against the Huskies. Wilson has taken his game to another level during the Lions' current three-game winning streak, averaging 22.3 points per game while shooting an even 50.0% from three-point range. He had a career-high 29 points in a 13-point overtime win over Redeemer back on February 9th.

Against a strong defensive team like the Huskies, Wilson's ability to find open space off the ball will be tested early and often. While the Lions boast one of the OCAA's top scoring offenses, the Huskies are one of the league's best on the defensive end. If Wilson can find space and get into a rhythm early on, that could be the key to a Lambton victory.

George Brown Huskies: Christian Tabiri (15.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.3 apg; 52.3% FG, 34.5% 3PT)

The front court provides several intriguing match-ups for both teams in this one, which is why the fourth-year forward from Toronto is one to watch for the Huskies. Tabiri is one of five Huskies averaging double-digit points this season, and he leads the way with 15.8 points per game on 52.3% shooting from the field. The six-foot-six forward can also stretch the floor with his shooting ability, as Tabiri shot 34.5% (30-for-87) from three-point range this season.

Last Meeting

March 6th, 2020: Huskies 82 – 65 Lions (OCAA Quarterfinals)

For more information, or for any media inquiries within Lambton College Athletics, please contact:

Tyler Bennett
Lambton College Sports Information & Marketing Coordinator
tyler.bennett@lambtoncollege.ca