RECAP: Gee-Gees down UAlbany in NCAA D-I exhibition matchup

The Gee-Gees men's basketball team closed their NCAA exhibition schedule against the UAlbany Great Danes on Saturday night at Montpetit Hall. In an all around effort, the Gee-Gees came away victorious with an 82-69 final score.

Led by a 19-point effort from fifth-year senior point guard Calvin Epistola, the Gee-Gees used a balanced performance to win their lone home Division I matchup of the preseason.

The University of Ottawa was the first on UAlbany's Canadian Tour, and despite the loss, put up a valiant fight against an energized Gee-Gees team. 

The Gee-Gees jumped out to a quick lead through the first quarter, tallying a 29-17 lead after the first frame. In the second quarter, the Great Danes rallied to tighten the game up to a slim 40-37 lead for Ottawa.

A wild back-and-forth third quarter, highlighted by a monster slams and key shots from beyond the arc for both teams had the Gee-Gees clinging to a 62-57 heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth, the Gee-Gees rode key performances from Epistola, Kevin Civil (14 pts), Gage Sabean (12 pts), and Marlon Kordrostami (12 pts) to close out the win. Ratcheting up the defence, the Gee-Gees held the Great Danes to only 12 points in the final quarter, capping off the solid 13-point win. 

"I loved the way the guys competed today," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. "The slippery floor made it difficult for both teams, but I thought we stayed mentally tough through it. We got all 12 guys on the court tonight, and got contributions from everybody. I'm really happy with how we played tonight."

After the game, Epistola spoke on the game being a great showcase for some of the work they put in throughout the offseason and a great opportunity to close the early preseason on the right foot.

"We've been playing great defence over the summer and tonight we wanted to turn defence into offence and we did," he said. "This just shows that all of the hard work we've been putting in all summer is paying off. This will give us a little bit of extra confidence to keep working hard over this next break." 

Fourth-year centre Marlon Kordrostami, was outstanding offensively for the Gee-Gees in his first home start, going 6-for-6 from the field for 12 points, including a few emphatic slams.

The 6-10 Ottawa-native looks to be a key piece of the team this season, following extensive work on his game and getting into better physical condition over the past year.

"Getting in shape has been a big motivation, the more weight I lose, the more fun playing becomes," he said. "I play with some great people that make me better. It's just nice to play and finally get some buckets for uOttawa." 

What's Next:

The team will have some time to enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer before fall classes begin. In early October, the Gee-Gees will kick off their U SPORTS exhibition schedule by heading east for a pre-season tournament at the University of Prince Edward Island, leading up to their regular season opener at home against Laurier on Nov. 1.