WEEKEND RECAP: #4 Gee-Gees split road weekend series against #9 Voyageurs and Lakers

The U SPORTS fourth-ranked Gee-Gees men's basketball team split a road weekend to Northern Ontario with a 78-65 loss to Laurentian on Friday, followed by a strong 90-65 win against Nipissing on Saturday.

JAN. 10 AT LAURENTIAN

The U SPORTS ninth-ranked Voyageurs evened the season series with the Gee-Gees by earning a gritty win on home court.

The Gee-Gees fell behind early in the matchup and greatly struggled shooting beyond the arc, finishing 4-27 from three. Though Ottawa outrebounded Laurentian 42-39, it was the turnover margin that hurt the Gee-Gees significantly. Laurentian turned 24 turnovers from the Gee-Gees into 27 points. 

Ottawa was able to bring the Laurentian lead down to five points late in the third quarter, but were unable to hold off the Voyageurs. 

The Gee-Gees were led by fourth-year centre Marlon Kordrostami, who had 17 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. Calvin Epistola added 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Forwards Guillaume Pepin and Thomas Chilton both added nine points in the game.

JAN. 11 AT NIPISSING

Rebounding from a difficult game the prior night, the Gee-Gees recovered from a slow start to defeat the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday night in North Bay.

Nipissing jumped out to an early 9-3 lead and ultimately closed the first quarter in front 25-18. The Gee-Gees picked up the pressure in the second quarter to reclaim the lead. Ottawa outscored the Lakers 26-13 in the second frame to take a 44-38 lead into halftime. 

A massive 31-point fourth quarter had the Gee-Gees pull away and secure the win. A strong performance from Ottawa's reserves ensured the game was out of reach for the Lakers. 

The Gee-Gees shot an outstanding 42.3 per cent from three, greatly improving on their performance from the night before. Ottawa also received 38 points in production from their bench, and scored 23 points off of 23 Nipissing turnovers.

The Gee-Gees' frontcourt was particularly active on the night, with three Ottawa forwards scoring double-figures. Pépin led the way with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Kordrostami closed off an outstanding weekend with 15 points and nine rebounds. Fourth-year forward Quinton Hamilton rounded out the group with 11 points and three rebounds. 

UP NEXT 

The Gee-Gees will match up with two more divisional foes in Queen's and Ontario Tech, who will be visiting Montpetit Hall on Jan. 17 and 18. 

Tickets are available online at tickets.geegees.ca and both games will be streaming live on OUA.tv.