Strong defence key to strong finish

BERND FRANKE

POSTMEDIA NETWORK

This weekend Niagara College can return home from an Ontario championships with a medal for the second consecutive week.

In fact, the Knights have two opportunities to follow up last Sunday’s bronze medal in women’s volleyball with a top-three finish on the basketball court.

Niagara teams are each guaranteed two games at the provincial men’s and women’s championships getting underway today in Toronto.

Head coach Keith Vassell’s men’s team clinched an automatic berth at the three-day, eight-team tournament being held at Centennial College by finishing second in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) West Division with a 13-3 record.

A quest to improve on a fifthplace finish at provincials last year begins with a 6 p.m. tipoff against the host Colts, 15-5, third in the east.

Niagara enters men’s college basketball’s second season determined to remain focused on the game plan, but also to expect the unexpected from opponents.

“I prefer to try and take lemons and make lemonade approach,” he said. “Problems and adversity will arrive. How do you react to it is the important thing, not the problem.”

At Niagara, the preparation for post-season play is a process that began at the first practice and won’t end until the final buzzer.

“The goal of the season, in my belief, is to learn the on-court systems and create a strong habit of game preparation, so players know what to expect,” Vassell said.

As far as the coach is concerned, what Niagara does when the other team has the ball is as important as what the Knights do on offence.

“Keys to a victory is to control the game from the defensive end,” he said. “This will create easy offensive opportunities and the pressure off ‘have-to-score’ situations.”

See | C4