First half winding down for Knights
Varsity sports at the region’s community college are winding down heading into the between semesters break.
Niagara College volleyball teams have already wrapped up the first half of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) season, and the men’s and women’s basketball teams have only two more games each before they’re off for an extended break.
League play for the Knights in basketball resumes Friday, Jan. 12, versus the University of Toronto-Mississauga Eagles in a doubleheader at the Athletic Centre in Welland. Volleyball players return to the court a day later hosting the Conestoga Condors.
Niagara ended the first half of the season on a winning note in women’s volleyball.
A four-set victory over the visiting Redeemer Royals — 25-9, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19 — was the team’s second win.
Niagara improved to 6-2 moving into third place in the OCAA West Division.
Third-year outside hitter Jordan Koslowski led the Knights with 14 kills on just 23 attempts. She also added two service aces.
The Cambridge native ranks in the top 10 in the conference in most offensive categories, and is third in the province in scoring averaging 4.2 points per set.
Niagara is currently ranked third in the province and 15th in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association rankings.
V-ball men fall to .500
Niagara dropped a five-set decision to Redeemer in men’s volleyball to fall to 4-4 in league play.
Set scores as the Knights lost their third game in a row were 25-19, 24-26, 21-25 and 25-17, 15-10.
Rookie standout Jaydon Milne paced Niagara on offence. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter from Toronto led all players with 20 kills while coming up with a team-high 20 digs.
Fellow freshmen Jack Sullivan from Guelph and Elijah Bujiardini from Hamilton turned in strong performances as well. Sullivan had 11 kills and Bujiardini 10.
Niagara enters the break in sixth place in the OCAA’s highly competitive West Division.
Knights sweep into season
The Niagara College men’s and women’s curling rinks each went 3-0 at the Seneca Bonspiel at the Thornhill Curling Club to start the season.
The Knights will be back in action, this time as the hometown favourite, when they host the Niagara Bonspiel Friday, Jan. 26, at Niagara Curling Club.
Five wins in a row
Niagara hosts the Humber Hawks Friday in women’s college basketball ranked sixth in Ontario and is riding a five-game winning streak.
Now for the bad news, the Hawks come into the 6 p.m. tipoff against the Knights, 6-2, with a 10-0 record.
In its last start, Niagara defeated the Sheridan Bruins 82-74 on the road, thanks to a career-high 28 points from St. Catharines native and Governor Simcoe graduate Mary Ingribelli, the top female basketball player in the OCAA last week.
Courtney Kilyk, a Fonthill native and Notre Dama alum, recorded a double-double in the win scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Loss has silver lining
The Knights men’s basketball team welcomed back its leading scorer, and Levi Mukuna picked up right where he left off before an injury sidelined him for two games.
However, his team-high 23 points, 20 from Jordon McDonald and 18 from Van Hutchinson Jr. weren’t enough to hold off the
Sheridan Bruins.
Despite leading their Brampton hosts for much of the game, Niagara lost 93-84 to fall to 5-3.
Jordon Wilson led the Knights in rebounding with 12.