Net gain for Knights in men’s hoops
Every starter scores in double digits as Niagara tops the century mark
Seven Niagara players scored in double digits, including all five starters, as the Knights topped the Mohawk Mountaineers 10590 in men’s college basketball.
“Tonight our team played four consistent quarters,” head coach Phil Mosley said after the road
win improved the team’s record to 3-1.
“We defended hard and scored in transition and were able to leave Hamilton with a tough win.”
Pacing Niagara on offence with 18 points each were Welland Centennial graduate Alex Elliott, who started the game and saw 27 minutes of action, and Livingston Bromwell, who came off the bench and saw 19 minutes of action.
Jordon McDonald, with 17 points apiece; Kevin Cooper, Johnnie Richardson, 14 each, and Van Hutchinson Jr., 11, were the other starters who reached double digits in scoring for the Knights.
Keveshan Padachey added 11 off the bench.
Cooper led all players with 16 rebounds. Cudjoe Msauka scored a game-high 22 points for Mohawk, 1-3.
Niagara, which was up 42-35 at halftime, out-rebounded the Mountaineers 45-35 and had 10 turnovers compared to 13 for the home team.
It was the second time the Knights topped the century mark in scoring this season. They defeated the Redeemer Royals 108-93 at home to tip off league play.
Niagara hosts the University of Toronto Mississauga Eagles 8 p.m. Thursday at the Athletic Centre at the college’s main campus in Welland.
‘Still struggling’
Visiting Niagara dropped a 65-49 decision to Mohawk to fall to 1-3 in women’s college hoops.
The Knights lost their third in a row, while the Mountaineers won for the first time after starting the season 0-2.
Niagara shot 27.3 per cent from the floor, draining only 21 of 77 attempts, and failed to score on 19 tries from beyond the threepoint arc.
“Unfortunately, we are still struggling with out shooting and this certainly is something that needs to be addressed — and soon,” head coach Mike Beccaria said.
“The other struggle seems to be that we’re having difficulty moving into new roles both individually and as a team.”
A silver lining for the Knights in the loss at Mohawk was shooting 77.8 per cent from the foul line, finishing 7-for-9.
“That’s a step in the right direction for sure,” the coach said.
Holy Cross grad Tia Stys had a double- double for the Knights — 22 points, 10 rebounds — and Thorold High alumn Hannah Baker had nine points and nine rebounds.
Centennial alum Bridget Atkinson, a fourth-year player and transfer from Brock University, was out of the Niagara lineup. Her availability for Thursday night’s game against UT-Mississauga was not known at press time.
Tipoff against the Eagles, 4-0, is set for 6 p.m.
Volleyball
Home-court losses to Mohawk dropped Niagara to 0-3 and 1-2 in men’s and women’s volleyball, respectively.
Jaydon Milne, 11 kills, seven digs, service ace; and Ben Fillmore, 29 assists, three kills, three blocks, serve act; were standouts for Niagara in a four-set loss — 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23.
“Some familiar errors reared their head again in the first two sets,” head coach Tommy Sloan said. “We missed too many serves and we made too many hitting errors in situations where we should have been better.”
Niagara lost the women’s game in straight sets — 25-17, 25-19, 25-15.
“We played well in several parts of each set; however, we couldn’t string enough points together in a row,” head coach Natasha Spaling said. “We have a lot to work on moving forward.”
Jean Vanier graduate Natasha Desjardins and Olivia Burnie led Niagara with four kills each. Jordan Kozlowski had 25 assists, and Ansleigh McInnes-Williams led the team with six digs.
Two doubleheaders are on tap this weekend for the Knights in volleyball. They host the Cambrian Golden Shield 6 p.m. Saturday and the Boreal Viperes 1 p.m. Sunday.