The Lakeland College Rustlers men’s basketball team dominated the Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) Wolves at home last weekend.
They took Friday’s (Feb. 8) game 95-57 and secured a thrilling 95-86 overtime win on Saturday (Feb. 9).
Friday night blowout
The Rustlers ran roughshod over the Wolves Friday night from start to finish. They jumped to an early lead, outscoring the visitors 22-16 in the first quarter. By halftime, they led 43-33.
Lakeland pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Wolves 52-24. Allayasa Bray led with 21 points, shooting 9-for-11 from the field. Bahaeddin Salma added 17 points, and Riley Rathwell scored 14.
The three-point shooting inevitably led to the overwhelming win. The Rustlers shot 42.9 per cent from three-point range, compared to Wolves’ 10 per cent.
Good defence, a pillar for the team, also performed well, forcing 13 turnovers and grabbing 18 steals. Their strong defence held NWP to 38.1 per cent shooting overall.
Saturday’s overtime thriller
Saturday’s game was much closer. Lakeland led 23-18 after the first quarter, but NWP fought back, outscoring the Rustlers 25-16 in the second. The home team responded in the third, regaining 62-59 lead.
The teams traded baskets in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 81, the Rustlers took over in overtime, outscoring their opponents 14-5.
Bray delivered another standout performance, scoring 31 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Matthew Bryant struggled with his shot but hit 10 free throws to finish with 12 points. Salma and Rathwell added 12 points each.
With these wins, Lakeland improved to 12-5 on the season. They look to carry the momentum into next weekend’s on Valentine’s Day matchups at NAIT.
Read More: Rustlers basketball dominates at home
