The Toronto Blue Jays weren’t the only team to win in lopsided fashion last Friday night.
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While the Blue Jays opened the World Series with an 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Lakeland Rustlers smoked the visiting Concordia Thunder 78-54 in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s basketball action on the Lloydminster campus.
In the process, the Rustlers even managed to keep an eye on the baseball game.
“We saw the Blue Jays got a much-needed win, so that was good,” Lakeland coach Sheray Thomas said with a smile late Friday.
“We end up getting this game, too. Defence cracked it open. We got some open shots, some layups, but I thought it was our defensive intensity that broke the game open all the way through.
“Early on, it was back and forth. We allowed some easy layups, and we were turning the ball over too much and letting some offensive rebounds. But then, we broke it open and started executing and hitting shots and started playing defence.”
Wearing the lucky No. 7 jersey and sporting his signature bandana, Taleh Wade didn’t need to rely on luck, but it was a fortuitous night for the fourth-year Rustler just the same.
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“We definitely wanted to make a statement, for sure,” said Wade, who scored a game-high 24 points and snagged 10 rebounds.
“We know that if we play hard defence, that just caters towards our offence. Defence leads to offence for us.”
In total, five Rustlers hit double digits in points, including Matthew Bryant with 15, Bahaeddin Salma 14, Seth Johnson 11 and Jordan Horobetz-Simpson with 10.
For the Thunder, Evan Li posted 10 points, while Keellaa Gatwech’s double-double included 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Lakeland led 46-30 at halftime.
It was a much closer game in Edmonton on Saturday night as Lakeland defeated Concordia 89-82. The Rustlers improved to 3-1 and the Thunder fell to 0-4.
“I’ve been in the league a long time,” Thomas related after Friday’s victory. “I’ve beat teams by 40 one night and then lost to them by six or seven the next night.
“So, this game means something in the standings, as far we got a W, but tomorrow it’s 0-0 and anything could happen. That’s the message to the guys — stay focused, because we’re going to their place and they’re going to remember this game, they’re going to watch film, and you can’t come in with a letdown.”
With the Rustlers’ homecourt win in firm grasp, Thomas played his reserves in the final six minutes, but he later called back his starters when the Thunder made a 30-point game a 20-point difference in relatively short order.
“They did all right when we sprinkled them in,” Thomas said of his substitutes who came off the bench. “At the end of the game, they let some things slide, but we have a pretty good core and we have some guys that can play off the bench, as well.
“Concordia is a young team as far as experience, but I see them as being all right, too.”
His coach believes that Wade, an Arkansas native, has all-conference potential as a Rustler.
“Taleh can score in a bunch of different ways,” Thomas said. “He’s a veteran player. We need his scoring. We need his leadership. We need for him to keep on playing well for us to be successful.”
With a little help from his friends, the six-foot-two Wade is ready to deliver the goods.
“Since the pre-season, I’m just getting adjusted to my teammates and them getting adjusted to me, knowing where I want the ball, what shots I like, and vice-versa for them,” he said.
LAKELAND ‘TEAM BUY-IN’
Wade has welcomed Lakeland life after previously playing college basketball in Ontario.
“Looking at the past years and noticing that they’ve made the playoffs, I just wanted to be a part of a playoff team,” he said about joining the Rustlers.
“I was at Algoma (University) in Ontario and we didn’t win many games, so it’s a big difference. There was a lot of one-on-one and iso play, every man for himself, but here it’s more a team buy-in, for sure.”
Wade is thankful Thomas brought him to the Border City, and he plans to stick around for a fifth season next year.
Wade spends the summer back home in North Little Rock, Ark.
“I visit family and have a good time,” he said. “I work and I try to stack my money for when I’m back out here, and I work out.”
The Rustlers began a stretch of five consecutive road games Saturday when they visited the Concordia University of Edmonton campus.
The Thunder came within seven points of scoring their first victory. Lakeland was in front 50-37 at the break, but Concordia outscored the Rustlers 45-39 in the second half.
Wade again led Lakeland on the scoresheet, with 23 points and 14 rebounds.
Johnson contributed 20 points, while Horobetz-Simpson and David Dimaano each had 15 and Bryant 11.
Concordia’s Shak Jama meshed a game-high 24 points. Gatwech had 21 and Li 17.
This weekend, Lakeland visits the Olds Broncos (0-4) at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, and the Red Deer Kings (0-2) at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.
RUSTLER WOMEN SWEPT
The Rustlers’ women’s basketball team dropped to 0-4 after a pair of losses to Concordia (4-0) last weekend.
The Thunder prevailed 82-53 on Friday in Lloydminster and 72-28 on Saturday in Edmonton.
In the opener, Megan Jetzke paced Concordia with 18 points. Kate Rever’s 12 points led all Rustlers.
On Saturday, Concordia took a 35-18 lead into halftime and outscored Lakeland 37-10 the rest of the way. Chloe Sutherland powered the Thunder with 20 points. Jetzke added 13.
Lakeland’s top scorer was Reese Fenrich, with nine points.
This Halloween weekend, the Lakeland women are on the road for two games — 6 p.m. Friday against Olds (0-4) and 1 p.m. Saturday versus the Red Deer Queens (0-2).
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