The George Brown Huskies men's basketball team came back from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take down VIU Mariners 70-69 to advance to the semi-finals at the CCAA Men's Basketball National Championship on Wednesday (Mar. 13) night.
HOW IT HAPPENED: These two teams faced off at the National Championship for the second straight season. The first half was a classic back-and-forth game, with both squads showing off their offensive and defensive abilities. The first big run of the game came midway through the second quarter, with the Huskies leading 32-31. The Mariners dominated in the late stages of the quarter, going on an 18-4 run and heading into the locker room with a 49-36 lead.
Although both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, VIU extended their lead to 18 points, 65-47 with the fourth remaining. The final quarter was the pack's time to hunt down their prey. Their defence intensified, forcing eight turnovers and limiting the Mariners to just four points. Slowly but steadily, the Huskies clawed their way back, ultimately sealing the victory with a game-winning free throw from Derrick Taylor.
With the victory, the Huskies secured their spot in the semi-finals at Nationals for the second consecutive season.
NOTABLE STATS: Fourth-year forward Christian Tabiri was named player of the game after posting 16 points and nine rebounds.
Third-year forward Derrick Taylor registered a game-high 19 points, nine rebounds and a block, while fifth-year forward Jeremiah Brown dropped 14 points in the win.
UP NEXT: The Huskies battle the host, Mount Allison Mounties, in the semi-finals on Thursday (Mar. 14) night at 7pm (EST). The Mounties defeated the Vanier Cheetahs in their quarter-final game with a final score of 73-53.