Men's Basketball Weekend Recap | February 11, 2018
The Lakeland Rustlers Men's Basketball team swept the Augustana Vikings on the weekend, as they won 99-82 Friday night in Camrose and followed it up with a 90-86 win Saturday night in Lloydminster.
Friday night in Camrose, the Rustlers were in control for much of the game, despite a strong push from the Vikings in the third quarter. The teams traded baskets to start the game before the Rustlers jumped out to an 8-2 lead. The Vikings would tie the game at 12 with four minutes remaining in the quarter and then go on a 5-0 run, but the Rustlers outscored the Vikings 12-2 in the final three minutes to lead 24-19 after one. The Rustlers lead was cut to one to start the second quarter, but the Rustlers regained a six-point lead with 6:30 remaining. The Rustlers would outscore the Vikings 26-10 to finish the half with a 57-35 lead. The Rustlers led by as many as 25 early in the third quarter, but the Rustlers would struggle to score as the lead was cut to 10 with 3:30 remaining. The Rustlers would finish the quarter strong to lead 75-61 heading into the fourth. The Rustlers once again let the Vikings get within 10 points early in the fourth quarter, before they would show that they were the better of the two teams. The Rustlers outscored the Vikings by three in the quarter on their way to a 99-82 win.
The Rustlers were led by Player of the Game 3rd-year forward Artavis Holiday with 29 points and 17 rebounds. The Rustlers got contributions from many players, with five other players scoring 10 or more points – 4th-year forward PJ Gardner had 15, 3rd-year guard Akeem Phillip had 13 and 4th-year forward Paul Smith-Profit had 11, while 3rd-year guard Lual Ateam and 2nd-year guard Adrian Richards each added 10.
Saturday night, the teams would go back and forth for much of the first half, with the Rustlers leading 17-16 at the end of the first quarter before extending their lead to 42-38 at the half. The Rustlers came out strong to start the second half, opening up a 13 point lead and looking like they would run away with the game, but the Vikings fought hard to stick around. The Vikings would cut the Rustlers lead to six, before cutting the Rustlers lead to one, 63-62 heading into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the teams would go back and forth, with the Rustlers finding themselves down one with three minutes left. The Rustlers would regain the lead in the final minutes and come away with the 90-86 victory.
The Rustlers were led by Gardner with 20 points, eight assists, two rebounds and a steal, while 3rd- year for Holiday added 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. Player of the Game for the Rustlers was Richards, who nearly had a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
"We played hard, but we didn't play up to standards," Richards said following the game Saturday night. "I feel like every day in practice we are going to get better and be ready for playoffs. We are just working hard, every day in practice we just give it our all."
With the two wins on the weekend, the team moves to 14-6 on the season and sits in second place in the North Division with four games remaining in the season. The Rustlers face the 1-19 King's Eagles next weekend as they look to secure a playoff spot before facing the Concordia Thunder in the final weekend of the season.
The Rustlers two final home games are Friday, February 16th, and Friday, February 23rd. Both games are set to get underway at 8:00 pm.