MBB Weekend Recap | February 22 & 23, 2019

MBB Weekend Recap | February 22 & 23, 2019
February 25, 2019

The Lakeland Rustlers men's basketball team fought hard but unfortunately finished the regular season with two losses to the University of Alberta – Augustana Vikings over the weekend.

Friday night in Camrose, the Vikings got out to an early lead and never looked back, despite a late push from the Rustlers. Lakeland fell behind by 13 in the 1st quarter, thanks to good shooting and strong defense from Augustana. After only scoring 14 points in the 1st quarter, the Rustlers knocked down a few more shots in the 2nd quarter, but still trailed 55-34 at the half. The 3rd quarter was all Rustlers as they continued to knock down shots and locked in defensively.

The Rustlers would outscore the Vikings by 6 in the 3rd, cutting the lead to 15 heading into the 4th. It was a tight, high scoring 4th quarter, with both teams putting up 25+ points. The Rustlers knocked down a handful of 3-pointers and looked like they were going to cut the lead to single digits, but the Vikings always responded. In the end, the Rustlers could not complete the comeback and lost to the Vikings 94-78.

Third-year guard Brandon Isaac led the Rustlers with 17 points, 9 rebounds, an assist, and a steal, earning him player of the game. Third-year guard Adrian Richards added 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals for the Rustlers, while fourth-year guard Ricardo Joseph contributed with 14 points and 3 rebounds off the bench.

Saturday night in Lloydminster, the Rustlers were looking to finish off the regular season with a win in front of a large home crowd. In what was a fast-paced game, the teams went back and forth for the full 40 minutes, with the game coming down to the final minutes of the 4th quarter. The Rustlers struggled from the field in the 1st quarter but kept the score close thanks to a couple of 3-pointers. After 10 minutes, the Rustlers trailed 23-19. The Rustlers wouldn't trail for long though, as they stuck with and overtook Augustana to lead 48-43 at the half.

In the 3rd quarter, the Rustlers held onto the lead, but the Vikings cut it to 4, 68-64. As the second half wore on, the Rustlers looked fatigued, resulting in defensive breakdowns and unable to capitalize on offense. In the 4th, the Rustlers ran out of gas while the Vikings put up 31 points in the quarter. Lakeland would drop their final regular season game to the Vikings 95-87.

Richards and Isaac led the way once again for the Rustlers, each putting up 16 points, while Richards added 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals, while Isaac added 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Second-year guard Rashon Russell also scored 16 points for the Rustlers, while adding 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.

The Rustlers finished the regular season with a 12-12 record, putting them 4th in the ACAC North Division standings. Despite ending the season on a loss, the Rustlers still make the playoffs and will be hosting the ACAC Men's Basketball Championships from February 28 – March 2. The Rustlers first game will be a tough one as they take on the #1 seed in the south, the SAIT Trojans (20-1), but the Rustlers will have home court advantage. Lakeland's first game of the ACAC Championships is set for Thursday at 6 pm, with championship action getting underway Thursday at 1 pm.