NAIT Squeaks Past Concordia in Hard-Fought Game
(EDMONTON, AB) In a closely contested battle, the NAIT Ooks managed to edge past the Concordia Thunder with a final score of 77-75. The game saw intense back-and-forth action, with both teams displaying impressive offensive and defensive performances.
The Thunder jumped out to the early lead in the first quarter with a score of 21-12. However, the Ooks quickly rallied in the second quarter, outscoring their opponents 31-18 to take a narrow 43-39 lead heading into halftime.
The third quarter saw Concordia struggling to regain their footing, as NAIT maintained their momentum to extend their lead. Despite a strong effort from the Thunder in the final quarter, the Ooks managed to hold on to their lead and secure the victory.
Standout performances for NAIT included Owen Weaver with 17 points and 7 rebounds, and Griffin Lorenz with 12 points and 8 rebounds. For Concordia, Yaadvir Dhaliwal added 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals, while Kyler Dutka also contributed 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night.
Thunder Head Coach Reagan Wood had this to say on the night: "Congrats to the NAIT Ooks on their hard fought victory tonight. We missed some good looks and they were able to put home one more shot than us. I'm grateful for the wonderful group of young men I got to coach this year. They truly made me a better person and coach. I'm thankful for outstanding assistants who give absolutely everything to the team and constantly go above and beyond. Looking forward to what the future holds."
With the loss, the Thunder have now been eliminated from the ACAC Men's Basketball Championships and look ahead to the 2024-2025 season. NAIT will now be moving on to face Keyano College on Sunday February 25th.
Here were tonight's One Team Sport players of the game, presented by Co-operators:
NAIT Ooks | #1 Griffin Lorenz
Concordia Thunder | #12 Milton Lendein