Top-tier Gee-Gees hold off feisty Bisons to advance
David Larkins/Wesmen Athletics
The Ottawa Gee-Gees didn't have it easy Wednesday night at the Wesmen Classic.
The No. 2-ranked team in the most recent U Sports rankings fought off a spirited fight from the Manitoba Bisons and eventually prevailed 79-64 in the final quarter-final of the 54th annual Classic.
Guillaume Pepin had 18 points and the Gee-Gees rallied in the third quarter to turn a game that was tied at 21 after a quarter and only a six-point gap at half (37-31) into a double-digit win and a berth in Thursday's semifinal.
The Gee-Gees forced 23 Bisons turnovers — and scored 24 points off them — and flipped the scoreboard with a third-quarter run. After an Elijah Lostracco three cut Ottawa's lead to 46-41 with 5:11 to go in the quarter, the Gee-Gees put together a 12-0 run capped by a Kevin Otoo layup with 2:25 remaining.
The Bisons didn't go away, however, cutting the lead once again with Samuel Jensen hitting a three with 1:56 into the fourth quarter that trimmed the Ottawa advantage to 60-54. A 7-0 Gee-Gees run, however, immediately followed that and the Bisons wouldn't get closer than seven the rest of the way.
Brock Newton added 16 points for the Gee-Gees, who will face the Regina Cougars in a semifinal at 8 p.m. Otoo chipped in 12 and Josh Inkumsah scored 11 with eight rebounds.
The Bisons, who will meet the Alberta Golden Bears in a 2 p.m. consolation semifinal, were lead by Lostracco's 14 points. Cieran O'Hara scored 12 points, Simon Hildebrand 11 and Mason Kraus and Jonam Kazadi 10 apiece.
