MBB | Kodiaks Shut Down Broncos

Jan 19, 2018 – After another slow start, Lethbridge College Kodiaks fans had every reason to think "here we go again."

Facing an 17-11 deficit after the opening quarter, the Kodiaks finally broke out and found their shooting touch in a dominant second frame, reversing their fortunes en-route to a huge 88-61 victory over the Olds Broncos on Friday night.  

The win snapped a four-game Kodiaks losing streak that had stretched back into November. Even more important, the two points pushed Lethbridge (5-5) ahead of Olds (4-6) in the ACAC south division standings.

The game's turnaround started with a monster second-quarter from Kodiaks newcomer Colten Murray.

Playing in his third game of the season, Murray scored 11 of his 19 total points in the second stanza. A stingy Kodiaks defence forced Olds into seven turnovers and held the Broncos to just eight points in the frame, helping Lethbridge take a 40-25 lead heading into half.

Olds made a push to start the third quarter, but the Kodiaks were able to clamp down and maintain a double-digit lead the rest of the game. Sini Atoa came off the bench and was huge in the second half for the Kodiaks, dropping 11 of his 17 total points in the third and fourth on his way to being named Lethbridge's player of the game. 

The Kodiaks bench was instrumental to their victory, outscoring the Olds bench 59-26. Lethbridge also capitalized on the glass, outrebounding the Broncos by a 45-30 margin.

Lethbridge will now look to further distance themselves from Olds in the standings as their season series concludes with an afternoon game at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium on Saturday. 

Tip-off for the rematch is slated for 3 p.m.

Kodiaks notes: Friday night's game was dubbed "Jr. & Sr. High Appreciation Night," a promotional event put on by the Lethbridge College recruitment team. Local area junior and senior high school students were invited to watch the game free of charge and were treated to a free pre-game BBQ and a pair of Kodiaks "Thunderstix." The crowd was noticeably the largest the Kodiaks have played in front of all season.

Jr. and Sr. High School students were also chosen to compete in the "Halftime Free Throw Challenge" for the opportunity to win a free 2018 Kodiaks Summer Camp experience!  

Players of the Game:

Broncos – #15 Samuel Willis III

Kodiaks – #7 Sini Atoa