Lions Defeat Kodiaks in Push for Playoffs

It was a back and forth affair in the Lion's Den tonight.  Both teams had a lot to fight for as playoff implications were huge for both teams.  Sitting 3rd in the standings, Ambrose could not afford to lose to the Kodiak at home in this weekend's back-to-back.   For Lethbridge, after coming off a disappointing weekend losing both game to Red Deer, sitting 4^th in the ACAC South, they were looking to avoid slipping any further in the standings.

At times, it looked like both teams might run away with the game as Lethbridge was up 13 points at the 8min mark of the 3^rd quarter and the Lions came out of the gate hot, getting their lead up to 8 with 1:30 left in the 1^st.

The Kodiaks did quickly narrow this lead from the Lions in the first getting it back to a 2 point game after the 10 minutes of play.  The 2^nd quarter was a much different story however as Player of the Game, Orin Porter Jr, lead Lethbridge to 4-6 shooting from the field and 3-5 from 3.   He had a monster 1^st half, picking up 20 of his 28 points.  Daniel Lybbert and Christopher Schlauwitz provided great secondary options for point guard Michael Clemons throughout the quarter as they each contributed with 6 points of their own.

Thanks to that strong 2^nd quarter, going into the break the Kodiaks had eliminated Ambrose's hot streak to start the game, and take a lead of their own (8) into half. 

It was a tense atmosphere in the Den to start the 2^nd half.  Knowing how important the game was to the Lions, fans were anxious to see what kind of response their boys would have.  It took till under 7min left in the half before they finally got to cheer for their first made field-goal thanks to a Riley Cordwell jump shot.  A 14-7 run turned the Lions fortune around capped off by a tremendous play by Isaac Grey.  A missed free throw by Swiednicki with 1.7 seconds left on the clock allowed Grey to grab the offensive board, and make a fading away jump shot as the buzzer sounded, tying the game up at 61 and sending the full house crowd into a frenzy!

5^th year, Josh Daniel, took over in the 4^th, scoring 7 of his 22 and assisted on another 3 baskets.  He was the floor general, who pushed his team to a huge victory today.  Often seen helping give tips to freshman, his experience and leadership is a huge reason why the Lions have won so many tight games this year.  He received player of the game recognition tonight for the Lions.

Tomorrow is another huge game, as with the win, the Lions could secure themselves their first ever ACAC playoff berth.   You can be sure however that head coach Ryan Heggie and the rest of the Kodiaks won't go down without a fight especially on their home court.  You can watch this game live at 8:00pm at Lethbridge College or on ACACTV.ca