Lakeland takes 5th Place in ACAC Tournament
Matching up in the consolation finals for 5th place, the NAIT Ooks took on the Lakeland College Rustlers late Saturday morning.
The Ooks took early control in the first quarter leading 11-3 at the halfway mark. A jumper from Lodi Kenyi put the Ooks up 18-7 in the closing minutes, but the Rustlers answered back with an 11-0 run over the final two minutes to end the quarter at a draw 18-18.
The second quarter went back and forth with seven different lead changes in the frame. Both teams were cold from the floor but converted on their free throws. Abdul Al-Tamimi converted on 2 of 3 after being fouled on a last-second heave to head to halftime all tied up at 39.
A quick 5 points out of the break for the Ooks gave them their largest lead since the first but it would be short-lived. The Rustlers answered with an 18-3 over a six-minute stretch to flip the deficit into a double-digit advantage. ACAC North rookie of the year Ephraim Humilde converted a three-point play to end the scoring drought for the Ooks but they still ended the third down 58-65.
The fourth continued to be a nail-biter as NAIT slowly chipped away at the lead until they tied it up at 73 with four and a half minutes to play and took the lead not long after. The game stayed tight, once again tied in the closing seconds. But after a miss by the Ooks, Rustlers' Noah Horobetz Simpson drew a foul with just three seconds to play. He converted both to ensure victory in regulation for the Rustlers.