Falcons Top Knights 76-67

(London, ON) - The Falcons men's basketball team (3-5) took on the Niagara Knights (3-5) on Wednesday night in their final home game before the winter break. The Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre crowd brought an electric atmosphere, and fans were treated to a hard-fought 76-67 Fanshawe victory.

Both teams got off to hot starts, shooting efficiently through the first half of the opening quarter. Leading the way for Fanshawe was Addy Leaver (Trenton, ON), who was inserted into the starting lineup for this matchup after typically coming off the bench as the Falcons' sixth man. The move paid off, as Leaver drilled both of his three-point attempts in the opening frame and finished the night shooting an efficient 4/5 from the field for 12 points, while adding six rebounds and three assists. Despite the strong start, a hot-shooting Knights squad put Fanshawe behind 25-19 after one.

The second quarter belonged entirely to the Falcons, who doubled up Niagara 19-8 in the frame. Caleb Labelle (Sharon, ON) went to work in the paint, going a perfect 4/4 from the field to score eight of his 13 points in the quarter. Labelle also added nine rebounds on the night. His frontcourt partner, Lennon Campos (Georgetown, ON), was equally effective inside, finishing with 12 points on 4/5 shooting and six rebounds. The big-man duo helped lift the Falcons to a slim 37-34 halftime lead.

Niagara flipped the script in the third quarter, outscoring Fanshawe 16-10. Despite a rough stretch offensively, the Birds trailed by just three, 50-47, heading into the final frame.

In the fourth, Nikola Cebic (Mississauga, ON) quickly regained the Falcons' lead by drilling back-to-back threes to push the score to 53-50. After the teams traded baskets, it was Brandon Bogart (St. Thomas, ON) who took over late. Bogart, who lives for fourth-quarter moments knocked down two clutch three-pointers to help maintain the Falcons' lead and close out the Knights, securing the 76-67 win.

The Falcons will play their final game of the first semester on the road against the Redeemer Royals (2-6) on Saturday, November 29 at 3:00 p.m. A win would push Fanshawe's winning streak to three games as they look to head into the winter break on a high note. Livestreams for all Falcons road games can be found at ocaa.com/live/index!

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