THUNDER BAY – It took Ryan Thomson just two games to find the win column.
It’s a good sign for a newly installed coach, whose team had lost all 11 contests heading into Saturday night’s game against the visiting Guelph Gryphons.
Led by veteran guards Mor Menashe and Nick Burke, as well as a defence that held the Gryphons to 29 fewer points than they did on Friday night, the Lakehead Thunderwolves finally earned their first win of 2017-18, trouncing Guelph 87-67.
Menashe put up a game-high 23 points, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, while Burke dropped 22 points on the Gryphons, hitting 10-of-14 shots from the field.
Both were happy to put an end to the Wolves season-long slide and kept their slim hopes of a second-half playoff rally alive.
But that’s down the road. For now Menashe said they’re happy to bask in victory No. 1 and worry about No. 2 when practice rolls around on Monday.
“Obviously we had a long time without a win, actually from the beginning of the regular season. It feels great. It feels so sweet. It feels like three wins,” Menashe said.
“That’s how I feel. I feel like we won three times tonight. I’m very happy for the guys and I’m happy for the new coaching staff. It was important for us, for our confidence to get going.”
Given the state of the OUA West standings, Menashe isn’t ruling out the win spring-boarding the Wolves into post-season contention.
Last place Lakehead (1-11) remains six points behind Windsor (4-8) and Algoma (4-8) for the sixth and final playoff berth in a division in which only the Brock Badgers have a winning record.
“In our division everything is still very close between all those teams. This win is very important to our progress.”
Burke said it might have been a first half to forget, but he’s hoping it’ll be a second-half to remember.
“We start the year off 1-1 and got our first W. We’re moving in the right direction. I thought that me and Mor played well in the backcourt. It was a team effort.”
Thomson showed a willingness to give his entire team a chance to show their stuff and it paid off.
Noel Jones, Mike Theodore and Kache Kopec came off the bench to score eight points apiece in a game that saw five lead changes in the opening quarter until Quincy Johnson drained a three-pointer that put LU in front for good, breaking a 7-7 tie.
The first-year coach was glad to get the win out of the way.
“All the credit to those guys” Thomson said. “We talked about some things at (the morning) shoot, and they did a good job working on those things we worked on and just trusted in what we’re trying to preach. Them buying in and seeing results will just accelerate the buy-in,” Thomson.
Kopec hit his first of two three-pointers to stretch the LU lead to 20-12 after one, which the Wolves up to 10 at the halftime.
They pulled away in the third and kept the pedal down in the fourth.
“I’m proud of those guys and I’m happy they’re having some success. Hopefully they keep rolling and keep working. We’re just working to get better. “
Lakehead takes on Western next weekend on the road.
