The Nipissing Lakers men's basketball team was hoping to finish the weekend strong after a tough loss Friday night on the road.

Falling to the Guelph Gryphons Friday, the Lakers hosted the Brock Badgers Sunday afternoon to close out action this weekend.

A back and forth contest saw multiple lead changes, but in the end, the Lakers found a way to come out with a 73-71 win.

The teams traded buckets early, with a number of lead changes through the first eight minutes of the opening quarter.
Nipissing finished the first up 21-20.

Brock answered with a strong second, outscoring Nipissing 18-11 and taking a 38-32 lead into the halftime break.

The game flipped again in the third quarter as the Lakers regained the lead thanks to a six-point edge.

A strong finish saw Brock pull even as the teams ended 30 minutes of play all tied at 54-54.

In the fourth, with the game very much in the air, both teams stepped up defensively and used some key baskets to gain momentum.

Lots of drama down the stretch as the teams traded leads, with Nipissing staying a basket ahead for the majority of the last minute.

Tied 71-71, Darnaz Mabanza was fouled, giving him three shots.

He hit two of three and the Lakers held on to the two-point victory, giving them a weekend split.

Darnaz Mabanza led the Lakers with 22 points, Alvin Icyogere added 17 and Ricardo Neves had 11 in the victory.

The Lakers host the Laurier Golden Hawks next Saturday, with tip-off set for 8pm at the Robert J. Surtees Athletic Centre.