OSHAWA, ON: The Niagara Knights men's basketball team (9-9) travelled to Oshawa to take on the Durham Lords (14-4) in the first round of the OCAA playoffs.  The Knights finished 6th in the West while the Lords finished 3rd in the East.  Despite a strong 2nd quarter, the Knights could not fend off the offensive efforts of the Lords as they fell 84-59 to the defending OCAA Champions. 

A slow start to the game found the Knights trailing 19-9 after the first 10 minutes of play.  The pre-2nd quarter chat was a motivating one, as they turned on the offense and outscored the Lords 22-19 in the 2nd quarter.  However, the Knights still found themselves down by 7 at the halftime break. 

This game was very much still in reach at the start of the 3rd quarter, as the Knights and Lords traded baskets to start the 3rd.  The Lords were able to go on a few small runs during this quarter to build their lead to 15 after 3 quarters of play.  The Knights looked like they just ran out of steam after this as they were not making their shots or converting on their offensive opportunities.  

1st year guard Joseph Buckley was once again the leading scorer for the Knights as he tallied 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals.  He was followed closely by 1st year forward Difference Igbinehi who added 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.  Another 1st year guard, Noah Li, added 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. 

The exit in the first round of playoffs ends the season for the Knights men's basketball team.  The Knights will take some time off before they begin preparing for next season and plan to hold tryouts in mid-September.  Keep an eye on goknights.ca and our social media accounts for all updates regarding the 2026-2027 season for our Knights teams.