The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Van ‘Bubba’ Hutchinson Jr, still reeling off his historic 56-point game performance, had a pair of double-double stings to lead the Niagara College Knights to a pair of victories over the weekend.

In their opener on Saturday against the Sault Cougars, Hutchinson poured in a game high 27 points and 17 rebounds as Niagara prevailed 111-41.

Hutchinson shot 9-for-20 from the field, 2-for-7 from behind the three-point arc and was 7-for-10 from the free throw line in just 28 minutes.

Fellow Bahamian Livingstone Bromwell helped out with eight points, 12 rebounds, one assist and a blocked shot in 26 minutes.

Kevin Cooper, another Bahamian on the team, finished with a pair of points in three minutes.

The Knights came back on Sunday and posted one extra point in their margin of victory with another 116-45 blowout as Hutchinson Jr had 27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals. He shot 12-for-21 from the field, 2-for-6 from the three-point line and 1-for-5 from the foul line in 28 minutes.

Bromwell again helped out with 11 points on 5-for-11 from the field and 1-for-2 from the charity stripe in 21 minutes. Cooper logged seven minutes as he contributed a rebound, steal, assist and blocked shot.

With the victories that came after the Knights dropped their last game 108-101 to the St Clair Saints on November 17, Niagara College improved to 7-2, much to the delight of head coach Phil Mosley.

“We had a solid team effort this weekend,” Mosley said. “We were able to play a lot of guys and work on some defensive systems, which will help us later in the season.”

The Knights, who had to take a 10-hour trip to play Sault, will be back home for their next game at 8pm on Friday when they host the Fanshawe Falcons.

Their final game for 2018 will be on Thursday, December 6 as they host Sheridan.

After taking a break for the Christmas holiday, Niagara College will resume play on the road against the Redeemer Royals on January 11. They will have five games in January, including a rematch at home against St Clair on Sunday, January 20.

Their final four regular season games will be played in February, starting on February 7 at Humber, the other team to beat the Knights, 94-81 on November 1 at Niagara College.

Hutchinson Jr is coming off his career high 56 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and four assists in their loss to St Clair, a day after they won 100-93 over Lambton.

He was named the CCAA Athlete of the Week, scoring a total of 81 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists and nine steals in a combined 79 out of 80 minutes in their two games in less than a 24-hour span.