Both teams were suffering injuries to key players but TRC came into the game visibly shorthanded with only 2 players available to come off the bench. Although facing a shorthanded opponent, Vaughan still had to take care of business and they didn’t hesitate to take advantage in the first quarter. They moved the ball well in half-court sets but benefitted the most when they attacked the rim in transition as the TRC players looked to avoid early foul trouble. While TRC were the first to hold a lead in the game, their offense went cold in the final two minutes and Vaughan’s great shooting gave them a 24-15 lead to end the quarter.

Vaughan’s James Canlas lead the offense with a fantastic scoring display but the teams’ problems became evident on the defensive end. TRC didn’t have a lot of men off the bench but had a visible height advantage against their opponent. After cutting the deficit to as little as 2 points early in the frame, TRC began to frequently dump the ball into the paint where the 6’9 Adong Makuoi would dominate against a helpless defender. The size advantage not only helped them get easy scoring down low but was also beneficial when crashing the boards.  Often coming away with second chance points, Vaughan had trouble getting anything that came off the glass. Luckily for them Ben Kwawukumey did enough work on the offensive end with his slashing to maintain a small lead going into halftime.

Now only having a 38-36 lead to begin the second half, Vaughan felt the game taking a turn against them. TRC Academy began with a big man lineup that spelled trouble for the opposition. Inside scoring opportunities were plentiful for TRC and when they didn’t convert their first attempt they often found themselves with an offensive rebound or at the free throw line. Vaughan still had some success with the early transition offense that they displayed in the first quarters but eventually became too dependent on the pace and often turned the ball over. The rebounding differential only became larger and by the end of the quarter TRC managed to score a total of 33 points.

TRC commanded the 3rd quarter but only held a 69-62 lead that meant that the game was far from over. However once TRC came into the quarter by scoring a scoring an early 3 pointer and going on a 12-0 run, momentum seemed to squarely be on their side. TRC's Steve Levnaic racked up 17 points in the second half, totalling 20 for the game. Vaughan put up a valiant effort but had trouble getting their offense going and by the time they got it together, the deficit was insurmountable. At the final buzzer TRC Academy would leave with a 94-81 victory.

This win means TRC Academy goes into their holiday break with a strong 5-1 record and they should be happy with their position in the standings. They’ll be back after the holidays to face the top-seeded Orangeville Prep on January 11th in what should be an interesting matchup. Tip-off at 7pm. Despite the loss, Vaughan S.S still has a chance to end 2016 on a positive note with their game against Father Henry Carr on December 22nd. Tip off scheduled for 6pm.