Badgers in another nailbiter
The last school year was the longest of Godsman Kwakwah’s life.
The 23-year-old Montreal native was unable to suit up for the Brock Badgers men’s basketball last season because he was academically ineligible.
“Missing the season was definitely hard on me because I had never missed a season in my life,” the 6-foot-6 guard/forward said Wednesday, after scoring a team-high 18 points in a tough 74-72 loss to the visiting McMaster Marauders. “It gave me extra motivation to do better in school.”
The second-year social sciences did just that and improved his grades significantly to regain his spot on the team.
“It was just applying myself.”
Kwakwah practised with the team all season which made it easier to evolve back into a full-time basketball player. And new head coach Willy Manigat’s practices also helped.
“Coach does a good job of making practices tougher than games so it made it an easy transition.”
He has one goal in mind this season.
“Obviously we want to win the OUA (Ontario University Athletics) and get to nationals and compete for a national championship,” Kwakwah said. “As a player, I just want to win. Nothing else really matters.”
Manigat played Kwakwah 29 minutes and he started strong with 16 points in the first half.
“Godsman sat out last year and he is being thrown into the fire and he is trying to respond,” he said. “He has to continue to get better and everyone has to continue to get better but if he continues to do the things we talked about and takes on the challenges we give him every day, I am sure Godsman will be fine.”
Manigat would like to see a more consistent effort from him.
“He came out strong, but he will get better and he will figure out that it’s not about coming out strong, it’s also about finishing strong.”
Manigat predicted a season of parity in the OUA and Brock’s first two games have proven the coach right. Brock defeated Ryerson by three and missed a floater in the paint in the dying seconds that would have given the Badgers a victory over the Marauders.
“Obviously we are a young team and everybody gets caught up in everything that is going on, but I thought the team responded,” he said. “We knew this was going to be a war, McMaster is one of our rivals, and we have to learn how to make plays in those situations.”
Manigat was pleased with his team’s effort.
“In the second half, I thought we had a little bit of give but at the end of the day we are going to be in these types of games,” he said. “We are going to be in a lot of close games and we are going to have figure it out and go through those growing pains.
“It’s about establishing our culture and what we’re about and as long as we continue to do that, I will live with the results.”
Niagara Falls native and former Saint Paul student Sefa Otchere played 26 minutes for Mac scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds.
STAT PACK
Marauders 74 Badgers 72
BPSN Player of the Game: McMaster’s Jordan Henry with 26 points
For the Brock Badgers: Godsman Kwakwah 18; Tyler Brown 13; Aaron Goldbourne and Daniel Cayer 11.
For the McMaster Marauders: Henry 26; Connor Gilmore 13; Sefa Otchere 10.
Games stats: Field goal percentage: Brock 38.4, Mac 38.8. Free throws: Brock 9-14 , Mac 16-23 . Rebounds: Brock 33, Mac 47. Turnovers: Brock 9, Mac 14.
Up next: Brock is at Toronto Saturday at 8 p.m.
