Lions withstand Broncos comeback in Olds

The Ambrose University Lions withstood a late comeback from the Olds College Broncos, pulling out an 89-83 victory to spoil the Broncos' home opener at Ralph Klein Centre on Friday.

Guilherme Lacerda Ferreira led the Lions (3-0) with 18 points and five assists in 14 minutes off the bench to be named Ambrose's Player of the Game, while reigning ACAC Player of the Year Isaac Gray added 17 points and four rebounds for the Lions, who shot 47.1 per cent from the field.

For the Broncos (0-3), Player of the Game Keunte Howard led the way with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Austin Nzige-Nyambok had an efficient night with 18 points and six rebounds off the bench for Olds College, who fell despite shooting 50 per cent from three-point range.

The game started off as a back-and-forth battle early in the first quarter, though the Lions pulled out an 8-0 run in 40 seconds to give themselves a 28-22 lead after the opening frame.

Olds College closed the gap early in the second on a pair of Sina Hashemi three-pointers en route to building up a 40-36 lead late in the quarter. However, the Lions dug in and closed out strong, taking a 45-43 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was tightly contested, with neither team leading by more than a possession at any point as the Lions took a 64-62 lead into the fourth, breaking it open early with a 9-0 run. However, the Broncos immediately responded with a 15-0 run of their own to go up 82-78 with 2:59 remaining.

Ultimately, the Lions were too much to handle at the end, as Lacerda Ferreira scored six straight points in a 57-second spand to put Ambrose up for good, with Gray sealing it on free throws at the end.

The two sides will face off once again tomorrow in Calgary at 8 p.m.