Lakehead dominates Friday night but faced fierce pushback Saturday in front of an energized home crowd

Thunderwolves Tested but Triumphant in Weekend Sweep of Ontario Tech at the Thunderdome

THUNDER BAY – The Lakehead University men’s basketball team emerged with two hard-earned wins this weekend at the Thunderdome, sweeping the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in a back-to-back home series that tested the Thunderwolves’ depth, discipline, and late-game grit.

Saturday night at the Thunderdome, the Wolves pulled out a very tough fought 83-77 win.

After a lopsided victory on Friday night, where Lakehead controlled the pace and put the game out of reach early, Saturday told a much different story.

The Ridgebacks regrouped, recalibrated, and came out swinging, pushing the Thunderwolves into a much tighter contest that had fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

Friday Night: All Wolves, All Night

The opening game of the weekend saw Lakehead flex its full-court dominance, forcing turnovers and executing crisply in transition. The Thunderwolves’ defence suffocated Ontario Tech’s perimeter shooters, while their ball movement on offence created open looks and mismatches down low.

Several players notched double-digit scoring performances, including Harold Santacruz who scored 30 points on Saturday night.

Saturday: Ridgebacks Bite Back

If Friday was a cruise, Saturday was a dogfight.

The Ridgebacks came out hungrier and harder, matching Lakehead’s physicality and challenging their shot selection from the start. The Thunderwolves, fell behind early and kept coming back. The first quarter was mostly Ontario Tech, but in the second quarter, the Wolves dug deep and battled back to end the half all tied at 38 apiece.

All game, the Thunderwolves would get behind, then catch up on the Ridgebacks, and see their leads erased.

That went on until midway in the 4th quarter when the Wolves grabbed a slim lead and held on.

Fans were literally standing and cheering on the Thunderwolves through the last five minutes of the game. Ontario Tech wouldn’t give up and kept coming.

The Ridgebacks cut the lead to single digits late in the fourth, and for a moment it looked like an upset was brewing.

But behind clutch plays from Chris Sagi, Harold Santacruz and the bench and a key defensive stand in the final minute, Lakehead held on to complete the weekend sweep.

Thunderdome Atmosphere: Small Crowd, Big Impact

Though the stands weren’t packed, the crowd in attendance brought big energy—cheering every defensive stop, thunderous dunk, and late-game free throw.

Next Up for the Thunderwolves

With the sweep, Lakehead improves their record to 2-0 on the young OUA season and gains momentum heading into a tough road swing.

Stay tuned to NetNewsLedger Sports for full coverage of the Thunderwolves all season long—home and away. For ticket info, upcoming games, and more, visit LakeheadThunderwolves.ca.