Box Score WINDSOR, Ont.- Josh Collins recorded a game-high 20 points, and the Windsor Lancers men's basketball team defeated the Lakehead Thunderwolves 82-71 on Friday night at the St. Denis Centre.

Enrico Diloreto added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Lien Phillip tallied 15 points and 14 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season in helping the No. 8 Lancers (6-3) topple their bitter division rivals and hand Lakehead (2-7) their second-straight loss.

Henry Tan and Anthony McIntosh scored 19 and 18 points respectively in a losing cause for the Thunderwolves.

The teams traded points throughout the first minutes of the opening quarter. Rotimi Osuntola Jr. drained a three that gave the men a two-point lead, but the visitors responded with two of their own at the other end of the floor to draw even. Osuntola notched another corner three near the end of the opening stanza, and Diloreto dropped two free throws, giving the men a 19-17 lead after the first.

Diloreto started the second with a pretty finger-roll, and Collins followed that with a jumper from beyond the arc as the men went on a mini-run to take a seven point lead. Windsor quickly turned it into an explosive 14-2 streak to extend the spread into double-digits. Lakehead pulled within seven on a three-pointer by Jamar Coke, and the Lancers would eventually take a 38-33 lead into halftime.

Windsor shot just under 36% from the floor in the first half, while the Thunderwolves worked at a 44.1% efficiency. McIntosh led all players with 10 points in the opening half, while Collins and Diloreto tallied eight each for Windsor.

Osuntola capped another Lancer run to begin the second half with a long-ranger, forcing a timeout from the Thunderwolves who were looking to stem the Windsor momentum. After the visitors pulled within a few, Collins came up with another timely three. However, the Thunderwolves caught up and took over the lead in the final minute of the third. A clutch buzzer-beating three by Diloreto after a Thunderwolves fast-break lay-up cut the Lakehead lead to two heading into the final period.

The rivals traded baskets through the first few minutes of the fourth with Lakehead clinging to a one point lead. A jumper by Khalid Abdel-Gabar was followed by a fast-break lay-up by the Sheridan transfer, and the Lancers went ahead by three at the 5:55 mark. Abdel-Gabar and Diloreto then nailed back to back three's, and suddenly the home side held a nine-point advantage.

A couple of free throws by Phillip and another lay-up by Collins iced the contest minutes later, taking the wind out of Lakehead's sails. The Lancers shot 38.5% from the floor and outrebounded the Thunderwolves 45-40. The visitors worked at a 49.2% efficiency, but were held to just 12 points in the fourth quarter as Windsor's stingy, up-tempo defence helped preserve the win in the final 10 minutes. 

The Lancers will look for their fifth-straight win on Saturday evening when they conclude their weekend set against the Thunderwolves. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. and the game will be available live online at GoLancers.TV.