Kajan Thiruthanikasalam (Sports Writer, Colts Athletics)

SCARBOROUGH, ONT.- Heading into the final game of the first half of the season, the Centennial Colts men's basketball team faced a stiff challenge in a tough Georgian Grizzlies team, led by guard Anthony Meggo.

Despite facing adversity at various points, Centennial ended the semester off with a bang.

Walshak Yusef's driving layup with 1:19 left proved to be the decisive basket as the Colts (7-3) beat the Grizzlies (5-4), 93-85, on the road in Barrie. It is Centennial's second straight win.

The key stat was the bench scoring. The Colts' bench outscored the Grizzlies bench, 43-10. Yusef led the bench with a career high 15 points on just eight shots and also had two blocks.

"Whether Walshak is starting or coming off the bench, he's going out there and getting the job done," Khaleel Sutherland said. "The bench has always been good; now we're just getting the time to go out and do what we can do." 

"We try to keep Walshak fresh and not in foul trouble," Colts head coach Trevor Challenger said. "He's a tough, gritty and active player that plays hard on both ends. He scores his baskets on hustle and hard work."

However, the biggest and most pleasant surprise off the bench came from Sutherland as he scored a career high 11 points, including three triples. Two of those threes came consecutively to start the fourth quarter and gave Centennial a much-needed boost.

"The defense was giving me space and Coach always tells me whenever I go into the game, always be ready and look for my shot," Sutherland said. 

"Khaleel is a versatile player to the team. He can play multiple positions," Challenger said. "He's been having great practices of late, where he's shooting the ball with confidence." 

Bailey Burton led Centennial with 19 points on a very efficient 72 per cent from the field, with seven of them coming in the fourth quarter.

"Bailey has been consistent all season; he brings veteran leadership to the younger players," Challenger said. "I think the best of Bailey is yet to come."

Kendell Wilson was the other Colt to score in double figures with 13. Jahshua McFarlane had a team high three assists, game high 10 rebounds and was tied for the team lead in steals (three) with Jason Dennis.

Connor Laronde led four Grizzlies players in double figures with a game high 22 points on three triples in the loss while Meggo had 18, but on 17 shots.

Centennial shot 52.2 per cent from the field, including nearly 60 per cent in the second half.

"The coaching staff told the guys to trust each other and share the ball. We wanted the guys to focus on team execution," Challenger said. "It's normal for teams to break from the play especially on offense."

With the win, Centennial concluded the first half of the season on a high note. However, although Challenger likes the progress so far from the team, he says that improvements are to be made in the second half to build on the early success, especially on the offensive end.

"This team has done everything we asked for, from playing hard and being professional off the court," Challenger said. "Areas of work for the second semester is to be more disciplined on our sets, improve our shooting percentages (41% FG, 26% 3PTFG, 62% FT), (and) to (be) better on the defensive end; we're giving up 79 ppg."

Bigger things are expected for the Colts to come in the second half of the season.