The tension was high on Saturday at the Alex Barbier Gym where George Brown College’s (GBC) women’s and men’s basketball squads played Algonquin’s undefeated teams.

The day started off with the women’s team losing against Algonquin with a final score of 69-40 however the Huskies never lost faith even with Jamie Janssen out due to an injury during warm-ups.

With a total of nine players, head coach Sharon Butler said, “Whoever you have, you have. Nobody should be complaining about playing time.”

Butler is very confident that the team does not let the number of players affect their abilities.

Kiana Kalnins, one of the Huskies’ forwards said, “I don’t think it affects us at all. It just makes us want to work harder. We might be tired but we are hungry.”

The loss for the women didn’t discourage them. Kalnins believes, “the team never gives up and keeps a good attitude throughout the game”. She thinks losing makes her focus more and even though the team had their ups and downs, Kalnins is certain the team, “came hard.”

Butler sees improvement in the team stating that she has noticed progress in lay up completion as well as working and communicating as a team but they need to improve their passing.

The men’s basketball team began their doubleheader weekend with a loss against the unstoppable Algonquin Thunder as they took the Huskies by storm with a final score of 84-72.

Vadim Halimov needed 72 points to surpass the all-time scoring record of former Durham College player Anthony Batchelor, needing 44 by the end of the game.

The rest of the team stayed focused and played a great game against an Algonquin team who are ranked number two in Canada.

After the loss, the men’s team focused their attention on the game against La Cite on Sunday.

La Cite are in 10th place in the OCAA east with a 6-12 record.

The Coyotes remained dedicated and motivated during the game despite the loss of 12 players over the holidays but the Huskies came out on top with a final score of 95-62.

With every squeak of the sneakers against the polished wood floors, spectators might have had to remind themselves to blink.

The teams were close in the first half as the second quarter ended 40-30 for the Huskies. The score shot up in the second half as the Huskies scored 55 points including six three-pointers.

The game ended with a congratulatory hug between Halimov and his mother. Halimov managed to rack-up a total of 29 points in this game, and is now only 15 points shy of the all-time scoring record.

This Valentine’s Day might prove be the sweetest one yet for Halimov when he can break the record playing against his former team at Seneca College.