North Bay, ON – The Redeemer Royals earned a critical late-season victory on Saturday night, defeating the Canadore Panthers 84–75 on the road in a matchup between two teams battling for the final playoff position in the OCAA West Division. With both programs fighting to stay in contention and the standings tightening in the lower half of the table, Redeemer found a way to execute a key victory at a crucial moment in the last quarter of the season schedule.
Redeemer entered the game fresh off a strong midweek showing against Niagara and looked revitalized with much of the roster back in action. The Royals opened with pace and confidence, scoring 25 points in the first quarter and setting the tone for a consistent offensive night. The team continued to find high-quality looks throughout the game, which would prove important as the Panthers kept clawing back at every lead.
Saturday night in North Bay belonged to fourth-year Parker Davis, who delivered a dominant 35-point performance on 12–26 shooting while knocking down three three-pointers and going 8–10 from the free-throw line. His scoring fueled the Royals offensive presence, and joining him in the frontcourt, Ty Storie recorded a strong 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Armeen Fazelipour anchored the interior with a game-high 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Off the bench, Thomaz Barbosa added 11 points in an energetic and efficient performance that helped stabilize the Royals throughout the second half.
Redeemer's depth continued to shine, with contributions from Jason Usuomon (8 points), Kaiden King-Stewart (6 points on a perfect 3–3 shooting), and Gabriel Della Foresta, who added 4 points, three rebounds, and important defensive interferences. In total, the Royals' bench produced 27 points, a key factor in maintaining momentum in the back-and-forth contest. Defensively, Redeemer held Canadore to just 2–30 from three-point range and converted turnovers into 22 points.
Saturday's win moves Redeemer to 3–12, keeping their playoff hopes alive in a tightly packed OCAA West Division. With three games remaining, every result in the final stretch carries meaningful implications for postseason qualification. Redeemer's response in North Bay showed they continue to fight for that final berth.
The Royals now turn their attention to a major challenge on Wednesday as they travel to Toronto to face division-leading Humber at 8:00 p.m. With the playoff race narrowing, Redeemer will look to ride Saturday's energy into an upset road victory over the Hawks.
