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Third-year forward Devin Johnson notched 23 points and 11 rebounds in leading the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team to a 72-59 win over the Nipissing Lakers on Friday night (Nov. 21) in their grand opening event at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

With the win, the Blues improve to 2-3 and remain in third place in the OUA East division, while the Lakers drop to 0-3 and sit fourth in the North.

Johnson was 9-for-23 from the floor, including three three pointers and added two steals on the night. Fellow third-year forward Denis Ankrah notched 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Dylan Churhill added nine points and Julian Clarke had eight points in the win.

Nipissing got out to an early 5-0 lead but the Blues responded with a 10-0 streak of their own. The two teams traded points and a three-pointer from Marcus Lewis gave Nipissing a 16-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The game went back and forth in the second quarter and the Lakers took a narrow 30-29 lead at the midway point of the game.

Ankrah and Johnson combined for 19 points as the Blues took the lead and widened the gap for good with a 28-point third quarter.

Lewis, along with Jordan Campbell, led the Lakers with 14 points each, with Campbell adding a team-high 10 boards in the loss.

The Varsity Blues return to action tomorrow night as they host the Laurentian Voyageurs at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. Game time is set for 8 p.m.

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