The Laurentian Voyageurs men's basketball team may well campaign to have all of their home games contested at the Sudbury Arena.
Philippe Fandio is not likely to object.
The first year guard who hails from Marseille (France) hit one of the most memorable shots in recent L.U. history Saturday afternoon - and did so in the biggest of settings.
First, some context: after falling to the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at Ben Avery Gym on Friday (63-59), the 8-11 Voyageurs would be playing host to the Queen's Gaels (15-4) as part of their annual triple-header event that also incorporates the Laurentian women's team as well as the Sudbury Five.
Trailing 43-33 at the half, the home side clamped down defensively in the second half, holding the Gaels to nine third quarter points and moving ahead, 54-52 heading to the fourth.
Though the Gaels jumped briefly ahead, 55-54, it was the Voyageurs who showed the way from roughly the two minute mark - right up until a layup by Luka Syllas (Queen's) with 1.5 seconds to play knotted the contest at 69-69.
Overtime seemed inevitable.
"We called a timeout and coach drew up a play for us and my teammates believed in me and passed me the ball," Fandio explained, the balance of the L.U. crew rejoicing over his shoulders as he composed himself for the well-deserved post-game interview.
Taking the in-bounds pass from Nginyu Ngala roughly ten feet inside the half-court line, Fandio let fly with a mighty heave, the final buzzer sounding as the orange sphere sailed closer to the rim.
Never a doubt, suggested Fandio of his incredible game-winning buzzer beater.
"Every time I shoot the ball, I think it's going in," he said.
For as much as the offense of Fandio (18 points), Ngala (17), Shawn Barthelemy (11) and Ismael Konate (9) was important, that's not the biggest difference that was noted in the second half surge by the hero of the day.
"We kept up the intensity, especially defensively," said Fandio. "Offensively, we found some guys who made some big shots, some tough shots. We didn't turn the ball over. We took care of the ball and that's why we won today."
The Voyageurs could not have picked a more ideal setting for the drama.
Some thirty or so members of the Voyageurs teams of the seventies were on hand to be honoured at half-time of the Five game - including former coaches Ken Shields (Canada Sports Hall of Fame inductee - 2009) and Mike Heale - as well as the members of the CIAU gold medal winning 1997-1998 Laurentian women's team.
Fandio, apparently, was not the least bit fazed by the crowd of more than a thousand disbursed around the confines of Sudbury Arena.
"A rim is a rim at the end of the day."
In the early game, the Laurentian women also took a lead into the fourth quarter of play (44-43) but were unable to close things out versus Queen's, beaten 59-56 by the squad that now mirrors the exact same record as the Gaels men (15-5).
Emilie Lafond led the Voyageurs (6-14) with a game high 25-point effort, with Katrina Renon countering with 24 points of her own for the winners.
Freshman Cadence Pecore added ten points for L.U. while Sudbury native and Lo-Ellen Park Prep product Bree Bourget was the only player never to leave the floor for Queen's, netting nine points and five assists, half of her team's total.
The Lady Vees did manage to secure a weekend split as well, however, as they handled Ontario Tech with ease, 79-34. Eleven different players hit the scoresheet for L.U., led by Lafond (15), Pecore (13), Megan Axiak (9) and veteran Princess Bernardino (8).
Both Laurentian teams have two home games remaining, on Wednesday as the Nipissing Lakers come to town and then closing out regular season play Saturday at home versus the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
