George Brown's basketball program went hard out the gates to begin 2017-18, with both Huskies squads earning wins against the visiting Algonquin Thunder.

Not to be outdone by the men's near-perfect win yesterday, the women's team put forward an impressive, exhilarating 80-64 victory in their own season opener.

Creating chaos has been preached ever since Huskies head coach Warren Williams joined George Brown, and it was on full display Saturday afternoon. Algonquin looked thunderstruck in the face of George Brown's onslaught.

On both offence and defence, intense pressure left Algonquin's decision making hurried and harried. By game's end, the Huskies had forced 42 turnovers, a reward for their energy expended.

That overwhelming pace saw George Brown jump out to a 22-12 first quarter lead, and a 67-43 tally after three. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies seemed to take their foot off the gas pedal somewhat, narrowing the final score to 80-64.

Even if George Brown's top dog will be looking for a little more consistency from tip off to the final buzzer, he was nonetheless pleased. "We want to create a tempo and a pace that other teams just can't match, where it's just relentless," Williams said. "Something that we have to continue to do, but today was a good start."

George Brown's depth was also on display, with 13 out of 14 players finding the scoreboard. The Huskies were led by 2016-17 first-team OCAA All-Star Tianna Sullivan, with 15 points and seven rebounds. Guard Aprille Deus wasn't far behind with 14 points and seven assists, while first-year Husky Ashley McDonald gave Algonquin reason to worry off the bench, exhibiting a deft shot on her way to an eight-point, three rebound performance.

Making too much of four quarters is foolhardy, but if George Brown's Saturday performance is emblematic of what the team can execute on a consistent basis, they look to be a squad taking a significant leap forward. And for Sullivan, the exciting Huskies showcase was exactly what George Brown fans should expect all season long.

"That's our playing style," said Sullivan, describing the match as a terrific win. "We want to make sure that we cause turnovers and earn steals. We want to get the other team rattled and pressure the ball. I think that worked in our favour and we did a really good job today."

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While a cagey Algonquin squad kept the game close on the men's side, George Brown maintained its early lead on their way to an 89-81 win.

Just as with last night, the Huskies didn't properly take off until the second quarter. Even though the match often seemed well in hand, George Brown held a five-point lead after one, before a 21-11 second quarter put the hosts up 45-30 at halftime.

In a tilt where George Brown felt primed to explode and take an insurmountable lead, credit to the Thunder for quietly hanging around. Rather than wave the white flag, Algonquin pushed back, chipping away before the Huskies stemmed the tide and put the game away in the final minutes.

"We always say, 'The first three or four minutes are huge,' " Huskies head coach Jonathan Smith shared after the game. "Either you're going to drop it to 20 and make them quit, or you're going to let them hang around and then in the fourth quarter anything can happen, which you saw... But to be 2-0 in a tough OCAA conference, I'm happy with that, I'll live with it."

Veteran swingman Matt Bukovec had a 13-point afternoon, while first-year Husky Adam Constanzo continued his impressive debut, playing a physical game to go along with his five-point, seven rebound performance.

In what may become a familiar refrain, 6'5" guard Alex Petronis once again demonstrated his ability to take over a game. Following up his 20-point outing yesterday with 29 points and five assists against Algonquin, the Toronto native made statement plays throughout the match. Perhaps most importantly, both his presence and 13 points in the second half were crucial to maintaining George Brown's lead.

"We're still gelling, still learning how to play together," Petronis said. "You could tell today that we're still learning, but we're doing well."

"At the end of the day, a win's a win," he continued. "2-0 going into our next games next weekend. We're looking good right now."

For a complete women's team schedule, click

For a complete men's team schedule, click