HAMILTON, Ont. – The Mohawk Mountaineers men's basketball team earned a decisive 84-55 victory over the Niagara Knights in their home opener on Saturday.

Neither team started strong offensively, with Mohawk leading 15-12 after the first quarter. The Mountaineers shot 35.3 per cent from the field, while the Knights managed just 26.7 per cent.

Mohawk's defence took control in the second quarter, holding Niagara to eight points on 21.1 per cent shooting. The Mountaineers found their rhythm offensively, building a 38-20 lead at halftime.

The third quarter was Mohawk's best of the night, shooting eight-for-11 from the field, hitting three three-pointers and going a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line to extend the lead to 67-37.

In the fourth, the Mountaineers pushed their advantage to as many as 39 points with 7:07 remaining. Niagara closed on a small run to trim the final margin to 29.

Mohawk finished the game shooting 48.4 per cent, outrebounded Niagara 44-34 and scored 46 points in the paint.

Marko Dosen (Hamilton, Ont.) once again led the Mountaineers with 17 points and recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 rebounds. Kazim Raza (Markham, Ont.) added 15 points in the win.

The Mountaineers will look to stay unbeaten when they travel to face the Sheridan Bruins on Oct. 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.