No. 8 Laurier hands No. 1 Windsor first home loss since 2010

(Photo: Steve Kriemadis)

The No. 8 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's basketball team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in program history on Saturday afternoon as they defeated the four-time defending CIS Champions, the No. 1 Windsor Lancers, 60-53 on their home court.

Laurier, which had not won a game against the Lancers in their last 18 meetings dating back to November of 2007, earned their 10th consecutive win with the victory while setting a new team record in the process. Moving to 10-1 on the season, the Hawks set a new standard for best start in program history, surpassing the 9-2 mark set by last year's team as well as the 2004-05 team.

As for the Lancers, they fall to 9-1 on the year and suffer their first loss at home since losing the season opener to the Toronto Varsity Blues all the way back on November 12, 2010.

Making a difference for Laurier in the victory were a pair of guards in Nicole Morrison of Hamilton, and Kaitlyn Schenck of Kitchener, Ont. Morrison was very strong in the opening half as she scored 13 points while shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. She would go on to finish the contest with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists. 

Schenck took the game over in the second half as she scored 13 of her 19 points in the final two quarters to help Laurier seal the victory. The 19 points matches a career-high for the graduate of St. Mary's HS, a mark set in the Hawks win over Toronto earlier this season.

The top scorer for the Windsor Lancers was guard Korissa Williams of Windsor, Ont., who also notched 19 points. However, a strong defensive effort from the purple and gold prevented any other player on the highest scoring team in the conference from reaching double-digits in scoring.

From the opening tip off, it was the Hawks who were in control of the contest. Despite falling behind 4-0 early, Laurier controlled the opening 10 minutes and took the lead on a layup from Morrison. The basket was significant because it would be the last time Windsor held the lead throughout the contest.

The two teams would trade baskets throughout the opening three quarters as the two teams proved to be evenly matched throughout. However, the Hawks slowly built up their advantage and held a 41-33 lead.

With the game on the line, Windsor made a push but it was Schenck who would end up sealing the victory. She connected on two key three-pointers inside the final four minutes to give Laurier a cushion on the top-ranked Lancers. From there, the team used used the defensive and rebounding prowess to close out the win.

The depth and quality of both teams came across in the final stats as both the Hawks and Lancers were almost even in most major statistical categories including field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounding and turnovers. The difference in the win for Laurier came from their three-poing shooting as they hit five of their seven attempts in the game, versus Windsor who made just two of 11 attempts. The Hawks defence also stepped up as they recorded five blocks to just two for Windsor.

Source: Laurier Golden Hawks