W-BASKETBALL WEEKEND ROUNDUP: No. 7 Rams contain Lakehead's Williams, run win streak to 8
he No. 7 ranked Ryerson Rams women’s basketball team extended their win streak to eight straight games with an 83-75 victory over the No. 8 ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Saturday night.
Lakehead 75 @ Ryerson 83 (Saturday)
The No. 7 ranked Ryerson Rams women's basketball team extended their win streak to eight straight games with an 83-75 victory over the No. 8 ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Saturday night.
A 24 point, nine rebound, six assist and seven steal effort from Keneca Pingue-Giles (Winnipeg, Man.) and a career-high 20 point night from Sofia Paska (Etobicoke, Ont.) paced the Rams to victory on Saturday.
Lakehead's Jylisa Wiliams was coming off an OUA record breaking 50 point performance on Friday but got into some early foul trouble which forced her to play just 11 first half minutes.
Ryerson capitalized on the CIS leading scorer's absence and held a 17-10 lead after ten minutes before doubling that lead to 44-30 at halftime.
"We had to take advantage and attack and I think that's what we did," said Pingue-Giles on Williams' absence. "We had to key in and know that she's not on the floor…(so) we could take some risks on defence knowing that there's not going to be somebody who's going to run in transition."
With Williams back on the floor to start the third quarter the Thunderwolves outscored Ryerson 24-18 to narrow the deficit to just eight at 62-54 heading into the final stanza but the visitors would come no closer, falling 83-75.
"This win is huge in our efforts to get a bye for that first round of playoffs," said head coach Carly Clarke following the game. "It definitely (had) a playoff feel to it and Lakehead is in that mix. It was lots of fun.
"C'airah Gabriel-Robinson had a huge game for us. She's a great athlete and I think she scored some big buckets for us today but she was one of the ones we had on Williams and she really challenged her."
Wiliams finished with a team-high 24 points while Essa Jacobsen had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort.
Ryerson's victory on Saturday is their 14th of the season which ties a program record for most wins in a single season. The Rams also won 14 games in 2009-10.
Friday, February 6
Ottawa 46 @ Carleton 40
The Carleton Ravens dropped a heartbreaking loss to the Ottawa Gee-Gees 46-40 in the 2015 MBNA Capital Hoops Classic.
Despite a career high 15 points from Stephanie Carr, and another dominant team performance on the glass, the Ravens came away empty handed in their revenge match against the Gee-Gees.
Ottawa would open the game on an 8-2 run – starting with a three from Jen Stoqua – and forcing an early Ravens timeout from Head Coach Taffe Charles. Despite the Gee-Gees putting in a full-court press, Carleton settled down and found their rhythm – on both sides of the ball.
As Ottawa went cold for the remainder of the quarter the Ravens put together an extended run of their own. Stephanie Carr provided the spark for Carleton, scoring 6 in the quarter and earning hustle points all over the floor.
After nine straight stops and a 9-0 run, the Ravens earned a 16-9 lead after the first.
Julia Soriano would finally cut the Gee-Gees scoring drought with a corner three early in the second. The teams continued to trade baskets – including an exchange of threes from Soriano and Carr – while Carleton held a 6-point lead.
Both squads went cold for the final two minutes, and the Ravens went into the break maintaining their 25-19 advantage.
Carr led the way for the Ravens in the first half, finishing with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Elizabeth Leblanc (5 points, 4 rebounds) and Heather Lindsay (4 points, 6 rebounds) also chipped in for Carleton. The Ravens were the aggressors early, outrebounding Ottawa 24-15 and earning 11 free-throws (to Ottawa's 3).
The Gee-Gees were just 23% from the floor as they were unable to find their range, going just 4-16 from three. Leading the way was Soriano with 11 points in the half (including three of Ottawa's four threes).
Ottawa finally found their touch in the third, putting together a 9-0 run as Krista van Slingerland and Kellie Ring found their way into the paint. It was not until Natasha Plaskacz hit a pair of free-throws – after almost 5 minutes – that Carleton found their first points of the quarter.
Thanks to a pair of threes, including another from Carr, the Ravens finally showed some life. But back-to-back baskets from Ring gave the Gee-Gees a 35-33 lead heading into the fourth.
Carleton's offensive struggles continued – with the team making just 17% from the floor in the second half – as Ottawa continued to build their lead. After another 8-0 run put the Gee-Gees up 43-36.
A huge sequence from Lindsay that kept the Ravens within 4. But a deep three from van Slingerland with just 1:10 remaining proved to be the dagger.
Final score: Carleton 40 Ottawa 46
"They really did the stuff they usually do – they deserved the to win," said Carr after the defeat.
Carr paced the Ravens with 15 points and 5 rebounds, while Lindsay was a dominant presence inside (8 points, 11 rebounds) for much of the game.
Carleton continued to control the boards (finishing with a 45-36 advantage) and earned almost twice as many trips to the charity stripe (going 11-20 as compared to Ottawa's 4-12).
"It was there for the taking. We made a pile of mistakes, and defensively we could have done better," said Ravens coach Taffe Charles.
The Gee-Gees got hot when it mattered, shooting 39% in the second half. After going scoreless in the first two quarters, Ring exploded to finish with a team-high 15 points to go along with 9 rebounds.
Soriano (11 points) and van Slingerland (11 points, 6 rebounds) both finished in double-figures for Ottawa.
Western 96 @ Nipissing 38
The Nipissing Lakers women's basketball team has been able to keep up for the early parts of games lately, building confidence.
Unfortunately, they haven't been able to maintain their effort due to a handful of injuries that has reduced the team to just six active players.
While the team will refuse to use that as an excuse, it's a fact and something they'll have to deal with moving into the final five games of the season.
Friday night, the Lakers were topped by the Western Mustangs 96-38 after a tough second half.
Despite trailing at the half, the Lakers weren't out of the game, but Western put on the pressure and used their deep and talented bench to build up a large lead and cruise to victory.
After one, the Lakers found themselves down 14 and were down 46-25 at the half, but it was the final 20 minutes that really sealed the game.
Leading the Lakers attack was Claire Abbott once again, she had 19 points to lead the team, while Kelly Dunk scored six points and picked up 11 rebounds.
Nipissing will now look to regroup for tomorrow's game against the Windsor Lancers.
It will be the Lakers final home game of the regular season, as they hit the road and play their final four games of the year away from home.
There wouldn't be a better time for the Lakers to earn their first win than Saturday, as they would be able to give the home crowd a great send off.
Windsor 90 @ Laurentian 54
The Laurentian Voyageur women's basketball team was playing their first game of the weekend against the Windsor Lancers this evening in the Ben Avery. The women were coming off two back-to-back wins against the Nipissing Lakers, and were looking to bring some of that momentum into their game against the Lancers. Despite having a short bench, the Lancers outplayed the Voyageurs at both ends of the court, and walked away with the point in a convincing 90-54 win over the home team.
The Voyageurs started off the game slowly, and the Lancers took it to them immediately. The Lancers, who are currently 13-1 and sit atop of the West Division in the OUA, controlled the first quarter of play at both ends of the court. The Voyageurs struggled to keep up with the Lancers? speed of play, and, at the end of a rather one-sided first quarter, the Lancers were up 26-10 on the Voyageurs.
The second quarter proved to be similar to the first. The Lancers made the most of their offensive opportunities and further increased their lead to 41-29 over the home team. Veterans Devenae Bryce and Danielle Harris lead the Voyageurs in points in the second, managing to get their team within 12 to finish the half.
Despite being able to slow down the Lancers? scoring in the final two quarters, the Voyageurs were unable to remain competitive for a consistent period of time. The Lancers kept up their high speed of play and made it difficult for the Voyageurs to compete at either end of the court.
The game ended to a score of 90-56 in favour of the Lancers, who improved to a record of 14-1. Bryce led the scoring for the Voyageurs, with 15 points and 2 assists.
Source: Laurentian Voyageurs
Algoma 32 @ Laurier 69
The No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's basketball team made their way back into the win column after defeating the Algoma Thunderbirds 69-32 on Friday night.
Despite a slow start, the Hawks got up on the boards quickly once they found their rhythm and set an 18-10 lead to end the first quarter.
The second quarter saw a widening of the gap that the Golden Hawks created in the first as the Thunderbirds struggled to work the boards, especially in the offensive end.
The Golden Hawks had out-rebounded the Thunderbirds 25 to 15 by the end of the first half, and it was reflected in the steep 33-16 halftime score. Hawks centre Whitney Ellenor (Pickering, Ont.) proved to be unstoppable by the Thunderbirds as she collected 10 points and six rebounds throughout the first half.
In the remaining two quarters, the Hawks played an outstanding team game and had six players put up at least four points each over the final 20 minutes. The Algoma women struggled to keep the Hawks in check in the third quarter, allowing the purple and gold team a surplus of 20 points before shutting things back down in the fourth.
The 69-32 victory moves the Hawks back into the win column with a 13-2 season record.
Although the entire Laurier team performed well offensively and defensively, Ellenor was an undeniable star as she finished the game with a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds.
Thunderbird forward Laura Meadows (Woodstock, Ont.) achieved a team high 12 points and five rebounds in the contest, while guard Sydney Resch (Guelph, Ont.) followed with 10 points and five rebounds.
Source: Laurier Golden Hawks
Saturday, February 7
Queen's 45 @ McMaster 74
What looked like it would be a close game early turned into a rout as the McMaster women's basketball team defeated the Queen's Gaels 74-45 on Saturday afternoon in Hamilton.
It was Marauder Weekend at McMaster, which serves as a winter homecoming, and alumni of the teams are invited back to enjoy various events, while cheering on the current generation of Marauders.
The first quarter was very even between the two teams as McMaster jumped out to a quick lead, and Queen's coming back to even the score at 12-12 after 10 minutes.
McMaster scored the first six points of the second stanza, forcing Queen's to take a timeout to stem the momentum. The Mac run continued though as the lead grew to 10 at 22-12 before the Gaels finally scored a basket. Queen's got the deficit down to six at 26-20, at which point McMaster called timeout to slow down the Gaels. The rest of the quarter was all Maroon, as McMaster went on a 12-1 run to finish the half and carried a 38-21 lead into intermission.
Struggling on offense, Queen's had no answer as McMaster continued to extend its advantage in the third quarter. Heading to the final quarter, the Marauder lead was 55-32.
It got worse for the Gaels in the fourth quarter, as Danielle Boiago started to heat up. Knocking down shots from everywhere, Boiago scored 12 points in the final frame and McMaster closed out the 29-point win.
Boiago finished with a game high 26 and grabbed 10 rebounds for the double-double. Clare Kenney also had a double-double for the Maroon with 13 points and 13 boards, while Ally Schweitzer with 12 and Rachael Holmes with 10 also scored in double figures. Top shooter for Queen's was Gemma Bullard with 11 points.
York 66 @ Brock 75
The Brock University women's basketball team (7-9 OUA) defeated the York Lions (2-14 OUA) by the score of 75-66 Saturday afternoon at the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
Brock jumped out to an early 20-7 lead in the opening quarter, highlighted by a 15-3 run. The Badgers and Lions played even the final three quarters, but it was Brock coming away with their seventh victory of the regular season.
The Badgers used a balancerd offense, led by senior Kayla Santilli (Brantford, Ont.) who registered a game-high 19 points, including five three-pointers. She also added 11 rebounds for the double-double. Senior Jenalyn Yumol (London, Ont.) contributed with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore Kira Cornelissen (Aylmer, Ont.) added 12 points and nine rebounds while senior Becky Ralph (Ancaster, Ont.) (7 points, 8 rebounds) and rookieMelissa Tatti (Ancaster, Ont.) (7 points, 9 rebounds) rounded out the Brock leaders.
York had three players reach double digits, led by Jackie Koudys who finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Courtney Osborne recorded the double-double adding 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Emma Thompson chipped in with 13 points and eight boards.
For the game, the Badgers shot 31.3% (25-for-80) from the field, including 28.9% (11-for-38) from beyond the arc. They also went 14-for-22 (63.9%) from the charity stripe. York went 27-for-75 (36.0%) from the floor, 7-for-28 (25.0%) from three-point land and 5-for-8 (62.5%) from the free throw line. Brock also outrebounded the Lions by a 53-42 margin.
Algoma 28 @ Laurier 85
Guard Courtney Bruce lit up the court on Saturday afternoon for the No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks as they emerged victorious 82-28 over the Algoma Thunderbirds for the second time this weekend.
The fourth year from Orillia, Ont., put up a remarkable 26 points to assist in the landslide victory for the Hawks, and effectively doubled her own personal best for points achieved in a game (13 points in January of 2014 against Waterloo).
Throughout her 32 minutes of play, Bruce went 4-for-5 on three-point attempts (80 percent), helping her finish 10-for-13 (77 percent) from the field in the game, and made good on both of her free-throws.
In contrast to last night's game, the Hawks came out right on top of their game and dominated the first quarter of play.
Going into the second quarter with a 21-8 lead, the Thunderbirds were in need of some offensive momentum but the Hawks gave absolutely no room and held the team to only three points in the quarter.
After the half and down 30-11, the Thunderbirds fared only slightly better in their efforts on offence and not nearly enough to catch up to the Hawks who would fly away with an 82-28 victory.
With only seven players dressed, the Thunderbirds tired quickly and it showed. Guards Sydney Resch (Guelph, Ont.) and Taylor McAllister (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) led the red-and-white team's scoring with nine points each by the end of the game, adding three and four rebounds respectively.
While Bruce achieved a game-high 26 points, she also recorded five rebounds and six steals on the night. Whitney Ellenor of Pickering, Ont., also had another solid performance as she earned a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Windsor 103 @ Nipissing 34
It definitely wasn't the way the Nipissing Lakers women's basketball team wanted to close out their home schedule, but they came up short against the Windsor Lancers.
The Lakers just didn't have an answer for the big, talented and skilled Lancers team who put up at least 24 in each of the four quarters in their way to the 103-34 victory.
The Lancers used a balanced attack, as six players hit double digits to lead them to victory.
On the Lakers side, Claire Abbott had 11 points to lead the team, while Sam Therrien put up 10 for Nipissing.
The Lakers continue to make strides in certain areas, but their numbers, due to injuries, limit their options and unfortunately hasn't give them the opportunity to pick up a win.
Saturday's game was the last one on the Lakers home court, as they will close out their season on the road with four games, beginning next weekend.
Western 59 @ Laurentian 60
Only one point and six seconds stood between the Mustangs women's basketball team and a comeback victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs, Saturday night at the Ben Avery Gymnasium. But a steal at the last second sealed the deal for the home team, as the Mustangs took the hard end of a nail biter, 60-59.
The heartbreaking defeat puts the Mustangs 6-11 on the regular season, good for third place in the OUA West division. The win for the Voyageurs moves them into a tie for second place in the OUA North division with a 7-8 regular season record.
Mackenzie Puklicz led scoring with 14 points, while Maddy Horst andCaroline Wolynski rounded out top scorers with nine each. Victoria Heine was dominant on the glass for the Mustangs as she took down 13 rebounds on eight points.
The Mustangs struggled to find their groove in the first quarter in both holding down the Laurentian offence and trying to get their shots to land. Western shot only 25% from the field in the first quarter compared to Laurentian's 43%. Those shots that did land came from the hands of Sam Loucks, who picked up right where she left off in the fourth quarter the night before. Loucks would go on to lead scoring for the first half, matching her previous game's total of eight points.
The Mustangs also had trouble with turnovers early on in the game. They gave up 17 turnovers in the first half which attributed to 14 Voyageur points. This helped to put Laurentian comfortably ahead of the purple and white 30-19 after the first half.
But the tide started to turn after the break for Western, who started to find their offensive rhythm. Horst and Wolynski, who had been held pointless in the first half, came to life after five minutes into the third quarter with a drive and kick play that pulled the lead back into single digit territory. Despite their play, though, the Laurentian offense seemed to always counter as the teams went shot-for-shot until Horst and Puklicz went on a 7-0 run in the last minute of the quarter to put the Mustangs within six, 45-39.
The Mustangs started off the fourth quarter with Meredith McLeod stricking a 3-pointer in the first minute which was quickly followed by Wolynski grabbing the Laurentian inbound pass and quickly putting up a layup to put the lead within one point. The Voyageurs fought hard to keep their lead through the quarter, but couldn't hold Western at bay. With 1:17 left on the clock, Laurentian forward Devenae Bryce fouled Puklicz, who went to the line and sunk two free throws to keep her team on the Voyageurs' heels. Laurentian's Danielle Harris took the following inbound all the way down the court and tried for a deep three, that bounced off the top of the backboard and led to a Western possession. Head Coach Brian Cheng took a time-out to bring the ball back down to his squad's offensive zone with 24 seconds on the clock to hope for a final game-winning attack.
With the seconds winding down, Puklicz put up a close jumper that didn't land, but made it to the hands of Heine for the offensive rebound. Heine's attempt at a shot rolled off the glass right back to Puklicz who stuffed it into the net to take the lead, 59-58 with nine seconds remaining.
A Laurentian time-out took the ball back to their side of the court for a last attempt at taking the game. Bryce took the ball and ran it up the middle lane, right into a blockade of Western bodies. The contact was enough to draw a hard foul and a trip to the foul line, where Bryce sunk both of her shots to take back a one-point lead with six seconds on the clock.
In the dying seconds of the game, with no time-outs left for Western, the team left it up to Wolynski who took the inbound pass and rushed to the other end of the court. Her layup attempt was stopped short, though, by Laurentian's Adrienne Moreau, who stripped the ball with tenths of seconds left on the clock. With ball possession out of Western reach, the Mustangs would end up with the 60-59 loss.
Guelph 44 @ Toronto 66
Fifth-year guard Jill Stratton recorded a game-high 25 points in leading the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team to a 66-44 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday night (Feb. 7) at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
With the win, the Blues improve to 8-7 and remain in third place in the OUA East, just two points behind the Queen's Gaels (9-6).
Stratton went 8-for-17 from the floor and was 8-of-10 from the free throw line, while completing the double-double with 13 rebounds.
Third-year guard Alanna Garner added nine points, four rebounds and two steals. Abena Addo and Diedre Edwards each tallied six points, while Julie Longauer had seven rebounds and four steals in the win.
Tied 12-12 after the first quarter, the Blues exploded for 21 second-quarter points, while holding the Gryphons to single digits in both the second and third frames.
Toronto also held Gryphons leading scorer Katherine MacTavish to just eight points, but she did lead the squad with 11 boards on the night. Barbara Inrig-Pieterse led Guelph with 13 points in the loss.
The Varsity Blues are back in action this Wednesday night (Feb. 11) as they head to Ryerson for the second installment of the BIA Cup. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
