OUA Women's Basketball Roundup (Jan. 29)
January 24, 2018
McMaster 76 Laurier 69
Despite enjoying a sizeable home court advantage at a rare School Day morning contest, the Laurier Golden Hawks were unable to slow the Marauders roll Wednesday.
Maintaining their perfect run of form in 2018, McMaster downed Laurier 76-69 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, in Laurier's third and final School Day game of the 2017-18 season.
Sarah Gates (Newmarket, ON) had a breakthrough game, finishing the morning with a team-leading and career high 22 points from 7-15 shooting from the field, while adding a career high 13 rebounds. She was lethal from long range, shooting 67 percent from beyond the arc.
Gates wasn't the only Marauder to have success from the three-point line, as the Marauders shot an impressive 47.4 percent from downtown.
Laurier's Nicole Morrison was typically productive Wednesday, finishing the game with 20 points to match her season average.
Not shaken by the occasion, or the unusual 11:00 a.m. tipoff, the Marauders got out to an early 12-1 lead in the opening four minutes of the first quarter.
After a quarter of play, the point differential stayed the same, as McMaster pushed the scoring to 22-11.
Laurier leaned on their fifth-year veteran Morrison, who pushed the tempo for the Golden Hawks, finishing the half with nine points of her own.
The Marauders headed into halftime holding onto a 40-31 lead.
In the second half, neither team skipped a beat, as both squads continued to trade buckets.
The fourth quarter brought opportunity for the Golden Hawks, as they went on a 13-4 run to narrow the Marauders lead to three points. Theresa Burns called a timeout with her Marauder holding onto a 61-58 lead with six minutes remaining in the quarter.
Laurier held out hope of a comeback for a matter of minutes, before McMaster broke away to an eight-point lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. A late surge by the Golden Hawks wasn't enough, as the Marauders won their seventh straight game.
The Marauders now hold onto a 13-4 record and enter the weekend in first place in the OUA West division.
Source: marauders.ca
Guelph 72 Brock 44
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Wednesday night at Brock's Bob Davis Gymnasium, the Gryphons women's basketball team used a dominating 3rd quarter run pick up a convincing 72-44 road win over the Brock Badgers. After taking a two-point lead into the locker room at the half, the Gryphons would blow things wide open in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Brock 23-2 in the frame. The Gryphons nearly blanked the Badgers in the 3rd, with Brock's only two points of the quarter coming on made free throws with :17 seconds remaining. With the win, the Gryphons improve to 8-9 on the season while the Badgers fall to 6-11.
Meeting for the second time in less than a week, the Gryphons picked up right where they left off after recording a 76-44 win over Brock on Friday (Jan. 19) at the GGAC. The return leg of the home-and-home would yield an almost identical score line, with the Gryphons riding some balanced scoring and suffocating defence to their fourth road win of the season. Rookie guard Burke Bechard led all Gryphon scorers with 14 points and also added 12 rebounds. Julia Kokonis provided a nice spark off the bench with 10 points on an efficient 4-5 shooting.
Wednesday night also marked the return third year guard Sarah Holmes. Holmes, who a season ago was named team MVP after averaging 11.6 points per game, has been sidelined with an injury which has forced her to miss just over two months of action. Playing in her first OUA game since November 8, the Welland native was impressive while marking her return near her hometown, coming off the bench to account for both of her team's made three-point shots on the night.
The Gryphons (8-9) will now prepare to host the first-place McMaster Marauders (13-4) on Saturday afternoon at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre. The No. 6-ranked Marauders will arrive in Guelph riding the longest active win streak in the OUA West with seven straight victories. Saturday afternoon's game will mark the second meeting of the season between the Gryphons and Marauders, with McMaster winning 70-61 over Guelph back in late October in what was the regular season opener for both teams. Tip is set for 1pm on Saturday with the Gryphons supporting Bell Let's Talk during both the women's and men's game.
Source: gryphons.ca
January 26, 2018
Nipissing 48 York 66
The York University Lions women's basketball team picked up its third win a row with a 66-48 victory over the Nipissing Lakers at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Friday night.
The Lions wasted no time getting the game rolling, with a basket from Chante Clarke four seconds into playing time. The Lions went on to open up a big lead for the rest of the quarter. The Lakers, on the other hand, were unable to make much progress. The quarter ended 16-4 for the Lions.
The Lions continued to increase their lead while also maintaining a strong defensive effort that made it difficult for the Lakers to add points of their own. By the end of the quarter the Lions had extended their lead to 20 points to head into halftime ahead 36-16.
The third period followed a similar pattern, with lots of points for the Lions and the Lakers being kept at bay. The Lions went into the final quarter leading 57-30.
In the fourth quarter, the Lions emptied their bench and the Lakers started to close the gap, scoring 18 points to the Lions nine. The Lakers even came within eight points of the Lions but that was as close as they would get.
Leading the Lions once again was Lindsay Shotbolt, who sank a whopping 24 points and just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds. Megan MacLeod and Clarke also had outstanding performances. MacLeod earned 11 points and 12 rebounds and Clarke picked up 12 points and three rebounds.
On the Lakers' side, scoring was led by Maeve Therriault with 16 points. Thaliyah Phillips led the team in rebounds with 10.
The Lions now have a 9-8 season record and sit in fifth place in the OUA East Division. The Lakers fell to 2-14 and remain at the bottom of the standings.
Source: yorkulions.ca
Carleton 72 Toronto 54
TORONTO, ON – The Ravens shook off a shaky start to forge ahead and defeat the Varsity Blues 72-54 and improve their regular season record to 17-0.
Third-year guard Cynthia Dupont (Coaticook, QC) had one of her best games of the season, scoring a timely 16 points that often arrived when the Ravens fell into an offensive rut and needed a jolt. Dupont shot 6-for-8 from the field a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point distance.
GAME FLOW:
After falling to Carleton at the Ravens’ Nest earlier in January, the Varsity Blues looked to reverse their fortunes on Friday night on home court. Toronto broke out to a quick 5-0 lead thanks to a three-pointer from Keyira Parkes and a smooth pull up jump shot from Dierdre Edwards. Fourth-year guard Nicole Gilmore (Hamilton, ON) got the Ravens on the board with a jumper of her own, but the Blues kept their foot on the gas and waged a 12-5 lead after Nada Radonjic stroked a three with 5:50 left in the first quarter. But Carleton gritted its teeth to trim the early deficit to 20-19 thanks to a turnaround jumper from guard Catherine Traer (Chelsea, QC) 10 seconds before the first quarter ended.
The Ravens came out in the second quarter looking to do away with their sluggish start. Carleton opened the frame on a 12-0 run in the first six and a half minutes of the frame courtesy a determined committee approach from Dupont, forward Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON) and Gilmore, who each posted eight points a piece by the half. The Ravens held the Blues to just three points the entire quarter to enter halftime up 30-23.
Fourth-year forward Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) was limited to just five points in the first half, but awoke in the third quarter to pour in 10 points. Leblanc opened the third with a deep three-pointer. The long-range strike sparked an impressive shooting display from the Ravens that saw Dupont hit another three, as well as back-to-back baseline jumpers from Alyssa Cerino (Stoney Creek, ON) to help Carleton build a 55-36 lead entering the fourth quarter.
The Varsity Blues faced a 19-point deficit heading into the final frame. Despite the uphill battle, Toronto began to claw their way back. A jumper by Emily Piccini cut the Ravens’ advantage to 18, before a three-pointer from Parkes two-minutes later trimmed the margin to just 12. With the lead beginning to evaporate, Carleton got back to basics. Point guard Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON) set Dupont up for a short push shot along the baseline and then Lindsay corralled an offensive rebound before kicking it back out to Traer for an elbow jumper to restore a 16-point lead.
Source: goravens.ca
Western 76 Algoma 58
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Fifth-year guard Mackenzie Puklicz scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Western Mustangs to a 76-58 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds on Friday evening at the George Leach Centre.
With the win, the Mustangs will improve to a 9-8 record on the season as they overtake the Laurier Golden Hawks for fourth place in the OUA West division as they continue to battle for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunderbirds' loss will drop them to 2-15 on the season as they sit in eighth place in the OUA West division.
Puklicz not only led the team in points, but dropped in seven rebounds, a game-high seven assists, and five steals on the night, producing on both ends of the floor.
Four other Mustangs scored in double-figures for the purple and white on the evening, as Laura Graham scored 10 points and wreaked havoc on the opposing offence with three steals and constant pressure. Julia Curran and Victoria Heine made the most of their height advantage over the Thunderbirds' defenders, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively. Guard Maddy Horst also had a stellar night, dropping 17 points in the win.
Algoma guard Jemerka Martin did her best to keep her team within reach for the majority of the game, scoring a team-high 17 points off the bench in the loss.
The Mustangs began the evening in a zone defence, daring a Thunderbirds team which has struggled from beyond the arc all season to beat them from three. However, after starting the game ice-cold from the field, Algoma found their rhythm from distance, knocking down shots and finding themselves with a lead midway through the quarter. Despite their success earlier in the quarter, the Thunderbirds would quickly come back down to earth while Graham and Puklicz sparked the Mustang offence to regain the lead for the purple and white as they headed into the second quarter with a 25-18 lead.
The Thunderbirds continued to find themselves with open looks to begin the second, but an inability to knock down shots consistently from deep would hinder the Algoma comeback. Western moved the ball with purpose throughout the quarter, forcing the Thunderbirds' defence to scramble and finding quality looks at the rim. However, Martin would keep her Algoma team afloat with her scoring effort, but a lack of consistency from the Thunderbirds would leave the Mustangs with a 40-27 lead heading into halftime.
Neither team was able to find any momentum to begin the third frame, as both Western and Algoma suffered sustained scoring droughts early in the second half. Algoma attempted to implement a full-court press midway through the frame, hoping to force turnovers and cut into the Western lead, but continued ball movement and good shot selection by the purple and white would allow them to break through the press and extend their lead to 53-41 heading into the fourth.
Western struggled to extend their point differential early in the fourth by allowing Algoma to grab offensive rebounds and earn easy baskets at the rim. However, the Mustangs would continue to score with ease on offence behind Horst's strong shooting. Western continued to find easy baskets by attacking the paint and simply dominating on the inside. Algoma, on the other hand, seemed to run out of gas on the offensive end, as the shots refused to drop while the dribble penetration remained at a minimum. The Mustangs continued to grow their point differential late in the fourth, as the purple and white walked away with a 76-58 win.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Lakehead 56 Windsor 67
The No. 9 Lancer women's basketball team had an incredibly tight match up Friday night against the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves. The Blue & Gold were able to make the proper adjustments throughout the game to come away with a 67-56 victory at the St. Denis Centre.
The Lancers hit the hardwood looking to keep pace in a tight OUA West division as they are just one game behind the division leading McMaster Marauders. Heading into the game, Lakehead's 12-4 record matched Windsor's as both squads were tied for second place in the OUA west. Now, Windsor is one game up on the Thunderwolves, heading into game two of the weekend series.
GAME STATS
Emily Prevost led all scorers on the night, pouring in 23 points in the Lancer win. Lakehead was led by Jerika Baldin who scored 12 points for the Thunderwolves.
Prevost also notched a double-double with 11 boards for the Blue & Gold. Lakehead's Leashja Grant also recorded a double-double, rebounding 12 shots while scoring 11 points.
The Thunderwolves had four players score in double digits, with Lily Gruber-Schulz, Jerika Baldin, Leashja Grant and Nikki Ylagan scoring at least 11 points.
Aside from Prevost only Carly Steer scored in double digits for the Lancers, netting 17 points.
GAME FLOW
The Lancers lead throughout most of the first quarter, riding Emily Prevost as she put up seven points in the first quarter to push Windsor out to a an early 18-13 lead. The Thunderwolves however, just as desperate for that second spot in the OUA West was not going away easy, constantly keeping the score within striking distance. The Thunderwolves' Jerika Baldin led the way for Lakehead scoring 10 points in the first half. In a highly competitive first half it was the Blue and Gold that found themselves up after the dust had settled; taking a 37-33 halftime lead into the locker room.
In the second half the Lancers turned to fourth year guard Carly Steer. After going through somewhat of a shooting slump in recent games, Steer made her presence felt in the third frame as she hit three straight shots from beyond the arc. Windsor paired their strong offensive play with some great defense, forcing the Thunderwolves to a 30 per cent shooting performance in the third quarter as the Lancers went into the final frame up 54-42. The Thunderwolves could not find an adjustment that worked in the second half as the game wore on and the Lancers were able to come out on top, 67-56.
Source: golancers.ca
Ottawa 62 Ryerson 58
Riding an eight-game win streak, the Gee-Gees entered a marquee matchup with the Ryerson Rams as one of the hottest teams in the OUA. After a solid effort from both teams, the Gee-Gees earned a 62-58 win at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Friday night.
In the first quarter, the teams both took some time to get their footing. A scary moment had fourth-year forward Jennifer Crowe go down with an injury, the team played unshaken, and were able to secure a two-point 16-14 lead after the first frame.
In the second, it was more back-and-forth between teams, with the Gee-Gees relying on the play of Amélie Hachey and Brooklynn McAlear-Fanus to keep battling with the host Rams. Going into the half, Ottawa held a slim 33-32 lead with Ryerson adjusting to play without star forward Sofia Paska.
A cold streak to start the third had the Rams take advantage and establish a small five-point lead. A thunderous 9-0 run through the middle of the frame established a Gee-Gees lead that they pushed to double-digits into the fourth quarter.
The Rams were able to get some offensive rhythm going late in the quarter, but some timely buckets were enough to put the game out of reach and secure the win for the Gee-Gees. Using a recipe that has guided the Gee-Gees’ win streak, a staunch defensive effort gave the team solid opportunities on offence.
Hachey led the team with 15 points and three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Angela Ribarich added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, while Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu and Maia Timmons finished with 11 each.
Source: geegees.ca
Laurier 62 Waterloo 58
WATERLOO, Ont (January 27, 2018) - Nicole Morrison became the third player in school history, and 15th player in OUA history, to reach 1300 points in a career on Friday night as the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks held off the Waterloo Warriors 62-58 at the Physical Activities Complex for their 19th straight victory over their cross-town rivals.
In what turned out to be one the closest matchups during the Hawks decade-long win streak against Waterloo, the game came down to the wire with the Warriors having a possession late with an opportunity to tie the game. Unfortunately for Waterloo, the black and gold failed to capitalize and struggled to get the ball inbounds, committing a five second turnover. From there, Morrison (Hamilton) was fouled and cemented the Golden Hawk victory by making a pair of free throws.
As has been the case all season long, Morrison was the catalyst offensively for Laurier. The fifth-year guard was the high-scorer for the game as she poured in 24 points, going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and 3-of-5 from three-point range.
Morrison has now scored 1307 points in her illustrious career, becoming only the fifteenth player in OUA history to reach the 1300-point plateau, joining former Golden Hawks Meghan McGrath and Renata Adamczyk as the only players in school history to accomplish the feat. Morrison is now only 64 points shy of the 1371 career points scored by the current Laurier record-holder Meghan McGrath, in addition to being only 50 points back of McGrath’s single-season scoring record of 425.
In one of their best shooting games of the season games of the season, the Hawks shot 38.5 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range. In addition to Morrison, Jill Condron of Oakville, Ont., with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Brianna Iannazzo of Thornhill, Ont., with 10 points and eight rebounds, provided offensive firepower for the Hawks. Second-year guard Rachel Woodburn also played a solid game, picking up six points, seven rebounds, and dishing out a team-high four assists.
For Waterloo, second-year guard Aphia Ward (Beaumont, Ont.) led the way 16 points, in large part courtesy of four made threes.
Also scoring in double-digits were Ann Stewart (Yellowknife, NWT.) and Sydney Wilson (Guelph, Ont.). Despite struggling from the field by converting on only two of 10 attempts, Stewart garnered a double-double as she scored eight points via the free-throw line, earning 12 for the game to go along with 13 rebounds. Wilson contributed with 11 points and a game-high five assists.
With the win, the Hawks improve to 9-9 and remain tied for fourth place in the OUA West division with the Western Mustangs on 18 points. The Warriors on the other hand, fall to a league-worst 1-16.
Source: laurierathletics.com
Laurentian 48 Queen’s 82
KINGSTON, Ont. (January 26, 2018) Extending their win streak to three, the No. 9 Queen's Gaels (14-3) took down the Laurentian Voyageurs (3-13) on home court 82-48 Friday night during a special #BellLetsTalk game.
With Bell Let's Talk Day around the corner, the Queen's Gaels hosted a #BellLetsTalk game day in support of mental health awareness. The stands in the ARC gym were swimming with fans and other Gaels varsity teams sporting blue Bell Let's Talk toques to show their support for the initiative. The game also featured more toque giveaways and peer health groups from the student wellness services who provided information about mental health resources available on campus.
Bell Let's Talk Day is on Wednesday, January 31, here is how you can donate:
- Text and talk: Every text message, mobile and long distance call made by Bell Canada, Bell Aliant
and, new this year, Bell MTS customers in Manitoba
- Twitter: Every tweet using #BellLetsTalk and Bell Let's Talk Day video view
- Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video and use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
- Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view
- Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk geofilter and video view
GAME FLOW
A slow start saw both sides exchange possession until Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont.) drove in for a layup to open the scoring. Good defence forced a Laurentian turnover with a 5-second violation that proved lethal when Sarah Saftich(Markham, Ont.) knocked down a baseline three-pointer coming down the court. Queen's continued to drive into the paint with back-to-back layups from Emma Ritcey (Orillia, Ont.) and Maddie Morris (Seeley's Bay, Ont.). Recording her 55th steal of the season, Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.) snatched a Laurentian ball for a quick counter that eventually brought Myriam Fontaine (Cornwall, Ont.) to the line. Up by seven points by the end of the first frame, the Gaels held the visiting Voyageurs to just eleven points with an 18-11 score.
Switching to a zone defence, the Voyageurs attempted to shut down the Gaels offence. Their attempts proved difficult however when Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.) picked up a strong offensive board to get the Gaels on the scoreboard in the second quarter. Five straight points from the Voyageurs Emily Tinnes closed the Gaels 10-point lead to eight at 29-20. Ritcey was quick to respond with a three to push the gap. Pushing forward on offence, Morris notched back-to-back threes from a baseline sweet spot. Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa, Ont.) put up a two in the closing seconds of the half for a 39-28 lead. Giving up a single turnover, the Gaels forced seven Laurentian turnovers during the second quarter.
Much like the first half, the Tricolour was first to record a score at the beginning of the third when Priamo knocked down a jumper. Hitting a pair of buckets, Alarie padded the Gaels lead. Rolling offensively, Lavergne and Ritcey added back-to-back scores for a Queen's 12-2 run, forcing a Voyageurs timeout. With momentum on their side, Sophie de Goede(Victoria, B.C.) put up two consecutively layups for a 24-point lead. With Laurentian's leading scorer L'Ashante Henry out injured midway through the third, the Gaels continued to break through the Voyageurs defence. Extending their lead from 11 points at the half to 26 points in the third, the Gaels headed into the final frame up 68-34 and held Laurentian to just six points.
Closing out the fourth quarter strong, the Queen's Gaels recorded 14 more points for an 82-48 victory to move to 14-3 on the season.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
January 27, 2018
McMaster 84 Guelph 67
Winning their eighth straight game, all in a red-hot month of January, the McMaster women's basketball team rolled past the Guelph Gryphons in an 84-67 triumph Saturday.
The U SPORTS sixth-ranked Marauders moved to 14-4 atop the OUA West standings, completing the fourth game of a six-game road swing. By comparison, the Gryphons fell to 8-10 on the season and sit sixth in the divisional standings.
Veterans Hilary Hanaka (Hamilton, ON) and Linnaea Harper (Newmarket, ON) both added another strong performance to their recent run of form, which has seen the combo average 17 points per game apiece on their recent road trip, which began in Windsor on January 17.
Hanaka finished the game with 26 points, shooting 63 per cent (10-16) from the field and adding four assists and three steals.
Harper contributed 21 points of her own while also coming up big in the defensive end of the court with five blocked shots.
The two squads had not matched up against one another since McMaster's home opener, a game which the Marauders won 70-61 on October 25, 2017.
Guelph managed to keep things close in the opening quarter of play before McMaster took off in the second, outscoring the Gryphons 19-10 in the quarter.
That marked the end of any serious challenge from the home side, as the Marauders kept the pressure on when play resumed in the third quarter.
McMaster's largest lead of the game came at the tail end of the third, as a Hanaka bucket extended the Marauders advantage to 62-45 over the Gryphons.
Closing the gap to nine points early in the fourth, the hosts looked poised to challenge. But it was as close as the Gryphons came, with the Marauders putting the game beyond reach late.
Source: marauders.ca
Laurentian 54 York 80
The York University Lions women's basketball team hosted its annual Shoot for the Cure game Saturday night where they took on the visiting Laurentian Voyageurs. The Lions hit double digits in the win column with a huge 80-54 victory.
The Lions wasted no time reminding the Voyageurs whose court they were on and raced ahead to a 14-point lead to finish the quarter 20-6.
In the second quarter, the Voyageurs were able to add more than triple the amount of points they earned in the first period, but this still paled in comparison to the Lions' additional 20 points, and the Lions went into halftime with a huge 40-19 lead.
The Lions showed no signs of slowing down in the third and fourth quarters. At the end of the third they were leading 64-33, and by the end of the game the Lions had opened up a 26-point lead.
Lindsay Shotbolt once again led the team with another double-double, putting up 22 points and 14 rebounds. Lauren Golding also had a big game, scoring 18 points.
On the Voyageurs' side, Emily Tinnes led in points with 13 and Andrea Zulich led in rebounds with seven.
The Lions are now 10-8 for the regular season and moved into a tie with the Ryerson Rams for fourth place in the OUA East Division. The Voyageurs fell to 3-14.
Source: yorkulions.ca
Ottawa 53 Toronto 62
The Varsity Blues women's basketball team came alive in the fourth quarter to pick up a big 62-53 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday night at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
It marked Toronto's first win over Ottawa since February 1, 2014. The Blues record improves to 6-12 and still hold the final playoff spot in the OUA East division, while the Gee-Gees step back to 12-6 on the season.
The Blues went up against a Top 3 defence in the province for the third straight game and it showed. The offence struggled to find their rhythm for three quarters, shooting under 26% from the field.
However, Toronto's defence kept the door open long enough for a possible comeback. The women shot 53.8 percent and outscored the Gee-Gees 25-9 in the fourth quarter.
Second-year guard Nada Radonjic drained a trio of three-pointers for a game-high 13 points in the win. Keyira Parks and Sarah Bennett registered 12 and 10 points, repetitively, with Bennett adding a team-high six boards.
Fifth-year guard Diedre Edwards tallied nine points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Ottawa's Angela Ribarich put up a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. Isabelle Dion and Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu tallied 10 points each in the loss.
Toronto relied on Bennett in the post and Radonjic from outside in the first quarter. The forwards combined to score 12 points to keep pace, only trailing Ottawa 19-17 after the opening 10 minutes.
Both teams, which are more known for their defence, maintained that reputation in the second quarter. Neither side shot over 18 percent from the field, as the only difference being Ottawa scoring two more points to extend their lead to 27-23 at halftime.
The Gee-Gees size inside continued to be a problem for the Blues in the third. The majority of the points Ottawa converted were in the paint, which added to the total of 36 points in the game. Toronto remained in striking distance though, heading into the final quarter down 44-37.
Then, the Blues offence went up a couple gears. They finished the game on a 20-5 run, with seven different players hitting the bottom of the net.
Source: varsityblues.ca
Nipissing 51 Queen’s 75
KINGSTON, Ont. (January 27, 2018) - The No. 9 Queen's Gaels (15-3) walked away with a dominant win over the Nipissing Lakers (2-15), on Shoot for the Cure Night at the ARC.
Members of the women's basketball team and Gaels community participated in a "Cuts for Cancer" hair donation during halftime of each the women's and men's game. To donate in support of Shoot for the Cure and Cuts for Cancer click here.
GAME FLOW
Gaels opened the game, firing on all cylinders. Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.) knocked down a reverse layup, followed by a triple by Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont.). The Gaels looked to play fast and drive to the basket with any opportunity they could get. Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa), who scored seven points in the first, found Sarah Saftich(Markham, Ont.) for a quick three-pointer giving the Gaels a big early lead. Both teams were passing well, and playing aggressively but the Gaels used their size and bullied their way into the paint, leaving the opening quarter with a 25-12 lead.
The focus for the Gaels in the second was, once again, to attack the paint. Early layups were scored by Priamo, Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.), and Myriam Fontaine (Cornwall, Ont.). The Tricolour were also playing excellent defence, not allowing a point by the Lakers for the first four minutes. The Lakers started to put together a scoring run, but the Gaels quickly gathered themselves and got back on the board with points by Maddie Morris (Seeley's Bay, Ont.) and Andriana Conti (Cornwall, Ont).
Lavergne started the second half by getting a big block, but the Lakers would still get the first points of the frame. Dixon, who leads the OUA in steals, racked up another one and took it all the way in for a layup. Both teams were a little sluggish, with constant turnovers and missed shots. The Gaels turned up the energy, with a full-court press on defence. The Lakers were still able to get down the court, but the Gaels got aggressive again and managed to get some free-throws and make layups, which kept their lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Gaels opened the fourth with a 7-0 run. The Tricolour capitalized on turnovers, and poor offensive possessions by the Lakers. With five minutes left, and Queen's leading by 20, the Gaels just took care of the basketball and walked away with the win.
The final score of the game was Queen's 75 and Nipissing 51.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Western 71 Algoma 65
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Fifth-year guard Mackenzie Puklicz put up her second thirty-point game of the year to lead the Western Mustangs women's basketball team to their second straight win over the Algoma Thunderbirds with a 71-65 victory on Saturday evening at the George Leach Centre.
With the win, the Mustangs will improve to 10-8 on the regular season and move into fourth place in the OUA West division, overtaking the Laurier Golden Hawks' 9-9 record. The Thunderbirds' loss will drop them to 2-16 on the season as they will remain in eighth place in the OUA West Division, narrowly sitting above the 1-16 Waterloo Warriors.
After a slow first half for both Puklicz and the rest of the Mustang roster, Puklicz put up 25 second-half points to go along with five rebounds and a pair of steals in the game to secure the Western victory.
Two other Mustangs scored in double figures for the purple and white in the win, as Julia Curran put up 15 points and a game-high 8 rebounds while Victoria Heine put up 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.
Karina Cole led the way for the Thunderbirds in a closely contested game, putting up 15 points and six rebounds on the evening, displaying an offensive exhibition in the post.
The Mustangs dominated the boards to start things off but were unable to convert following a string of early offensive rebounds. However, the Thunderbirds struggled just as much to find the bottom of the net in front of their home crowd as neither side had any offensive rhythm to begin the game. Foul trouble from the Algoma defence would allow the Mustangs to earn their points at the line as the purple and white built up a small lead, heading into the second quarter with a slim 15-11 lead.
Algoma would eventually find their footing on offence, knocking down four quick threes to shoot their way back into the game. The Mustangs tried to outrun the Thunderbirds by pushing the fast break, but solid interior and transition defence from Algoma would hold off the Western attack. Curran would be the key contributor throughout the quarter for the purple and white, keeping the Mustangs' offence afloat, but a scrappy effort from the Thunderbirds would give them the slim 33-29 lead heading into halftime.
Puklicz turned defence into offence to open the second half, cutting off passing lanes and producing early on the fast break to retake the lead for the Mustangs. However, the Thunderbirds refused to be shut down the way they were the previous night, as Algoma found success posting up and driving to the paint, earning themselves points at the rim. However, a respectable offensive showing in the quarter highlighted by crisp ball movement and 12 third-quarter points from Puklicz would give the Mustangs the 52-48 lead heading into the fourth.
Puklicz would continue her dominance into the final quarter of play, knocking down an early three in the frame and extending the Western lead. The threes kept flowing early in the fourth from the purple and white as the Mustangs quickly grew a two-point advantage into a 14-point lead midway through the frame. However, the game quickly turned into a shooting exhibition late in the fourth as Algoma started knocking down shots from distance to bring themselves back in the game. Fouls would once again plague the Thunderbirds down the stretch as they did in the first quarter, allowing Puklicz to seal the game with a series of clutch free throws, giving the Mustangs a 71-65 win in a closely contested ball game.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Lakehead 57 Windsor 72
The Windsor women's basketball team hit the court in all pink everything Saturday evening to bring awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research. Despite the different look, the Lancers were facing a familiar opponent in the Lakehead Thunderwolves, they beat for the second straight game with a score of 72-57.
With the weekend sweep over the Thunderwolves, the Lancers move ahead of Lakehead in the standings and are now tied for first place in the OUA west division with the McMaster Marauders.
GAME STATS
The Lancers Nyamuoch Teny and Lakehead's Leashja Grant led all players in points, each scoring 18 points for their respective benches.
Grant also recorded the game's only double-double with 12 rebounds to pair with her 18 points. Though she didn't record a double-double, Emily Prevost led the Lancers in rebounds with eight.
The Lancers defense had another strong outing on the hardwood. Windsor held Lakehead to 36 per cent shooting and only 25 per cent from three. The Lancers were held to 45.8 shooting from the field and 39 per cent from three.
GAME FLOW
The Lancers came out and pounced on their most immediate competition in the OUA playoff race. The Lancers defense put the Thunderwolves into a vice grip early on, allowing Lakehead to convert on only 24 per cent of their looks from the field. Led by Jordan Gutt, who was perfect from the field on four shots including three from deep. Carly Steer hit a pair of deep shots as well to help the Lancers 32-20 halftime lead.
In the second half the Lancers stuck to what was working for them in the first half, locking down the Lakehead offense and getting to their shots on offense. Teny led the way for the Lancers going four of nine from beyond the arc and dropping 18 points for the Lancers in the win. Behind a defense allowing just 36 per cent of Lakehead's shots drop, the Blue and Gold took this one in comfortable fashion, 72-57.
Source: golancers.ca
Carleton 55 Ryerson 43
TORONTO, ON – The Ravens were tested right up until the game’s final moments against the Rams, but Carleton was able to nurse a slim lead to walk away with a 55-43 win and ensure that their undefeated record remained unscathed.
Fifth-year forward Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON) had a quiet night on the offensive end of the floor, scoring nine points on 4-of-8 shooting, but she managed to haul in 16 rebounds while also blocking three shots and recording two steals.
GAME FLOW:
Baskets were hard to come by on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. A layup by guard Nicole Gilmore (Hamilton, ON) at the 5:26 mark gave Carleton a mere 5-4 lead. Three minutes later fifth-year Stephanie Carr (Stittsville, ON) hit a timely three-pointer to give the Ravens their largest lead at 13-6. A late-quarter finger roll by Cara Tiemens kept the Rams within striking distance at 15-10.
Forward Alyssa Cerino (Stoney Creek, ON) entered the game in the second quarter and looked to provide the Ravens with an offensive jolt. The crafty forward finished off a nice post move to open the scoring in the frame. It was the lone basket of the quarter until fourth-year Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) hit a pull up jump shot two minutes later. Tiemens cut the deficit back down to seven with a step-around layup in traffic, but guard Catherine Traer (Chelsea, QC) ensured that the Ravens entered the second half with a double-digit lead. Traer answered Tiemens’ layup with a three-pointer in the corner, before adding a layup of her own with 1:24 left to go in the quarter to help support a 29-17 lead for the Ravens heading into halftime.
Traer’s hot hand didn’t cool off to begin the third as she nailed another three thirty seconds into the half. Fifth-year Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON) joined the long-range effort a few minutes later with a three-point strike of her own. But the third quarter was Ryerson’s for the taking as they outscored Carleton 19-14. Leading the charge for the Rams were Tiemens and Marin Scotten. A turnaround jumper from Scotten with 50 seconds to go in the third was the last marker of the quarter and settled the score at 43-36 entering the final frame.
With the lead down to single digits, the Ravens were tasked with closing out a game that saw both teams struggle from field goal range. Leyki Sorra split a pair of free throws to cut the lead to six in the first minute of the fourth quarter, but the Rams were unable to edge any closer. A three-pointer by Abella courtesy a give-and-go with Traer pushed the lead to 50-37 with six minutes left to play. Emma Fraser nearly made things interesting with just under 90 seconds left when she hit a baseline jump shot to reduce the differential to eight, but Leblanc and Lindsay answered with two quick baskets to secure a 55-43 victory.
Source: goravens.ca
Waterloo 44 Brock 71
The Brock University women's basketball team rolled past the Waterloo Warrriors by the score of 71-44 Saturday night at the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
Waterloo held onto a 9-5 lead after one quarter. Brock rallied back in the second quarter putting together a 12-4 run to lead 29-24 at the half. In the third quarter, the Badgers offense continued to roll as they extended their lead to 14 points, 45-31, on route to their sixth victory of the regular season.
The Badgers had four players reach double figures led by the Baelie Campbell and Miranda Smith who registered 16 points each. Smith had the hot hand from long range going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Kristin Gallant added 13 points in her return to th Badgers lineup while Courtney Mcpherson contributed with 10 point and 11 rebounds for the double-double.
Ann Stewart led the Warriors scoring with 10 points.
For the game, Brock shot 37.7% (23-for-61) from the field, 6-for-14 (42.9%) from three-point range and 57.6% (19-for-33) from the charity stripe. Waterloo was held to just 15 baskets going 15-for-68 (22.1%) from the floor, 4-for-25 (16.0%) from long range and 10-for-22 (45.5%) from the free throw line.
Source: gobadgers.com