OUA Women's Basketball Roundup (Jan. 8)
January 3, 2018
Windsor 52 McMaster 64
The return of a star, and a consistent performance from the first to last whistle, saw the Marauders open 2018 in some style.
In her first appearance since being derailed by injury in November, Linnaea Harper posted a team high 16 points to lead McMaster (7-4) to a 64-52 win over the OUA West-leading Windsor Lancers (8-3) Wednesday at Burridge Gym.
The OUA All-Star hit 50 per cent of her shots from the floor, and added four assists in 30 minutes of action.
With the win, the Marauders took temporary control of second spot in the OUA West.
On a night characterized by balanced contributions on the McMaster side, four Marauders players entered double digits in points in the win, with Erin Burns (11), Olivia Wilson (11) and Sarah Gates (10) joining Harper.
Windsor's Emily Prevost was the night's leading scorer, racing out to a tally of 20 points in the first half of play before cooling in the second en route to a final total of 23.
But McMaster held their visitors to just 31 per cent from the field, and notched five blocks as a group.
Often within the striking distance of a one or two-basket deficit, the Lancers never led in Wednesday's contest. Indeed, Wilson's game-opening basket in the opening minute gave the Marauders a lead which was never completely erased.
Prevost's 20-point effort in the opening half helped the Lancers close to within three points of the Marauders at the halftime break, with everything left to play for at 34-31.
But as Windsor's offensive outlets dropped away in the second half, McMaster remained effective through multiple options, and their lead swelled to nine through three quarters of play.
The best chance of a comeback came with 3:30 to play, as the Lancers Jordan Gutt capped a strong stretch of play with a jumper to bring her team within five at 57-52, and the Marauders missed two looks at the other end.
But a pair of missed Windsor shots were punished by a make from Lexie Spadafora at the other end, effectively putting the game beyond reach.
Source: marauders.ca
January 5, 2018
Queen’s 68 Nipissing 24
NORTH BAY, Ont. (January 5, 2018) - The No 9 Queen's Gaels (10-1) picked up a win on the road, against the Nipissing Lakers (2-8), in their first game of 2018. The Gaels put in a dominant defensive performance as the Lakers scored only 24 compared to 68 for the Gaels and didn't hit double digits in points in any quarter.
GAME FLOW
Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont) opened the game with a huge block to set the tone for the rest of the night. She also got on the board by knocking down a 3-pointer, and the Gaels got out to an early lead. Queen's held Nipissing scoreless for nearly four minutes and managed to consistently score, going on a 14-0 run. Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont) showed some fast hands this quarter, racking up two steals and Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa) had the hot hand offensively, scoring 11 points. The first quarter ended with the Gaels leading 22-6.
The Gaels continued to pressure the Lakers defensively, only allowing nine points in the second. Their pressure kept Nipissing out of the paint and forced them to shoot tougher shots. The Gaels also slowed down offensively, missing layups and free-throws. Lavergne was the anchor on defence; she recorded a block and a steal this quarter, on top of three rebounds. The Gaels remained on top at the end of the 1st half, 32-15.
The Gaels looked much better, offensively, to open the third. They opened with an 8-0 run, with baskets coming from Priamo and Lavergne. Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.) recorded a steal, early in the third, and found Lavergne in the paint for the opening basket. It was Sophie de Goede (Victoria) who broke a scoring drought for the Gaels late in the frame, followed by Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont) knocking down a last-second shot to keep the Gaels at a comfortable lead. The Gaels continue to lead at the end of the third quarter, 46-18.
With a comfortable lead entering the final quarter, the Gaels held Nipissing to just six points in the fourth and walked away victorious.
The final score ended Queen's 68, Nipissing 24.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Ryerson 53 Carleton 60
OTTAWA, ON – It wasn’t pretty, but the Carleton Ravens overcame their shooting struggles to grind out a hard fought 60-53 victory over the Ryerson Rams at the Ravens’ Nest on Friday night.
Fifth-year forward Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON) scored 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field while also picking up nine rebounds to go along with three steals and three blocks in 29 minutes.
“We played well considering this is our first game back. It was a tough matchup on the inside but overall as the game went on we improved and did a better job. The offence will always come to us, but communicating defensively is a big part for us,” said forward Alyssa Cerino (Stoney Creek, ON).
GAME FLOW:
The Ravens were strong out of the gate, racing out a 6-0 lead thanks to four quick points from guard Nicole Gilmore (Hamilton, ON), who showed her versatility all night long by diving on the floor for loose balls and nabbing seven rebounds. A three-pointer by point guard Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON) extended the lead to 11-4, but Rams center Sofia Paska responded with four points of her own off a baseline jumper and a hook shot in the post to help Ryerson trim Carleton’s lead to 16-10 heading into the second quarter.
Gilmore continued her gritty play in the second by converting a tough and one layup in the lane while drawing a foul en route to converting an eventual three-point play two and a half minutes into the frame. Leyki Sorra nailed a three to reduce Ryerson’s deficit to 19-15 with 5:45 left in the first half, which Emma Fraser followed with a pair of free throws before a pull-up jump shot by Chloe Mago reduced Carleton’s lead to as little as 20-19. With the lead in early jeopardy, Carleton’s starters responded, with fifth-year guard Catherine Traer(Chelsea, QC) scoring four points in the final two minutes of the quarter to restore a 28-24 lead.
The third quarter was a testament to the notion that basketball is a game of runs. Holding onto a slim four-point lead, Carleton’s task in the second half was withstanding waves of scoring pushes from the Rams. Paska converted on two free throws to bring Ryerson to within 32-30 four minutes into the third quarter, but the Rams weren’t done yet. Cara Tiemens added to the comeback with a three to give Ryerson its first lead of the game. Sorra added a three-pointer from the corner minutes later to put the Rams ahead 38-34. But just as it seemed that Ryerson might break away, Carleton stormed back. Traer answered with a three of her own before freshman forward Emma Kiesekamp (Merrickville, ON) finished a timely passing play in the paint to put Carleton back up by one before Lindsay hit a short jumper to ensure the Ravens entered the final quarter leading 41-38.
The fourth quarter played host to four lead changes, with both teams vying to maintain their respective win streaks. Ryerson raced in front by as many as five points after Emma Fraser hit a turnaround jump shot to make the score 48-43, but Carleton showed resilience when put up against the ropes. Forward Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) sunk a three in response before Traer finished a transition layup to tie the game. Carleton closed the game on a 12-5 run to seal a 60-53 victory.
“On the offensive and defensive boards, we did a good job of cleaning up, but we talked and it could have been done a little better and we’ll work on that next time out,” Cerino said.
Source: goravens.ca
Toronto 44 Ottawa 61
In their first game since Dec. 2, the Gee-Gees women’s basketball team were effective on both ends of the floor earning a 61-44 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday.
First-year forward Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu led the Gee-Gees storm out of the gate, scoring the team’s first 10 points to start the game.
Throughout the first half, the Gee-Gees offence was strong enough to give them a solid lead, but it was their stifling defence that allowed them to only give up 16 points by the half.
In the second half, the Blues’ offence came alive, outscoring the Gee-Gees 18-12. The Ottawa offense was slightly quieter in the third frame, but big three-pointers from first-year point guard Maia Timmons guided the team into the final frame.
In the fourth, Lefebvre-Okankwu had a series of big finishes in the paint, setting a new career high with 29 points. Timmons was the only other Gee-Gee scoring in double-figures, as the fellow rookie finished with 13 points, 12 of which coming from three-pointers.
“We didn’t have games for a month, but we were training hard. If you’re not training, you can’t have games like this,” said Lefebvre-Okankwu. “Throughout practices this week, we were looking better. I’m really happy with how we’re starting to connect.”
Lefebvre-Okankwu leads the Gee-Gees in scoring with 13.5 per game, which ties her for 11th in the OUA. Despite her gifted athleticism, the star rookie attributes most of her success to her coaching staff and teammates.
“It’s a lot about practice, working on fundamentals, individuals with my coaches and my teammates are always there to push me,” said Lefebvre-Okankwu. “Sometimes people feel like being pushed is too much, but you need teammates to tell you when you’re doing something wrong. I love those teammates because they help me get better.”
With the play of Lefebvre-Okankwu and Timmons, Gee-Gees head coach Andy Sparks is optimistic that putting young players in tougher situations is paying off as the season develops.
“Brigitte is getting a lot more comfortable, and that’s what what we’re seeing now. The sky is the limit for her,” said Sparks. “I think Maia played great tonight too. It was two first-year kids that did a really nice job for us, so it was definitely a positive.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup with U SPORTS tenth-ranked Ryerson, the Gee-Gees are prepared for another exciting chapter in a rivalry between two powerful programs in the OUA.
“They’re not hugely different than us,” said Sparks as Ryerson similarly works with a new-look team. “It’s going to be a fun matchup, it’s a big game for us. I hope the girls continue to push for the next level.”
Tip-off against the Rams is set for 6 p.m. at Montpetit Hall. The game will be streamed live on OUA.tv.
Source: geegees.ca
Guelph 68 Lakehead 70
The Lakehead women’s basketball team (7-4) won 70-68 against the Guelph Gryphons (5-6) in a close ending tonight in the Thunderdome.
The Thunderwolves had a slower start this evening and struggled to get their systems moving that led to a 37-33 deficit after the first two quarters.
After trailing for the majority of the game, the Thunderwolves turned it around, pushing a 65-58 lead with four minutes left in the game. Lakehead outscored the Gryphons 18-14 in the fourth and in the end were able to hold them off for the win.
“We were very sluggish in the first half tonight. We also played frustrated and struggled to defend the ball. We came out with better energy and focus in the second half which allowed us to contain the ball and rebound the ball. I was extremely happy with how Nikki played tonight, we really needed her ‘boast’ offensively.” – Coach Jon Kreiner
Once again, Leashja Grant led all players with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Nikki Ylagan was also big for the Thunderwolves tonight with 19 points, hitting four three-pointers. Grant and Ylagan combined had 24 points of the Thunderwolves 33 by halftime.
The Thunderwolves take on Guelph again tomorrow in game two of the weekend double header at 6:00PM in the Thunderdome.
Source: thunderwolves.ca
Algoma 69 Waterloo 74
The New Year has been kind to the women's basketball program as the Warriors posted their second straight win of 2018.
After defeating Seneca College 75-52 two nights prior in exhibition action, the Warriors earned their first conference win of the year, topping Algoma 74-69 at the PAC on Friday night.
Afifa Salad (Cambridge/) was outstanding for the black and gold putting up a career high 22 points in 19 minutes of action. The second year guard went 9-for-11 with one three pointer and also enjoyed success at the line going 3-for-5.
Three other Warriors chipped in offensively as Aphia Ward (Beaumont/) (11 points), Hilary Ferguson (Cambridge/) (11 points) and Ann Stewart (Yellowknife/) (10 points) all hit double digits. Ferguson was also big on the boards leading the way with seven rebounds.
The Warriors played solid defensive basketball, forcing Algoma into 18 turnovers which the black and gold converted into 20 points.
The two teams will be back at it tonight at 6pm in the PAC. The game can be seen live on OUA.tv.
Source: athletics.uwaterloo.ca
York 65 Laurentian 40
The York University Lions women's basketball team got the 2018 portion of its schedule off to a strong start on Friday night with a dominant 65-40 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs at Ben Avery Gymnasium in Sudbury, Ont.
The game started out as a close affair as both teams tried to shake out the rust following a month-long break in December. Laurentian held the early lead at 14-13 after the first 10 minutes of play, but the Lions cruised in the second quarter and were even more effective in the third to blow the game wide open.
The Lions had their best offensive quarter in the second, putting up 19 points while also standing tall defensively to allow the Voyageurs only eight, and they led 32-22 at the half. The visitors were even more impressive after the break, holding Laurentian to just a pair of free throws and pouring in another 17 points for a commanding 49-24 lead.
The Voyageurs found their shooting stroke again in the fourth and kept pace with the Lions with 16 points apiece, but it was too late to make a dent in the final score. The win improved York's record to 5-6 on the season, while the Voyageurs dropped to 2-8.
Fifth-year forward Lindsay Shotbolt recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds, both team highs. Chante Clarke also had 13 points, while Lauren Golding recorded 10 rebounds.
Laurentian's leading scorer was Kayla Deschatelets with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Lions will remain in Northern Ontario for their next game, heading to North Bay, Ont., to face the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday night at 6pm.
Source: yorkulions.ca
Laurier 49 Western 69
LONDON, Ont. - Fifth-year forward Victoria Heine put up a game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds to help lead the Western Mustangs women's basketball team to a 69-49 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Friday evening in Alumni Hall.
"I thought the team executed the game well; we needed to keep close proximity to shooters, we needed to control their penetration, and secure the boards," said Mustangs head coach Brian Cheng. "We knew if we did that then we would stand a good chance of guarding them and controlling the tempo of the game."
With the win over the Golden Hawks, the Mustangs will move up to fourth place in the OUA West division with a 7-5 record. Laurier's loss will drop them to 6-5 on the season as they narrowly trail the Mustangs in fifth place in the OUA West.
Heine, who led the team on the offensive end throughout the night, put up a season high in points and tied her season high in rebounds in the win.
"Her effort was outstanding. That talent has always been within her, just like everyone else on our team. Victoria can see the light at the end of the tunnel, she's playing her last year out, and she's having her best preparation and practices. All of that shows. She's really been able to expose that talent and tonight we saw that," said Cheng on Heine's performance.
Three other Mustangs scored in double figures, as Julia Curran put up 11 points and six rebounds while Emma Johnson and Mackenzie Puklicz put up 13 and 17 points, respectively.
Both teams showed signs of rust to begin the opening frame following the break, as both sides struggled to get the lid off the basket through the opening minutes. Turnovers and fouls would hinder the offence for the purple and white, but strong defence on the other end would give the Mustangs the early advantage in a low-scoring quarter. Despite the slow start, Western would enter the second frame with a 13-6 advantage following a defensive effort which held Laurier shooters to 2-19 shooting in the quarter.
Despite the Mustangs' defensive fortitude to begin the game, the Golden Hawks began to find their offensive footing to begin the second quarter, beating the Western offence with their half court sets. However, the Mustangs would maintain their lead through the production of Puklicz, facilitating the ball with precision. Laurier's offence would cool off while Western began to catch fire from beyond the arc midway through the quarter with back to back threes, extending their lead to double figures. Johnson, the rookie, would spark the offence late in the frame with a pair of threes, giving Western the 32-18 lead.
Laurier would implement their full court press to begin the second half, but Western's guards made quick work of the press, leading to easy fast break baskets. The Golden Hawks' second unit offered much needed point production off the bench midway through the quarter, but a balanced scoring effort from the purple and white would disallow any sustained run by Laurier. Both teams would struggle to take care of the basketball to end the frame, but fifth-year Heine would continue to aid the offence with a scoring surge to help Western maintain the 48-35 advantage.
Turnovers would continue to be a theme throughout the final quarter of play, as the Western offence cooled to begin the frame. However, the defence, which led the Mustangs all night long, would continue to be the catalyst in building up the lead for the purple and white, as the advantage continued to grow. Heine would hit the dagger three for the Mustangs to put the game out of reach, extending the lead to 23 before ultimately earning the 66-43 victory.
"We just want to keep building on what we're doing and who we are. We were pretty good defensively to start the season, but as a young team we can have amnesia; we're inconsistent. We're making a big commitment to being consistent and today was the first test and we did well," said Cheng on his team's resolutions heading into the new year.
The Mustangs will be back in action this Friday, January 12 as they will host the Lakehead Thunderwolves in their first meeting of the season. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. and fans can catch the action live at OUA.tv.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
January 6, 2018
Brock 44 McMaster 75
The McMaster Marauders women's basketball team won their second game of the New Year in as many games when they took on the Brock Badgers at home Saturday afternoon.
By finding space in the offensive end, the Marauders shot 44 percent from the field to defeat the Badgers by a score of 75-44.
The two teams entered the game with mirrored records, as the 7-4 Marauders looked to further improve their standing in the OUA West Division, while the 4-7 Badgers were hoping to put an end to their three game losing skid.
In the first quarter, McMaster showed no hesitation to put their foot on the gas and they limited Brock to just four points.
Brock's biggest struggle over the course of the game was the inability to make the long-ball drop as they finished the game having gone 0-of-13 from three-point land.
McMaster, however, leaned on Julia Hanaka and Jelena Mamic for three-pointers, as they would combine to go four of seven from beyond the arc.
Mamic would be one of three Marauders players who tallied double-digit points on Saturday.
Going along with Mamic's 14 points, teammates Linnaea Harper would score 17, while Lexie Spadafora scored a team-leading 18 points in the victory.
Gristin Gallant led the Badgers in points having scored 14 off of four of ten from the field. Gallant would be dialled-in from the free throw line finishing the game shooting 75 percent.
Despite Gallant's performance from the foul line, the Badgers struggled as a team, only making 55.6 percent.
Meanwhile, the Marauders combined for 82 percent when shooting from the line.
With the victory, the Marauders improve their record to 8-4 while the Badgers drop their fourth straight and sit at 4-8 on the season.
Up next for McMaster is Waterloo, when they take to the road to face the struggling Warriors (1-10).
The game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10 with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
Source: marauders.ca
York 71 Nipissing 50
The York University Lions women's basketball team met the Nipissing Lakers at centre court in the Lions' second road game of the weekend in northern Ontario. The Lions had a big win over the Lakers, defeating them 71-50 for their second straight win.
Katrina Collins-Samuels, assisted by Lindsay Shotbolt, sank the Lions' first three points of the game and got the Lions off to an early lead. With three minutes to go in the first quarter, the Lakers suddenly tied the score and surpassed the Lions at 9-7. This lead was short-lived, however, as Haley Bowie made a three-point jump shot, bringing the score to 10-9 for the Lions. Bowie went on to add another two points, and the rest of the team prevented the Lakers from adding any more points. The frame finished 12-9 in favour of the Lions.
In the second, the Lions once again only outscored their opponent by three points, but it still helped them increase their lead to 27-21 at the half. Marla Corney sank a three-point shot for the Lakers early in the quarter, but the Lions came back with more ferocity to ensure the Lakers did not take the lead again.
Cyanna King restarted the scoring for the Lions, and from there they continued to keep their side of the scoreboard climbing.
The Lions continued to increase their lead in the third and fourth quarters, ultimately finishing the game 21 points ahead of the Lakers.
Shotbolt finished with another double-double, putting up a game-high 14 points and a remarkable 25 rebounds. She is one of only two players in the OUA averaging a double-double and ranks top five in both points and rebounds in the conference.
Collins-Samuels also put up 14 points. Bowie and Chante Clarke had 11 points each, and Lauren Golding scored 10.
On the Lakers' side, Jamie Soffer was the top scorer in earning 16 points. Marla Corney led the team in rebounds with six.
The Lions have now already surpassed last year's win total after improving their record to 6-6 on the season, and they sit tied with the Ottawa Gee-Gees for fourth place in the OUA East Division. The two squads will match-up in their next contest next Friday at 6pm at the Tait McKenzie Centre. The Lions will then take on the undefeated Carleton Ravens the following day at the same time.
Source: yorkulions.ca
Queen’s 90 Laurentian 58
SUDBURY, Ont. (January 6, 2018) - The No 9 Queen's Gaels (11-1) finished off the Laurentian Voyageurs 90-58 on Saturday night in Sudbury to sweep their northern Ontario road trip.
GAME FLOW
The Gaels opened the game with a strong offensive presence thanks to Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa, Ont) leading the charge but the Voyageurs were close on their tails through the entire first quarter. Laurentian was consistently quick to answer after the Gaels found the basket. The Voyageurs managed to tie it up late in the first, but an unlikely 3-pointer by Myriam Fontaine (Cornwall, Ont.) gave the Gaels the breathing room they needed. Queen's finished the 1st quarter with the lead, 24-20.
Both teams started off poorly offensively in the second frame. Lavergne got the first points of the quarter, off a pair of free-throws. Both teams continued to struggle offensively, but it was the Gaels who managed to pull away a little further. It was Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.) who gave the Gaels a double-digit lead, off a pair of free-throws. Queen's finished the 1st half with the lead once again, 38-29.
Lavergne opened the second half with a put-back layup. Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont), knocked down a big three early in the 3rd quarter, followed by another jumper. The Gaels continued to score throughout the third, with the help of the steady rebounding of Lavergne, Fontaine and Sophie de Goede (Victoria, B.C.). The Tricolour finished the third quarter with a big lead, 69-46.
Alarie opened up the fourth quarter with a big 3-pointer as she continued to put on a show in her hometown. The Gaels began to slow down on offence, once again, but the Voyageurs could not capitalize. Despite being able to control the offensive boards, the Voyageurs couldn't get good looks at the basket due to the stingy Queen's defence. De Goede picked up an impressive eight points in the fourth quarter, and the Gaels took a 90-58 victory.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Guelph 62 Lakehead 64
d the weekend sweep against the Guelph Gryphons (5-7) winning 64-62 tonight in the Thunderdome.
It was a close game from the beginning once again as Guelph had a small lead, 38-31, by halftime.
The Wolves came out in the third quarter, holding the Gryphons to only 8 points. Lakehead and Guelph continued to compete for the remainder of the game and the Wolves and Gryphons were tied 62-62 with 24 seconds left in the fourth.
Leashja Grant drove to the basket drawing the fouled and hit both free throws to seal the lead for the Wolves. Guelph had a last second shot to take the game, but was unable to sink it.
“Huge sweep for us. We’ve played in three close games that we’ve won so that is very positive for our mindset. Leashja was dominant today and we really needed her scoring. Rachel Webber was our X-Factor though on defense. She was superwoman out there reading the D and getting some huge steals for us,” said Coach Jon Kreiner after the game.
Leashja Grant had a monster game with 41 points, 16 rebounds, making it her twelve straight double double. Jerika Baldin contributed 10 assists and Rachel Webber was tough on defense with 5 steals.
The Wolves are sitting in a tie for second place in the OUA West alongside McMaster (8-4).
Lakehead is on the road next weekend as they take on Western on January 12th and 13th.
Source: thunderwolves.ca
Ryerson 61 Ottawa 66
In a thrilling clash between familiar foes, the Gee-Gees defeated Ryerson by a score of 66-61 at Montpetit Hall on Saturday night.
The U SPORTS tenth-ranked Ryerson Rams were aggressive to start the game, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead, before the Gee-Gees could respond. Back-to-back baskets for fifth-year guard Kellie Forand got her team on the board and stole momentum for the remainder of the first quarter.
Ottawa went into the second quarter holding a slim 17-15 lead, the Rams would respond to take the lead and hold it throughout the second frame. A final strong offensive push before half had the Rams holding a seven-point 33-26 lead.
A feverish third quarter saw both teams trading blows, a Gee-Gees run in the final minutes of the frame had them re-establish the lead on a timely mix of inside and outside scoring. An increase in defensive intensity stifled the Rams’ attack as the took a 50-46 lead into the final quarter.
The Gee-Gees kept the offensive pressure up through the first minutes of the fourth, establishing an eight-point lead, one they were unable to hold. Ryerson closed in through the middle of the quarter on some key transition opportunities to reclaim a narrow lead.
Just in time for the finish, the Gee-Gees found their rhythm on both ends of the floor, taking the lead and holding on for a signature victory.
“I’m going to put that as our best game this season,” said Gee-Gees head coach Andy Sparks. “We showed a lot of resilience and push back in that one. It looked like we were going to get knocked out of that a couple of times, but we really fought back hard.”
Second-year guard Amélie Hachey led the team with 14 points and 8 rebounds in a hot shooting performance. Jennifer Crowe, Maia Timmons, and Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu finished with 12, 11, and 10 points respectively.
“Any time we can get a win against those kind of teams it is awesome,” said Hachey. “We’re proving to everyone that we can win those games. We need to be more consistent, we’re young and have a lot of ups and downs, but tonight was a big up.”
Looking ahead, the Gee-Gees are on the road for games at York and U SPORTS ninth-ranked Queen’s on Jan. 12 and 13. Both games will be streaming live on OUA.tv.
Source: geegees.ca
Windsor 71 Laurier 60
Led by a 30-point performance by Emily Prevost the Lancer women's basketball team defeated the host Laurier Golden Hawks 71-60 Saturday night in Waterloo.
With the win, the Lancers retain their spot atop the OUA West standings with a 9-3 record while Laurier now sits at 6-6 and remains in fifth-place in the OUA West.
The Lancers shot the ball better in every category, making 25.9 percent of their three-point attempts, 34.2 percent of their shot attempts overall, and capped it off by shooting an impressive 92.3 percent from the free-throw line. Their efficiency was indicative of their style, focusing on floor spacing in an attempt to consistently put Prevost in positions in the low-block where she could be most-effective.
Prevost finished the game with 30 points and 12 rebounds, while Olivia Osamusali recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Source: golancers.ca
Algoma 50 Waterloo 45
The Waterloo Warriors split the weekend series against Algoma with a 50-45 loss to the Thunderbirds on Saturday night.
Both teams traded baskets in the first quarter, with four lead changes and either team leading by no more than 4 points. The Warriors led by a single point after 10 minutes of play on a late three by Aphia Ward (Beaumont/).
The Thunderbirds opened the second quarter with a 5-2 run. Later in the stanza, five straight points by Algoma's Kendra Cole extended the Thunderbirds' lead to 7 and forced a Warriors timeout. Algoma shot 46.2% in the quarter while holding the Warriors to only 17.6%. The Warriors trailed 28-21 at halftime.
In the second half, the Warriors went on a quick 7-2 run to close the deficit to 2 points. Ward scored another late three to give the Warriors a slim 2 point lead after 30 minutes. Algoma answered with a 7-2 run of their own to start the 4th quarter, capped off by a Marlee Ball mid-range jumper that forced a Warriors timeout with 3:17 remaining. It was all the momentum the Thunderbirds needed as they handed the Warriors a 50-45 loss.
Aphia Ward (Beaumont/) led all Warriors scorers with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Afifa Salad(Cambridge/) added 9 points. Ann Stewart (Yellowknife/) suffered an arm in the face with about a minute remaining in the first half, but returned to action late in the 3rd quarter to finish with 8 points in the contest. Algoma`s Marlee Ball led all scorers with 15 points.
The Warriors play their next game at home against the McMaster Marauders on January 10. Game time is 6:00 pm.
Source: athletics.uwaterloo.ca
Toronto 44 Carleton 66
OTTAWA, ON – A strong first half supplied enough of a lead for the Ravens to defeat the Varsity Blues 66-44 on Saturday night, but head coach Taffe Charles believes the team can reach a higher gear over the rest of the season.
“I just don’t think we’re at the level to compete where we want to consistently. We had moments of it where we had the right people competing with the right energy level and that’s where we got our lead,” Charles said.
Fourth-year forward Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) was a force on both ends of the floor, scoring 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting while racking up nine rebounds and blocking four shots in an effective 27 minutes of floor time.
“We’re assuming that people are just going to lay down for us and they’re not. We’re deep enough where we can find the right group and get things going, but I’m disappointed in terms of collectively people need to get the job they need to do done,” said Charles.
GAME FLOW:
The Varsity Blues arrived at the Ravens’ Nest looking to reverse their fortunes following a loss to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees the night prior. Sara Knowles made her first career start for Toronto and helped her team get out to a 6-5 lead with two quick three-pointers in the first three minutes of the game. Carleton’s starters answered the bell early as Nicole Gilmore (Hamilton, ON), Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON) and Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) each sunk a three over the rest of the quarter to help the Ravens enter the second quarter ahead 21-13.
Gilmore opened the second with a tough layup in the lane, which extended the lead to double digits before Toronto countered with a 5-0 run that was capped off by a three by Rahshida Atkinson that settled the score at 23-18. Cynthia Dupont (Coaticook, QC) halted the run with a smooth turnaround hook shot. Neither team scored for the next two and a half minutes until Dupont finished a layup with 3:44 left in the frame, which sparked a late push that saw Alyssa Cerino (Stoney Creek, ON) and Abella nail two three-pointers each as part of Carleton’s 41-23 halftime lead.
Carleton began the third with a large lead in hand, but the Ravens took their foot of the gas and allowed the Varsity Blues to outscore them 13-12 in the quarter. The Ravens turned the ball over just five times in the first half, but equalled that mark with an additional five turnovers in the third quarter. Forward Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON) converted on one of her patented post-moves midway through the third to score her 1000th U SPORTS point, which received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Ravens’ Nest.
The Ravens began the fourth quarter leading 53-36. Sensing a slight shift in momentum, Leblanc paced Carleton with two quick layups in the first 90 seconds of the fourth. The lead ballooned to as many as 26 points before the final buzzer sounded, announcing a 66-44 victory for the Ravens.
Source: goravens.ca