OUA Women's Basketball Roundup (Nov. 27)
November 24, 2017
Waterloo 43 Ryerson 79
It was yet another successful contest for the Ryerson Rams on Friday, as they defeated the Waterloo Warriors 79-43, extending their winning streak to four games in the process.
The stands of the Coca-Cola Court in the Mattamy Athletic Centre were packed on Friday afternoon, but with an unsual group of spectators. While said spectators were still students, they were of the elementary variety, as today’s school-day game brought in over nine-hundred excited school children to the Mattamy to watch the Rams take on the visiting Warriors.
While the Rams dominated the first half of the game, the pace of play that the home team exhibited ebbed and flowed between the first and second quarter. The first ten minutes of play were dominated by the Rams on both ends of the court, as they outscored the Warriors 25-10. Offensively, the Rams were able to take advantage of a weaker baseline Waterloo defensive effort, as forwards and guards alike were able to penetrate the paint to capitalize on some easier points. Additionally, the Rams were putting on a clinic beyond the three-point line, connecting on seventy-five percent of attempts throughout the first quarter. All this combined with the fact that the Rams were able to stop the majority of Waterloo offensive plays before they even passed the half-court line, and it is no surprise that the Rams were able to gather an early double-digit lead.
In comparison to the first quarter, however, the Rams playing style seemed to have waned in the second as the Warriors were able to keep the Rams at bay. While the half did conclude with a seventeen-point lead for the Rams, it could have been significantly worse had the Rams kept their composure. Sloppier passing on the offensive end, and a lackluster effort in the acquisition of defensive rebounds lead to more opportunities for the Warriors than they anticipated. While the offensive connectivity of the Rams was maintained, the end result was only the ability to outscore the Warriors by two points throughout the quarter.
Of note in the first half was the performance of Rams forward Leyki Sorra (Toronto, Ont.) who connected on all field-goal, three-point, and free-throw attempts throughout the quarter to finish the first half at the top of the score sheet with ten points, a career-high for her.
In contrast to the first half of play, the final two quarters of the contest were dominated by Ryerson right from the get go. The Rams outscored the Warriors 39-20 in the final two quarters of play, and consistently managed the pace-of-play on the court, almost dictating where Waterloo players were permitted to go on their offensive drives. All of this combined to give the Rams a telling 79-43 win, as they improve their record to 5-2 and force the Warriors to carry on with the season 0-8.
In acquiring this victory, several key players had stellar performances during the game, contributing both offensively and defensively throughout the contest. One player’s performance to note was that of Tiemens, who acquired ten points, seven rebounds, and three assists on the afternoon.
“I was kind of struggling in the first half, but I just had to change my mindset in the second and focus on my shot,” stated Tiemens.
Source: ryersonrams.ca
Algoma 54 Nipissing 56
The game came down to the wire and despite being a young team, the Nipissing Lakers women's basketball team played like they had a tonne of experience.
In a last second play, thanks to a free-throw, the Lakers came away the win, topping the Algoma Thunderbirds 56-54 Friday night in North Bay.
The Lakers had an abundance of energy as they braved the court. Their energy levels only excelled as Nipissing found their range from beyond the arc.
The Thunderbirds came in quietly and soon took the lead. Algoma had a five point, 19-14 advantage after the first quarter, but Nipissing decided they weren't going to get any further and tied the score up 19-19 early in the second.
Soon enough the stands were cheering as Nipissing showed some incredible ball movement and grabbed a 28-21 lead in the second.
Algoma pushed back late in the first half and cut into the lead, but the Lakers headed to the dressing room up31-27.
As the game continued points were scored evenly back and forth between both teams. Nipissing remained energetic all throughout and it helped them keep their lead, building up a 44-38 advantage as the third quarter came to a close.
The final quarter of this game would be one for the team to remember as Algoma caught up in the final minutes, overcoming the Lakers and holding a 52-50 lead late.
Tensions grew as the score tied back up at 52-52.
The Thunderbirds scored another basket to once again take the lead, but Nipissing was not going to give this game away and came back in tying up the score yet again.
With 0.8 left on the clock, Natalie Martinez put up a three, only to be fouled and head to the charity strip. shot a 3.
She sunk two of the three and pushed the Lakers to a two point lead and they held off one last Thudnerbirds chances to claim the win.
Jamie Soffer led the way offensively with 13 points off the bench, while Natalie Martinez and Maeve Therriault added 12 for the Lakers.
Source: nulakers.ca
Guelph 66 Laurentian 57
SUDBURY – The future looks bright for the Guelph Gryphons women's basketball team. But the present appears to be pretty good, as well. The young Gryphons took a big step forward with a gritty 66-57 road win over the Laurentian Voyageurs at the Ben. F. Avery Gymnasium in Sudbury Friday night.
Rookie guards Skyla Minaker and Burke Bechard lead Guelph's scorers with 22 and 14 points respectively, helping the team hit the .500 mark at 4-4. Bechard also paced all Gryphons with 9 rebounds and 5 steals, while guard Megan Brenkel chipped in 10 points.
Guelph was without injured veterans Haley Belyk and Sarah Holmes but the whole roster stepped up, particularly the two first-year backcourt players.
"Sky and Burke really set the standard," said head coach Mark Walton. "Sky plays her best when the situation dictates and Burke does too. They're cast from the same dye."
The Gryphons were in a dogfight in the third quarter and had just relinquished the lead for the first time in the game after Laurentian's Emily Tinnes hit a three-pointer for a 39-36 Voyageurs' lead. That's when Minaker went to work. She hit two consecutive shots from long range to retake the lead at 42-39 and after Bechard made a free throw, Minaker nailed another three to push the lead to nine points. The Sarnia, ON native then hit a jumper to beat the third-quarter buzzer and when Ivana Vujadinovic made a layup five second into the fourth quarter, Guelph had just manufactured the decisive 14-0 run.
Laurentian battled back to get with five points a couple times in the fourth quarter but the Gryphons had an answer for each mini run. At 50-45, veteran forward Quincy Sickles-Jarvis hit a big three-pointer to stretch the lead back to eight points. And then at 55-50, Minaker drove hard and finished with her left hand to fend off the Voyageurs again. Laurentian got very close at 57-54 but Bechard made a layup with 1:44 left that gave the Gryphons some breathing room befor closing it out.
"We came in here knowing that Laurentian is a team that can outwork you," said Walton. "When we outworked them, that's when we made our runs. It was smart basketball.
"Sky made the right decisions to shoot in that third quarter. She's difficult to stop."
Guelph started the game red-hot and built a 15-8 lead at the 6:09 mark of the first quarter when Minaker knocked down a free throw. But the visitors cooled off and ended the quarter up 19-14 before starting off slow in the second. The Gryphons went almost five minutes without a point before Ashley Wheeler hit the team's first three-pointer of the night to make 22-16. Laurentian hung around for the rest of the quarter and trailed by two at the half, as Guelph clung to a 31-29 lead.
The Gryphons shot 39.4 per cent (26-for-66) from the floor but made five three-pointers and hit 11 of 13 free throws.
"We're not very sharp offensively," Walton said. "We're not executing well, which is frustrating. But our D is there every night."
Source: gryphons.ca
Windsor 51 Queen’s 71
KINGSTON, Ont. (November 24, 2017) - The Queen's Gaels (6-1) came away with a big 71-51 win at home against the No.5 nationally-ranked Windsor Lancers (5-2). Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont.) was the hot shooter for Queen's with 23 points while the defence held Windsor to just 30.8% shooting from the floor.
GAME FLOW
Emma Ritcey (Orillia, Ont.) scored the first basket for the Gaels, off a beautiful floater. The Lancers were resilient in their defence early in the opening quarter, not allowing anything easy for the Gaels. Alarie found a crease in the defence and snuck in for an and-one opportunity. Sophie De Goede (Victoria, B.C.) looked to be all over the glass, racking up two rebounds in the first and scoring off her offensive rebound. After a Windsor timeout, the Lancers looked rejuvenated and hit a big 3-pointer. De Goede, would halt the run of the Lancers, adding two more points. Windsor got another triple and a layup to go making it an 8-0 run late in the first. The Gaels would not allow the Lancers to gather any more momentum, as Alarie and Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.) knocked down a shot each. Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa) got one more layup to go to close the quarter, as the Gaels finished it holding the lead, 20-14.
Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.) opened the quarter with a layup and was also playing some impressive defence on the other end. Windsor looked to have ample opportunity to score, but could not capitalize. Myriam Fontaine (Cornwall, Ont.) forced the Lancers into a timeout, after her put-back layup. The Gaels came out of the timeout with an impressive trap-defence, forcing the 8-second violation. Fontaine got on the board again, from a dish by Sarah Saftich (Markham, Ont). The Gaels finished the 1st half leading 38-24.
Priamo opened the 2nd half stuffing the paint and forcing a three-second violation. Windsor looked like it found its footing again, scoring two quick baskets early in the quarter but Alarie had the hot hand tonight, scoring a tough mid-range jumper to put the Gaels comfortably in front. Windsor was able to cut the lead to single digits however after a big three-pointer by Nyamouch Teny. Teny came up big again, with a mid-range jumper, to force Queen's to take a timeout. The Gaels still held the lead to end the third quarter, with a score of 50-43.
Ritcey knocked down a three-pointer of her own to open the final quarter for the Gaels. The Tricolour responded to the late quarter attack by the Lancers, with stronger defence, not allowing any points early in the fourth. With six minutes left, the Gaels were on a 10-0 run, and what looked to be a comeback for the Lancers, was now looking less probable. Alarie added two more points, making it a 12-0 run with five minutes remaining. The result was Queen's coming away with a big victory as the final score for the night was Queen's 71 and Windsor 51.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Western 73 York 67
TORONTO, Ont. - Fifth-year guard Mackenzie Pukliczscored a game-high 29 points to help carry the Western Mustangs to an incredible comeback against the York Lions on Friday evening. The win against the Lions snapped a three-game losing streak for the purple and white, as they will look to carry this momentum into the rest of the season.
Puklicz, who is leading the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game, did it all for the Mustangs on Friday, adding five rebounds and five assists in her highest-scoring performance of the year.
Two other Mustangs scored in double-figures for the purple and white in the win, as guard Maddy Horstdropped 18 points on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while forward Julia Curran notched 13 points, six assists, and five rebounds on the night.
The Lions came out of the gate with a full-court press to begin the game, forcing the Mustangs into three early turnovers and keeping the Western offence from finding any momentum. However, Western would quickly respond, as Horst and Puklicz would each knock down a pair of threes to help the purple and white get back into the game and retake a slim lead. Both teams would continue to turn the ball over with regularity to end the quarter, as the Lions went into the second frame with a 15-14 lead.
York's offence began to find success in the second quarter, slowing down the pace and succeeding in the half-court setting. The assists would continue to pile up for the Lions throughout the quarter, but it was a different story for the majority of the frame for the Mustangs, as Western failed to score a basket until midway through the second quarter.
The turnovers continued to add up late in the second for the purple and white, hindering their offence and opening up a 13-point York lead late in the half. Despite shooting 6-9 from beyond the arc, Western's 13 first-half turnovers would be too much to overcome in the frame, as the Mustangs went into halftime facing a 25-34 deficit.
The Western defence would lock down to begin the second half, helping them to cut into the York lead and get themselves back into the game with strong energy on the perimeter. Curran quickly emerged as the cornerstone for the Mustangs' offence in the third quarter, facilitating the ball to teammates and creating open shots. However, the scoring from York's Lindsay Shotbolt started to heat up near the end of the frame, while the Lions' full-court press continued to force the Mustangs into a bevy of turnovers. Strong defensive coverage coupled with an enormous rebounding advantage would see the York Lions head into the fourth with a 46-56 advantage.
The Lions' defence picked up right where they left off to start the final quarter of play, trapping the Mustangs' ball-handlers and not allowing the them to move the ball effectively. However, Western's resilience would be rewarded late in the fourth, as a string of offensive rebounds and a strong defensive run would bring the purple and white within five points with just minutes remaining on the clock.
York would put themselves in foul-trouble late in the quarter, allowing Western to climb back in the game while preserving time on the clock. Clutch fourth-quarter efforts from Puklicz and Horst would keep the Mustangs within striking distance, until a string of four turnovers within the final two minutes of play, alongside a timely three pointer from Puklicz, would ultimately give the Mustangs a 73-67 victory.
With the win, the Mustangs will improve to 4-4 on the season, snapping a three-game losing streak and moving into fifth place in the OUA West division. The Lions' loss will put an end to their three-game winning streak, as they also sit at 4-4 on the season and remain in fourth place in the OUA East division.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Carleton 80 Lakehead 67
THUNDER BAY, ON – The Carleton Ravens found themselves up 23-9 after the first quarter in what appeared to be a potential blowout victory, only to fend off multiple comeback attempts from the Lakehead Thunderwolves in what proved to be an entertaining back-and-forth affair.
The Ravens held on for an 80-67 win and improved to 8-0 on the season.
Fifth-year point guard Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON) scored 10 points while also dishing out seven assists, collecting three rebounds and grabbing a steal in 26 minutes of action.
GAME FLOW:
Carleton set the tone early by opening the game on an 8-2 run, which was punctuated by a three-pointer by fourth-year guard Nicole Gilmore (Hamilton, ON). Lakehead cut the lead to 8-7 after Leashja Grant completed an and-1 at the free throw line after scoring a layup in traffic. Carleton responded by going on a 14-2 run that saw the Ravens enter the second quarter leading 23-9.
The Ravens continued to pile onto their double-digit lead early in the second. Guard Steph Carr (Stittsville, ON) nailed a deep three to put Carleton up 33-15 three minutes into the frame. But Lakehead wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. Two threes by Bridget O’Reilly and a last-second turnaround jumper by Nikki Ylagan cut Carleton’s lead to just 40-34 at the half.
With the Thunderwolves hot on their heels, the Ravens came out in the second half determined to avoid giving up their lead entirely. Both teams traded buckets throughout a tightly contested third quarter until a fast-break layup by fourth-year forward Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) and a corner three-pointer by guard Catherine Traer (Chelsea, QC) put Carleton ahead 53-42. Ylagan answered with a three of her own before the end of the quarter to reduce the Ravens’ lead at the end of the third to 59-50.
Gilmore and third-year point guard Alexandra Trivieri (St. Catharines, ON) hit back-to-back threes to help Carleton race ahead in the final frame. The Ravens’ lead fluttered around the 10-point threshold throughout the rest of the quarter before Leblanc took matters into her own hands and scored six straight points in the final 90 seconds to close out an 80-67 victory.
Source: goravens.ca
Laurier 69 Toronto 67
TORONTO (Saturday, November 25) - On Friday night at the Goldring Centre in downtown Toronto, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women’s basketball team rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to edge out the Toronto Varsity Blues 69-67.
Trailing 39-31 at the break, the Hawks flipped the switch in the second part of the game, producing several clutch performances down the stretch as they outscored the Blues 38-28 in the second-half.
Veteran guard Nicole Morrison (Hamilton) led the way for Laurier as she produced 20 points, five rebounds and three assists. Sarah Dillon (Welland, Ont.) had a season-high 14 points, while Jill Condron (Oakville, Ont.) added 12. For the third consecutive game, Irena Rynkiewicz (Mississauga, Ont.) rebounded in the double-digits. This time, the Mississauga native led the team with 11 boards, in addition to scoring five points.
For Toronto, the pair of sharpshooter Keyira Parkes (Scarborough, Ont.) and front-court player Sarah Bennett (Toronto, Ont.) proved to be difficult to stop. Parkes led the way with 18 points, while Bennett picked up a double-double with a career-best 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Hawks had a successful day from the field, shooting 37.3 percent overall and 33.3 percent from behind the arc. In comparison, the Blues shot 29.4 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from the three-point line.
Source: laurierathletics.com
McMaster 70 Brock 61
The McMaster women's basketball team grabbed an early lead, gave it up, and then rallied over the final two quarters to defeat the Brock Badgers 70-61 Friday night in St. Catharines.
The Marauders looked to be well in control after an opening quarter that saw them outscore the home team 21-10.
But playing in front of their own fans saw the Badgers claw back in the second quarter. McMaster only scored five points, and Brock closed with a run that saw the teams tied at 26-26 heading to intermission.
The third quarter saw McMaster get back on track and the Maroon won the quarter 19-12 to carry a 45-38 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
In the fourth quarter the Marauders got off to a quick start and bumped the lead up to 65-50 with under three minutes to go. Sarah Gates made a couple of big shots to help McMaster grow the lead. A couple of late threes from Brock's Ana Caldeira got the Badgers within nine points but no closer.
Gates was the top Mac shooter with 17 for the game, while also grabbing 12 rebounds for the double-double. Jelena Mamic dropped 16, Olivia Wilson added 14, and Julia Hanaka chipped in 10 for McMaster. Caldeira led the Badgers with 17.
Source: marauders.ca
November 25, 2017
Laurier 59 Ryerson 72
TORONTO – The Rams were able to secure their fifth-win in a row on Saturday evening, and in dominating-fashion, as they bested the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks 72-59 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Coming into this game, the Golden Hawks were hot off of a big win against Queen’s, and senior guard Nicole Morrison (Hamilton, Ont.) seemed virtually unstoppable. However, the Rams had an answer for all of this, and they were sufficiently prepared right from the get go.
Throughout the first half, the Rams seemed to follow through on these keys to success. Right from the start of the game, the Rams were more aggressive in both an offensive and defensive manner, when compared to previous contests. Additionally, the combined height, and power, of the Rams all-star Sofia Paska (Etobicoke, Ont.) was something that Golden Hawks couldn’t find an answer for, as Paska would complete the first half with a double-double of eighteen points and eleven rebounds. Of note, as well, was the performance of freshman guard Marin Scotten (Ottawa, Ont.) who provided six points and six rebounds of her own to provide yet more trouble for the Laurier baseline. The Rams would go on to outscore the Golden Hawks 41-23 throughout the first half.
The big question going into Saturday’s game however, was whether or not the Rams would be able to slow down the advances of Laurier guard Nicole Morrison (Hamilton, Ont.), who single-handedly dropped 37 points in the Golden Hawks 72-70 win over the Queen’s Gaels on November 18. During the first half of play, it seemed as though the Rams had bolstered their perimeter defense to a such a degree that Morrison’s advances were halted before they could begin.
In comparison to the first half of play, which saw the Rams dictate the pace of play, the home team's effort was inconsistent throughout the final two quarters of play. During the third quarter of play, it seemed as though the Rams had become flat-footed on defense as the Golden Hawks, and in particular Morrison, were easily able to traverse around Ryerson defenders that were seemingly affixed to the floorboards. Throughout the third-quarter, the Golden Hawks would go on to outscore the Rams 17-10.
This damage could have been much worse, however, if it had not been the efforts of key Rams players. In particular for the third quarter, were the efforts of Katherine Follis (Toronto, Ont.) would contributed both offensively and defensively in a vitally important fashion, grabbing rebounds and putting up desperately needed points throughout.
Moving into the final 10 minutes of play, the Rams had reacquired the pace of play that they had established in the first half of the contest. Paska continued to impress in the fourth quarter, dropping 11 points and grabbing four rebounds to end the night with 15 rebounds and a career-high 29 points. The fourth-year forward is also just four points shy of 1,000 career points as a Ram.
Additionally, the contributions of the Rams starting guards, such as Cara Tiemens (Newmarket, Ont.) and Jama Bin-Edwards (Toronto, Ont.), proved to be invaluable as they would go on to combine for sixteen points and twelve rebounds throughout the contest.
Source: ryersonrams.ca
Western 68 Queen’s 71
KINGSTON, Ont. (November 25, 2017) - The Queen's Gaels (7-1) came away with a narrow victory over the Western Mustangs (4-5) on home court Saturday night.
GAME FLOW
Dropping 23 points the night before against the Lancers, Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont) stayed hot for the Gaels, dropping the first basket for Queen's. Coming into Tricolour territory, the Mustangs were ready for battle, responding with a deep 3-pointer.
Pushing back, Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa, Ont) found Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont) down low for a layup. Emma Rictey (Orillia, Ont). showed off her fast hands, getting a steal and taking it back to the other end for 2-more, forcing the Mustangs to use a timeout early.
The game was close throughout the first, as both teams played tight defense. Abby Dixon (North Vancouver B.C.) also got her hands dirty with a steal that she took in transition for a layup.
Late in the first quarter, the Gaels were beginning to run away with the game as the offense started to click. Explosive down the court, Dixon was smooth as ever clinching a baseline layup to give the Gaels a comfortable 24-16 lead entering the second frame.
Marianne Alarie looked as if her scoring streak would carry over from the previous night, as she nailed a pair of three's to open the second quarter action. The Mustangs kept the score close, cutting the deficit to just four with a layup.
Impressive offensive play saw the purple make an 8-0 run with just two minutes remaining. Free-throws by Alarie put the game back at a stalemate, with the score tied up at 36-36 going into halftime.
Alarie was quick to set the tone again in the third, opening the scoring for the Gaels with a baseline floater. Western retaliated with a 3-pointer and added another jump-shot.
A threat down low, Lavergne found the basket off the dish from rookie Sophie de Goede (Victoria, B.C.). Halfway through the quarter, the Mustangs picked up a steal and took it in for a layup to make it an 11-point game in favour of the visitors. Coming out of the timeout, Sarah Safitch (Markham, Ont.) sunk a big 3-pointer followed by another three off the hands of Alarie.
Coming off the bench, de Goede made her presence knwon, clinching tough rebounds and finding her teammates. Off a steal in the paint, de Goede found Alarie for a long outlet pass that led to a layup score. Battling hard to cut the margin, the Tricolour trailed 51-56 entering the last frame.
Emma Ritcey opened the final quarter with a big block in a 3-on-1 situation to prevent a fast-break layup. Both teams played tight defense and were scoreless during the first three minutes of the quarter.
Western would break the dry spell with a 3-point play. Lavergne got on the board as well, with a put-back layup. de Goede added 2-more with a floater in the key.
Rolling offensivley, Queen's managed to close the gap to a 3-point game with four minutes remaining. A Ritcey free-throw and jumper leveled the score, followed by another score from Alarie to give the Gaels the lead.
A late 3-pointer by the Mustangs would made it a 1-point game, but Alarie would retaliate once again with her own three off the backboard. Disciplined defense and relentless rebounding kept the Mustangs at bay late in the game. With ten seconds remaining, de Goede sank a fade-away jumper to seal the deal for Gaels with a 71-68 victory.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Waterloo 39 Toronto 66
Holding their opponents to just 24 percent shooting from the field, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team picked up an impressive 66-39 win over the visiting Waterloo Warriors on Saturday night (Nov. 25) at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
With the win, the Blue and White improve to 3-5 on the season, moving into a tie for fifth in the OUA East. The Warriors remain winless on the season with their record dropping to 0-9.
The Varsity Blues defence was on point from the opening quarter, holding the Warriors to just one field goal made in the opening frame. In addition, Toronto nearly duplicated the feat in the third with Waterloo going 3-for-19 from the field after the half as the Blues outscored them 20-7 in the quarter. The Blues also thrived on Waterloo turnovers, outscoring the visitors 29-6 on turnovers on the night.
Fifth-year guard Rahshida Atkinson led the way for U of T offensively, scoring a game-high 18 points on an efficient 7-for-11 from the field. Her impressive night also saw her pull in six rebounds, while adding two steals.
Also showcasing an effective night from the field was dynamic forward Nada Radonjic who ended the night 5-for-6 shooting for 12 points. Radonjic also led all players with five steals.
Four more Blues scored six or more points in the strong team victory with Sara Knowles leading the way on the boards with a game-high seven rebounds.
Breanna Hudspeth led the way for the Warriors scoring a team-high nine points in 17 minutes of action.
Source: varsityblues.ca
Windsor 88 York 69
The Lancer women's basketball team rebounded from a loss on Friday night, to easily defeat the York Lions 88-69 Saturday in Toronto.
With the win, the Lancers are now 6-2 on the season and in a three way tie for first place in the OUA west division.
GAME STATS
Olivia Osamusali recorded the game's only double-double, pairing her 13 rebounds with 10 points.
York's Lindsay Sotbolt led all scorers with 24 points for the Lions. The Blue and Gold were paced by Carly Steer and her 20 points.
The Lancers put forth a dominating effort on the glass, pulling down 40 rebounds while York could only secure 21 boards.
GAME FLOW
The Lancers came out of the gate strong and built a 14-point lead in the first quarter. Led by guard Carly Steer's 11 first half points, the Lancers looked like they were on their way to a pretty safe halftime lead. The Lions had slightly different plans, however, and began to carve into the Lancer lead. Led by Katrina Collins-Samuels nine points, the Lions began to fight their way back into the game. Despite the Lions late surge the Lancers were able to take a lead into halftime, 35-31.
In the second half the Lancers got back to the basketball that gave them a big lead in the early going. In the second half the Lancers relied on Emily Prevost who scored 14 points in the final twenty minutes for the Lancers. Though Prevost led the Lancers, the Windsor offense was working well as a whole, hitting on almost 60 per cent of their shots. The Lions offense put a respectable 46 per cent shooting but could not cool down the red hot Lancers, who went on to win 88-69.
Source: golancers.ca
Ottawa 60 Lakehead 72
The Lakehead women’s basketball team (6-2) took down the Ottawa Gee-Gees (3-5) tonight at the Thunderdome in a 72-60 victory.
The Wolves and Gee-Gees started the quarter in an exciting back and forth game. The Gee-Gees gained some momentum and turned a 14 point swing making it 22-10 at the end of first quarter.
Lakehead pulled it together in the last 5 minutes of the second to bring it within 4 at half (34-30).
The Thunderwolves continued their aggressive play, going on a 12 point run in first few minutes of the third to take back the lead, 42-34 but the Gee-Gees quickly brought it back to a 3 point game. Tiffany Reynolds hit a quick jumper at the buzzer to put the Wolves up 54-48 at the end the third.
Lakehead went on another run at the beginning of the fourth that put them up 60-48 and maintained their lead until the end of the game, winning 72-60.
Leashja Grant was huge in the paint with 25 points, 15 rebounds.
Today’s win bumps the Wolves back in to first place in the OUA West in a tie with McMaster and Windsor.
Source: thunderwolves.ca
Algoma 37 Laurentian 70
It was an exciting night at the Ben Avery for the Voyageurs women's basketball team, who were able to capture their second win of the season against the Algoma Thunderbirds.
Though the teams went back and forth for the majority of the first half, the third quarter was an entirely different ball game. The Voyageurs have traditionally struggled in the latter half of their games, but this was not the case tonight as they outscored the Thunderbirds 28-6 in the third. Holding their own in the last quarter of the game, Laurentian ultimately closed out the match squashing the Thunderbirds with an end score of 70-37.
A key contribution in the game came from veteran point guard Emily Tinnes. Tinnes had 4 assists and 25 points in the game, shooting an impressive 6-8 from beyond the arc. Another notable stat for the seasoned player was her 5 steals as Tinnes currently sits at the number one spot for steals in the league. Andrea Zulich was the second leading scorer for the Voyageurs adding 11 points, currently her season high.
For the team as a whole free throw shooting was a strong point compared to their opponents, connecting on 76.2% of their attempts from the charity stripe compared to the Thunderbirds' 46.7% success rate.
Top scorers for the Thunderbirds were Karina Cole and Sydney Resch, both with 10 points.
Source: luvoyageurs.com
Guelph 71 Nipissing 44
NORTH BAY – The Guelph Gryphons women's basketball team took its lumps in a trying 2016/17 season. But a program in need of a culture change is showing that the current roster wants to forget about the past. Guelph rode a dominant third quarter to a lopsided 71-44 defeat of the Nipissing Lakers in North Bay Saturday night.
The win improves the Gryphons' record to 5-4, equaling the total number of victories the team had in 19 OUA games last year. Head coach Mark Walton stressed the importance of work and having fun before the season got underway – and the young Guelph team has obviously embraced the message. The Gryphons won for the third straight time, including back-to-back victories this weekend on the Northern swing in Sudbury and North Bay.
"It's something we haven't done in a while," Walton said of the modest streak. "We were talking about it. The attitude in the locker room is so positive right now.
"Tonight was a glimpse of what this team will eventually become."
Walton was referring to the Gryphons' monster third quarter, in which they outscored Nipissing 25-4. Guelph began passing the ball well to beat the Lakers' zone and with rookie guard Burke Bechardorchestrating the offence, the Gryphons opened the second half on a 12-2 run and ultimately built a massive 30-point lead. The coach was thrilled with the response and suggested it was evidence of his players' buy-in.
Veteran forward Ashley Wheeler led the way hitting 8 of 12 shots from the floor for a game-high 18 points. Bechard filled the stat sheet again with 15 points, 7 rebound and 6 assists. Megan Brenkel chipped in 13 points, hitting 2 of her 3 attempts from long range, while rookie point guard Skyla Minaker scored 11 points, with 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals, and just a single turnover. Minaker got a break after the sharp performance with Bechard taking over in the third.
The rookie combo has been problematic for opponents. Minaker is smooth at the point, creating shots for herself and others. Bechard not only scores, rebounds, distributes and defends, Walton said she does many things that don't even appear on the stat sheet like a key deflection or forcing a travel.
"They are complementing the veterans so well right now," the coach said of the two first-year guards.
The Gryphons had a good shooting night, making 43.9 per cent of their field goal attempts, with a hearty 22 assists. Guelph also forced 23 turnovers and scored 33 points off those Nipissing miscues.
Wheeler was the catalyst late in the second quarter, scoring a couple straight baskets, including a layup at the buzzer, to give the Gryphons a 32-23 lead heading into halftime. Guelph blew the game wide open in the third, running away from the Lakers, who just couldn't keep pace with the aggressive visitors and their intense defensive effort.
"Our trap is giving teams fits," said Walton. "It creates so many opportunities for us. They are really starting to figure it out.
"We're learning how to win," he added. "If you're up 12, it's not good enough, you have to be up 15. And if it's 15, why not 20? They are really beginning to understand the process."
Source: gryphons.ca