By the Numbers: Rising ranks, precise performances, and amazing award-winners
November 27, 2018

By the Numbers: Rising ranks, precise performances, and amazing award-winners

84 – Kassidy Nauboris has had a knack for finding the scoresheet since she started suiting up for the UOIT Ridgebacks and thanks to her game-winning goal and assist in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Laurier, the conference’s leading scorer now sits second all-time amongst the Ridgebacks’ point-getters. Nauboris passed Sarah Worthington’s 83 career points in the process, completing the feat in just 106 games. She now trails only Jill Morillo, who finished her UOIT career with 111 points.

44 – What a weekend it was for the OUA Male Athlete of the Week, as Ali Sow powered his Golden Hawks to a pair of wins. The No. 9 squad has seen terrific contributions from their second-year guard, but perhaps no performance was more electrifying than his 44-point output in Laurier’s 108-103 overtime win against Nipissing. The total set the school’s modern-day scoring record, breaking the previous mark set by Max Allin against Guelph in 2013.

34-20 – It was a championship clash to say the least, as the country’s two best football programs went head-to-head for the second straight year with a Vanier Cup on the line. While Western bested the Laval Rouge et Or a year ago, the repeat was not in the cards on the RSEQ champions’ home turf, as the Mustangs fell 34-20 in the 54th edition of the U SPORTS finale.

26 – York basketball player Gianmarco Luciani led the Lions to a dramatic 112-104 triple overtime victory over the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday night. Starting his first game of the season after missing five with an injury and coming off the bench in the last two games, Luciani was phenomenal playing 40 minutes and leading the team with 26 points and ten rebounds. Luciani gave the Lions a chance to win the game by hitting a game-tying three-pointer as time wound down in regulation to send the game into overtime. He also sank an unbelievable shot from his own free throw line at the end of the first overtime which would have given the Lions the win, but the officials ruled it was released just after the buzzer.

19 – Both the Varsity Blues men and women’s swimmers tasted victory over the weekend at the Fairweather divisional championships, as each Toronto squad claimed gold at home. While the men’s side captured 11 of the 19 races over the course of the competition, the Blues women made it a clean sweep by winning all 19 of their races to finish with 1,214 points. Leading the Blues women was rookie standout Ainsley McMurray, who won the 50 butterfly (27.14), 100 freestyle (54.52) and 200 freestyle (1:59.90). Four other Blues won two races over the two-day meet, five scored singe race victories, and they captured all three relays over the division championships.

16 – Before the final game of the season took place, this season’s gridiron greats were celebrated at the annual U SPORTS All-Canadian Gala. All in all, the OUA was well-represented on the evening, as a trio of Western Mustangs captured major awards and 16 players earned All-Canadian honours, including nine on the first team. Among those selected were the conference’s top rusher, Cedric Joseph and top receiver, Tyler Ternowski.   

8 – Kelsey McHolm was outstanding this weekend in helping the York Lions to two overtime wins, a stretch that included two massive goals against the Lakers. The talented forward is now ranked third in the OUA with eight goals on the season, thanks in large part to her potent play over the last seven games (five goals), which already marks a new career high, surpassing the seven that she scored last year.

4 – Veronica Diretrich was one of the anchors for a Guelph team that took top spot at the DeBray Divisional Championships held at Laurentian this weekend. Dietrich produced one of the best performances of her collegiate career as she took first place in four individual free events, the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m. She was also part of the Gryphons foursome that finished second in the 200m free relay, just 0.34 seconds behind first-place Laurentian.

0.443 – First year phenom Xander Ketrzynski led the Ryerson Rams to a pair of victories on the final weekend of the fall schedule. On Friday night, Ketrzynski was nearly unstoppable as the Rams rallied for a come-from-behind 3-2 win over York, thanks in large part to the rookie’s 29 kills, which came just one shy of a Ryerson single-game record. Just as impressive, he made just two attacking errors all night, for a 0.443 hitting percentage on 61 attacks.