WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: A pair of wins helps Queen's climb to top spot in the OUA East

Friday, February 7
 
Ryerson 74 @ Algoma 31

The Algoma Thunderbirds kicked-off Cancer Awareness Weekend, proudly sponsored by the Alumni Council, tonight at the George Leach Centre, with their second meeting against the Ryerson Rams.
 
The Rams drew the first blood, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Algoma's female student-athlete of the month and points leader for the squad, Sydney Resch, retaliated with a successful shot beyond the arc, closing the gap to 4-3. Ryerson applied full court pressure, and went on a 9 point run. Algoma tightened up their 2-3 zone defense, but offensively failed to drive the ball inside.  The Rams took advantage of Algoma's poor passing, pulling ahead to 18-7 going into the second quarter. The Thunderbirds came back in the second quarter with increased aggressiveness, but struggled to keep pace with the Rams, trailing 38-20. Sitting only 4 on their bench, versus Ryerson's 8, Algoma tired quickly in the second half, only chipping into the deficit by 5 points. Ryerson opened the final quarter with increased intensity, leading, 59-25.  The Rams ran past the Thunderbirds 74-31.  Algoma fell to 0-19 while Ryerson improved to 7-12.
 
Algoma shot only 24.4 percent from the field, and was led by Captain Karissa Kajorinne who notched 10 points in their losing effort.  The Rams shot an impressive 44.3 percent and were led by Dayna Gechkova's 18 points.
 
Veteran Thunderbird player Amanda Orr was also honoured in a special Senior's Night celebration.

Source: Algoma Sports Info

 
 
Toronto 71 @ Laurentian 56

The Laurentian women’s basketball team was back in action on Friday night, taking on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at the Ben Avery Gym. With only 4 games left in the season, each game is crucial for the Voyageurs, as they are currently sitting on the outside of the playoff spots looking in. The Blues came in with a record of 9-9, and were firmly entrenched in playoff position. Despite coming back strong in the third quarter, the Voyageurs were unable to clinch the win, falling to the Blues 71-56.
 
The Blues came out on fire, scoring at will on Laurentian on route to an 11-2 run to start the game. The Voyageurs used a timeout to gather themselves and fought back against the Blues, cutting the lead to 20-15 after the first quarter. The Voyageurs continued to play with the Blues, but the Blues were aided by a 7 points possession by Jill Stratton, who had a spectacular 26 points at the half. The Blues also held a sizable 41-26 lead after 20 minutes of action.
 
After the break, the Voyageurs came out with a new focus and a renewed sense of urgency. The team focused on defending Stratton and this frustrated the 4th year guard. With the scrappy defense and some timely steals, the Voyageurs were able to bring the game within 7 points, 47-40. However, a timely 4 point play by UofT helped them weather the storm from the Voyageurs as they held a 55-42 lead after three. In the fourth the Voyageurs tried to close the gap, but the Blues hit some timely threes and were able to keep the Voyageurs at bay. The final score ended up being 71-56, UofT getting the win and moving above .500. The Voyageurs were led by Emma Decloe, who scored 14 points, Devenae Bryce had 13 and Adrienne Moreau also chipped in with 12.
 
Despite the loss, the Voyageurs playoff hopes still remain alive, although it will take wins in all three remaining games and some help for them to get in. Tomorrow night’s game against the Ryerson Rams is a must win though, as coming into Friday the Rams held the final playoff spot with a record of 6-12. They did however lose to the Voyageurs, so if the Voyageurs were able to win again they would have the all-important tiebreaker over the Rams.

Source: Laurentian Sports Info
 

 
Carleton 61 @ York 50

The first-place Carleton Ravens defeated the York University Lions women's basketball team by a score of 61-50 on Friday night (Feb. 7) at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
The win keeps the Ravens in top spot in the OUA East Division with a 14-5 record on the season, while the Lions slipped to 7-12 with the loss and continue to hold down the fifth spot.
 
The two teams played a tightly-contested, low-scoring first quarter as they traded buckets back and forth. Neither team built a lead that was greater than three points, and the Ravens held a slim 15-14 advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play.
 
Carleton opened the scoring in the second, but the Lions scores the next three buckets to take the biggest early lead of the contest as 22-17. The two squads again traded baskets until the Ravens made three consecutive jump shots to take a 33-24 lead into the half.
 
A strong third quarter by the host Lions cut the deficit to just four points – 45-41 – at the end of three, but the Lions were unable to get any closer as the Ravens had a strong fourth quarter to put the game away.
 
Carleton's Elizabeth Roach (Ottawa) had a big game with 18 points to lead all players, and she also added eight rebounds and five assists.
 
The Lions were led in scoring by Kayla Pangos (Holland Landing, Ont.) and Nadia Qahwash (Kitchener, Ont.), who finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Shauney Fischer (Wallaceburg, Ont.) led all Lions with eight rebounds.
 
Source: York Sports Info

 
 
Ottawa 47 @ Queen’s 51

KINGSTON Ont. (February 7, 2014) - Liz Boag's (Kingston, Ont.) 23 points powered the Gaels over the Ottawa Gee-Gees 51-47 in a matchup between the two teams tied for second in the OUA East on Friday evening at the ARC.
 
Boag kept Queen's in the game through the first half, with 16 of the Gaels 23 points midway through the match. Queen's enjoyed a one-point lead at halftime, but had the tables turned entering the final frame, with Ottawa up by one with 10 minutes to play. Jenny Wright (Kingston, Ont) came alive in the second half for the Gaels, scoring 15 of her 17 points in the latter half of the game.
 
Boag and Wright led the Gaels two-pronged attack, while the other Queen's players struggled offensively. Robyn Pearson (Toronto) had a team-high eight rebounds, fouling out in the game's final minutes.
 
Ottawa's Maddie Stephen was a force around the net, picking up a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Source: Queen's Sports Info
 


Lakehead 65 @ Laurier 75

WATERLOO, Ont. (February 7, 2014) - The No. 9 Wilfird Laurier women's basketball team hosted the Lakehead Thunderwolves for the first of a two game series at home on Friday night. Coming off of a convincing win against the Brock Badgers, the Hawks continued their divisional dominance as they downed the Thunderwolves in a 75-65 final.

Laurier was led by a well-rounded offensive outing as four different players passed the double-digit marker in points. Laura Doyle of Guelph, Ont., and Kimberley Yeldon of Ottawa, earned 14 points apiece, while Kaitlyn Schenk of Kitchener, Ont., and Bree Chaput of Guelph, Ont., each earned 12 points on the night.

Jylisa Williams of Atlanta, Ga., carried the Thunderwolves with 22 points and 15 rebounds to complete the double-double in a losing effort. 

The Hawks found themselves trailing by eight after the first quarter but their offence exploded in the second, putting up 28 points to regain the lead at half. 

The second half was defined by stellar defensive play by the purple and gold, holding Lakehead to less than 30 points in the half to secure the win.

With the victory, the Hawks match the school record for regular season wins, notching their 15th of the year with three games remaining in their schedule.
 
Source: Laurier Sports Info

 
 
 
Saturday, February 8
 
Western 78 @ Waterloo 55

Madison Behr (Ancaster/Dundas Dynamo) put up 18 points but it wasn't enough as the Warriors fell to the Western Mustangs 78-55 on Saturday afternoon as part of Fantastic Alumni Day at the PAC.
 
Behr was once again on fire going 7-for-16 from the field with four buckets from beyond the arc.  The fourth year guard now has 55 points (18-19-18) in her last three games and has found her stride with the black and gold.
 
Ally Vonk (Burlington) and Elizabeth Holmes (Welland) provided the rest of the offence with eight points each.
 
For Western it was Jenny Vaughan who caused fits for the Warrior defence with 22 points on her seven field goals.  She also knocked down eight from the free throw line.
 
The Warriors will play their final home game of the season on Wednesday when they take on the Windsor Lancers at 6pm in the PAC.

Source: Waterloo Sports Info 
 

 
Guelph 59 @ Brock 75

ST CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock University women's basketball team (11-9 OUA West) clinched a spot in the OUA playoffs with a 75-59 victory against the Guelph Gryphons (7-13 OUA West) on Saturday afternoon inside the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
 
Brock got their offense rolling in the first quarter and kept the pressure up on defense to outscore the Gryphons 21-9 after 10 minutes.
 
The opening quarter was the big difference maker in the end. Guelph held tough for the remainder of the game, but it was the Badgers defense that kept the Gryphons from making any comebacks to give Brock a 75-59 win.
 
The Badgers had four players finish in double figures led by Nicole Rosenkranz with 20 points and 11 rebounds for the double double. Kayla Santilli and Dayna Howlett both had 11 points, while Katie Harpur finished with 10.
 
Katherine MacTavish, Erin Tilley and Marlee Freeman led the way for the Gryphons chipping in 16, 13, and 11 points respectively.
 
As a team, the Badgers shot 41.0% (25-61) from the field, 29.4% (5-17) from three-point territory, and 62.5% (20-32) from the charity stripe. Guelph shot 29.6% (16-54) from the field, 28.6% (4-14) from beyond the arc, and 76.7% (23-30) from the free throw line.
 
The Badgers will take on the Western Mustangs (14-5 OUA West) at home on Wednesday, February 12th with the game set to tip off at 6pm inside the Bob Davis Gymnasium.

Source: Brock Sports Info

 
 
McMaster 51 @ Windsor 80

WINDSOR, Ont. - The #1 ranked Lancer women's basketball team earned their eighteenth straight victory on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 80-51 win over the McMaster Marauders.
 
Jessica Clemencon earned a game high 24 points, and was followed closely by fellow fifth year athlete, Miah-Marie Langlois who earned 21 points in the win, as the Lancers continue to hold top spot in the OUA west division.
 
Korissa Williams hit 16 points in the win, while Clemencon also had a team high 8 rebounds. Hailey Milligan had the games only double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Marauders (11-9) who sit fourth in the division heading into the final week of the regular season.
 
The women shot 44.6% from the floor and outrebounded the Marauders 44-34 while tallying 20 points off of the visitor's turnovers. Windsor also tallied 21 assists compared to 11 from McMaster.
 
The women held their opponent to a 33.9% efficiency from the floor and only allowed two three-piners throughout the contest. The Windsor defence also limited the Marauders to single digits in the first quarter of play with six.
 
The Lancers will look to continue their hot streak on Tuesday evening when they host the Western Mustangs at the St. Denis Centre. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. and the game will be available live at goLancers.tv. Prior to the game, the Lancers will honour their two graduating seniors Clemencon and Langlois.

Source: Windsor Sports Info

 
 
Ryerson 71 @ Laurentian 61

The Laurentian women’s basketball team played their final home game of the season at the Ben Avery on Saturday night as they took on the Ryerson Rams. The Rams came into the game with a three game lead on the Voyageurs for the final playoff spot in the OUA East. With a win the Rams would clinch the final playoff berth, while the Voyageurs needed to win all three of their remaining games in order to qualify for the playoffs. The game was also senior night for two of the Voyageurs as Emma Decloe and Krysten Patrick took the floor for the final time.
 
The Voyageurs started out fast, outscoring the Rams early and jumping out to a 14-6 lead. The team was led by two threes by Adrienne Moreau. The Rams battled back in the quarter however and by the end of the first Laurentian was clinging to a 14-13 lead. The Rams continued their strong defensive presence in the second quarter, and took over the lead from the Voyageurs. The Voyageurs struggled with turnovers in the quarter and found themselves trailing at the half 32-24 Ryerson at the end of the half.
 
The Voyageurs came out with a focus on the post in the second half, led by Decloe in her final game. The Rams were focused on claiming their place in playoffs however, and opened the lead to 15 points heading into the 4th. In the fourth the Voyageurs make a stand, and managed to bring the game within 10. But the Rams would not give in, as they held on for the 71-61 win. The win clinched the final playoff spot for the Ryerson Rams, while the Voyageurs will not be in the playoffs. Despite the loss, Decloe made the most of her final home game, scoring a game high 28 points. The Voyageurs fought extremely hard to try and make the playoffs, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. Despite that the Voyageurs still have 2 games remaining, a road trip to Ottawa to take on Carleton and Ottawa U. The Voyageurs will take this opportunity to test themselves against two playoff teams including a Carleton team they pushed to the limit in Sudbury. With most of the team returning, it is a chance for the Voyageurs to test themselves and play spoiler against the strong Ottawa teams.
 
Source: Laurentian Sports Info


 
Toronto 69 @ Algoma 43

The Algoma Thunderbirds basketball teams donned new pink jerseys tonight at the George Leach Centre in the annual CIS Shoot for a Cure, part of the Algoma University's Cancer Awareness Weekend, proudly sponsored by the Alumni Council.
 
In their last OUA home game of the season, the Thunderbirds women suffered a 69-43 loss to the Toronto Varsity Blues.  The Blues drew first blood, jumping out to a 12-0 lead after three shots from beyond the arc.  Algoma came back, driving the ball to the post and taking advantage of open lanes, but Toronto opened the second quarter with a 10 point advantage. Algoma increased their aggressiveness and held their own, chipping into the deficit.  The Thunderbirds moved the ball, taking advantage of Toronto's passing woes and shot clock violations, getting within 7 of the Varsity Blues. Foul trouble by the Thunderbirds allowed Toronto to increase the gap to 15 going into the half.  With increased intensity in the third, Toronto stopped the attack of Algoma and penetrated their defence, pulling away by 24 going into the final quarter. With added full-court pressure in the final 10 minutes, Toronto ran past the Thunderbirds.  Algoma remains winless at 0-20 while Toronto improves to 11-9.
 
The Thunderbirds shot 34.1 percent from the field and were led by Laura Meadows with 9 points in their losing effort.  Rachel Sider led the Varsity Blues with 18, followed by Alicia VanKampen with 15.
 
"Tonight's Shoot for a Cure event was a huge success," said women's Assistant Coach and creator of the Cancer Awareness Weekend event. Pat Murray.  "I'm really proud to see the Thunderbirds teams, the University, our fans, and the local community coming together for such a worthy cause. It's even better to see the event growing each year and becoming more successful."
 
At half-time Varsity Sports Coordinator Rachel Johnson cut and donated her hair to Locks of Love.  The event raised well over $3,500 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Source: Algoma Sports Info

 
 
Ottawa 51 @ York 60

The York University Lions women's basketball team won an emotional game on Saturday (Feb. 8), outlasting a tough Ottawa Gee-Gees team, to earn a 60-51 victory in-front of a packed crowd at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
The win was the Lions first over the Gee-Gees since January of 2008.
 
Searching for a playoff spot, the important win advances York to 8-12 on the year, which is good enough for fifth place in the OUA East, while the Gee-Gees hold down the third spot.
 
Prior to tip-off, Lions Head Coach Bill Pangos delivered a touching and heart-felt ceremony in commemoration of the three graduating players from York's squad this year. Among those honoured was daughter, and fifth-year guard,Kayla Pangos (Holland Landing, Ont.), whom received his teary eyed address in-kind.
 
Joining Pangos in the spotlight in-front of a crowd filled with family and friends were fellow guard Nadia Qahwash(Kitchener, Ont.), and forward Llyandra Kerr (Markham, Ont.), two invaluable pieces of York's offensive attack. And the three would deliver on the night as well, with Pangos finishing with an impressive, game high 17 points, along with one rebound and one steal. While Kerr and Qahwash followed closely behind with 12 and nine points respectively. Together, they accumulated for over 57 percent of the Lions offensive production, and helped earn the important victory.
 
All of this accumulated into an absolutely electric atmosphere in the gymnasium as the trio took the court hand-in-hand for the first quarter.
 
With emotion still running rampant, Courtney Osborne (Markham, Ont.) opened the scoring via two free throws after drawing the foul on a hard drive to the rim. Kerr was also on point early, draining two more baskets to accelerate York to an 8-2 advantage.
 
Feeding off of the energy, Pangos kept the ball rolling offensively, including a nifty hesitation lay-up to help extend the Lions lead to 22-9 by the end of the first quarter.
 
Opening the second, Ottawa's Maddy Stephen (Toronto) nailed a big three point shot, hoping to motivate her teammates. The gesture resonated, as the Gee-Gees began to settle down a bit in the quarter and recover from the emotional first frame by limiting York's penetration to the basket and looking for easy jumpers in the offensive key. Ottawa began to slowly inch back into the game as a result, narrowing their deficit to eight points; 27-19.
 
A timeout regrouped York's focus however, and they closed out the half with the game still in control, 35-22.
 
The Gee-Gees benefited from the intermission, as the lull in action saw the Lions energy decrease slightly. Taking advantage, Ottawa would open the second half with six straight points to stun the home crowd. Pangos snapped the streak though with another nice lay-up, keeping York in the lead. And an Emma Thompson (London, Ont.) three-point shot reignited the fans to restore the Lions confidence.
 
Qahwash helped to refocus the Lions late in the quarter, able to see the court with excellent vision and find Kerr for an easy jumper. Pangos closed out the frame, adding to York's 49-35 advantage with another nice jump shot.
 
In the final quarter, points were hard to come by with the pressure of a tight game reflecting in a more defensive style of play. But the Lions were still ahead, 51-39, with five minutes remaining in the contest.
 
A couple Gee-Gee shots from beyond the arc breathed new life into the visiting team though, inching them within three points and forcing a York timeout. With the surge, the final seconds of the game had the entire crowd on the edge of their seats, as the teams exchanged buckets in-between strategic timeouts.
 
All three graduating players were clutch down the stretch for York, as Kerr, Qahwash, and Pangos, each added key points with less than a minute left to play. And their efforts ultimately earned a standing ovation as the buzzer sounded on the 60-51 final.
 
The Lions will close out their season with two road trips on Friday (Feb. 14) and Saturday (Feb. 15) when they face both the Ryerson Rams and University of Toronto Varsity Blues, in a battle of in-town rivals. Both games are scheduled for a 6pm start time.

Source: York Sports Info

 
 
Carleton 58 @ Queen’s 63

KINGSTON, Ont. (February 8, 2014) - The Queen's Gaels (14-6) won 63-58 against the Carleton Ravens (14-6) in front of an electric crowd on Saturday night in Kingston Ontario.
 
The first quarter started off slow with both teams struggling to put the ball in the hoop. Stephanie Carr of the Ravens lit it up in the second quarter, going three for three from three-point range. She led her team to a 9-0 run which the Gaels were unable to stop by the end of the half. Queen's only trailed 33-24 despite struggling from the perimeter.
 
At the beginning of the third quarter the Gaels came out ready to fight. The result of this game would be vital in determining their placement in the OUA East standings.Gemma Bullard (Guelph, Ont.) of Queen's took her team on her back, hitting the first six points in the third. The Gaels defense was the pivotal change in the matchup, causing 22 Raven turnovers and more offensive opportunities. Great body positioning inside allowed them to out-rebound the visitors on the boards in the half, which kept them alive in the final stretch of the game.
 
Liz Boag (Kingston, Ont.) drained a long three-pointer, with the game tied 58-58, to put her team up three. The Ravens were unable to respond and the Gaels hung on to win. Their record at home this season finishes at 14-2.
 
Bullard finished the night with a team and game high of 19 points. She was honoured after the game as the Gaels only graduating athlete this season while receiving a special momento from head coach Dave Wilson.
 
Robyn Pearson added 14 and Jenny Wright contributed 11, including a perfect three for three from three-point range. Stephanie Carr, McKenzie Sigurdson and Elizabeth Roach contributed 12 points apiece for the Ravens.
 
WIth the win the Gaels now move into first place in the OUA East as they hold the tie-breaker with Carleton. An Ottawa loss to York also means Queen's has assured themselves of a top two spot and thus a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
 
The Gaels travel to Toronto for their last regular season road trip to take on the Ryerson Rams and the Toronto Varsity Blues.

Source: Queen's Sports Info


 
Lakehead 74 @ Laurier 47

WATERLOO, Ont. (February 8, 2014) - The No. 9 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's basketball team suffered a 74-47 loss to the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday night at the Athletic Complex.
 
On a night where four Golden Hawk graduating seniors were honoured at halftime, Laurier came out flat from the opening tip and were never able to recover in dropping the second game of the weekend doubleheader. The loss drops the Hawks to 15-5 on the year while Lakehead improves to 10-10.
 
Jylisa Williams of Atlanta, Ga., paced Lakehead for the second straight night, recording an impressive double-double of 21 points and 21 rebounds. Teammate Essa Jacobsen of Grand Marais, Minn., and Ayse Kalkan of Winnipeg, Man., chipped in with 16 and 14 points respectively.
 
Laura Doyle of Guelph, Ont., one of the four seniors honoured by head coach Paul Falco, led the Hawks with 13 points while Whitney Ellenor of Pickering, Ont., was the only other Hawk in double digits, finishing with 10 points.
 
Bree Chaput of Guelph, Ont., Kimberley Yeldon of Ottawa and Doreen Bonsu of Oakville, Ont., were the other three players who all suited up for their final regular season home game. However, all four grads will have one more chance to play in front of the Athletic Complex crowd as the Hawks have officially wrapped up a home playoff game.
 
Up next for Laurier, they will look to clinch a first round playoff bye when they hit the road for their final two regular season games next week. Up first, the Hawks will visit the McMaster Marauders on Wednesday, February 12. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Burridge Gymnasium.
 
Source: Laurier Sports Info