December 30, 2014

W-BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic

HALIFAX, N.S. – The Lakehead University Thunderwolves put the Thunder in this year’s Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic. Jylisa Williams, one of the country’s top players, collected 100 points in three games including a game-high 44 point explosion in Tuesday’s Championship Final.

HALIFAX, N.S. – The Lakehead University Thunderwolves put the Thunder in this year's Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic. Jylisa Williams, one of the country's top players, collected 100 points in three games including a game-high 44 point explosion in Tuesday's Championship Final.

The Thunderwolves finished 3-0 at the third annual Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic posting respective victories over the Mount Royal Cougars, Brock Badgers, and the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

The three day event, hosted by Thunder Selects Basketball and held at the Homburg Centre (Saint Mary's University) has been designed to celebrate and showcase CIS Women's basketball. Fans of all ages were treated to three exciting days of Holiday Hoops which included the final four games all being decided by ten points or less.

In the Championship Final, Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jylisa Williams (Atlanta, Georgia) set a Lakehead University single-game scoring record with 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals against Ottawa. Krista Van Slingerland (Waterloo, ON) had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist for the Gee-Gees, who trailed 39-38 at the break.

Planning is already underway for the fourth annual event which will be held from December 28-30, 2015.

Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic Final Results

Sunday, December 28

Game 1: Lakehead 92 vs. Mount Royal 48
POG: Lakehead – Jylisa Williams (23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) & Mount Royal – Jayla Verney (7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists)

Game 2: Brock 86 vs. Dalhousie 67
POG: Brock – Kayla Santilli (19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) & Dalhousie – Rebecca Nuttall (15 points, 6 rebounds)

Game 3: Ottawa 72 vs. Acadia 56
POG: Ottawa – Sarah Besselink (27 points, 8 rebounds) & Acadia – Paloma Anderson (18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists)

Game 4: Toronto 73 vs. Saint Mary's 57
POG: Toronto – Jill Stratton (25 points, 8 rebounds) & Saint Mary's – Angelia Carvery (7 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists)

Monday, December 29

Game 5: Dalhousie 66 vs. Mount Royal 47
POG: Dalhousie – Courtney Thompson (10 points, 6 assists) & Mount Royal – Angela Driscoll (12 points, 2 rebounds)

Game 6: Saint Mary's 56 vs. Acadia 34
POG: Saint Mary's – Kennish-Shanice Luberisse (9 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) & Acadia – April Deus (2 points, 3 assists, 2 steals)

Game 7: Lakehead 81 vs. Brock 74
POG: Lakehead – Katelyn Andrea (15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) & Brock – Jena Yumol (18 points, 8 assists)

Game 8: Ottawa 77 vs. Toronto 50
POG: Ottawa – Julia Soriano (14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) & Toronto – Jasmine Lewin (6 points, 8 rebounds)

Tuesday, December 30

* Schedule note: On Day 3 we switched the matchups in two consolation games (11am, 1pm) to avoid matchups that involved teams from the same conference.

Game 9: Acadia 64 vs. Mount Royal 62
POG: Acadia – Allie Berry (17 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks) & Mount Royal – Desiree Oakley (14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals)

Game 10: Dalhousie 84 vs. Toronto 78
POG: Dalhousie – Kristy Moore (27 points) & Toronto – Rahshida Atkinson (13 points, 3 rebounds)

Game 11: Brock 58 vs. Saint Mary's 51
POG: Brock – Melissa Tatti (18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) & Saint Mary's – Katrina Murrell (13 points, 10 rebounds)

Game 12: Lakehead 83 vs. Ottawa 73
POG: Lakehead – Bridget O'Reilly (11 points) & Ottawa – Kellie Ring (9 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals)

2014 Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic Champions: Lakehead Thunderwolves

Major Award Winners

Tournament All-Stars
Acadia – Paloma Anderson
Brock – Jena Yumol
Dalhousie – Courtney Thompson
Lakehead – Corina Bruni
Mount Royal – Jayla Verney
Ottawa – Krista Van Slingerland
Saint Mary's – Angelina Carvery
Toronto – Jill Stratton

Top Rebounder – Kellie Ring (Ottawa)

Top Defensive Player – Julia Soriano (Ottawa)

Tournament Most Outstanding Player – Jylisa Williams (Lakehead)

Source: Brandon Rafuse, Director & Head Coach Thunder Selects Basketball

'Wolves Top Cougars, 92-48

Lakehead got out to a 12-2 lead to begin the game, with Jylisa Williams setting the pace early at both ends of the court, creating offense from her defense, which included drawing 2 charges in the first Q. She was her usual efficient self on offense, scoring early and often to chalk up 17 points after 20 minutes.

Lakehead led 44-24 at halftime, and opened up their lead further in the third quarter, taking a 74-37 lead into the final frame.

Williams would finish with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 20 minutes of play, and be named the player of the game.

August Ricketts had her best game as a Thunderwolf to date, scoring 9 points while collecting 12 rebounds, while Blair McNaughton came off the bench to score 13 points, with 3 three-pointers on 5 attempts. Katelyn Andrea was 6-of-8 from the field for 12 points.

The Cougars were led by Drew Knox with 11 points.

Coach Jon Kreiner:

"This was a great team win to start the tournament. Everyone scored and both our starters and bench played very well for large portions of the game. I was proud of August and Blair for their play today."

The women's team will play tomorrow at 5pm (local) against either the Brock Badgers or Dalhousie Tigers.

Source: Lakehead Thunderwolves

Williams Drops 33 in Win Over Brock

The women's basketball team battled through adversity and came out with a 81-74 win over the Brock Badgers.

It was a good warm-up game for the 'Wolves, who will play a critical home double-header against the Badgers in early January when OUA season play resumes.

The 'Wolves got out to a good start on Monday, scoring 25 points in the first Q to lead by 5 after 10 minutes, and brought their lead into the break, 45-39 at halftime.

The Badgers made a run of their own in the third quarter and took the lead, extending it to as many as 6 points before Lakehead countered with an effective press that turned the balance back into Lakehead's favour.

Jylisa Williams was hitting jumpers left and right, and earning her way to the free throw line as well, going 12-for-18 from the field and 9-for-13 from the stripe to finish with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals. She also keyed some critical turnovers on defense in the fourth quarter.

Katelyn Andrea was next with 15 points and 6 rebounds on 7-of-16 shooting. Katie Ulakovic made 8 assists.

Brock was led by Jenalyn Yumol with 18 points and 8 assists.

Coach Jon Kreiner:

"I think this was a great game for the fans, from a scoring perspective. Defensively we need to tighten up a bit but overall I was proud of how we got down in the third but didn't let it affect our play in the fourth. We really finished the game strong with Katelyn Andrea and Bridget O'Reilly making some key shots down the stretch."

The women's team will play either Toronto or Ottawa in the Thunder Selects CIS Holiday Classic championship game tomorrow at 3 pm (local).

Source: Lakehead Thunderwolves

'Wolves Win Thunder Selects Holiday Classic

It was also another huge performance from Jylisa Williams, who set a new Lakehead record with 44 points scored (18-31 FG), on top of grabbing 18 rebounds with 5 assists. Unsurprisingly, she was also selected as the tournament MVP, after averaging 33 points and 11 rebounds over the three games.

Lakehead led 25-12 after first quarter.

Ottawa opened the 2nd quarter on a 10-2 run. Following a timeout, Williams keyed a 10-4 run, with a few back door cuts and swift passes from Corina Bruni and Bridget O'Reilly. The Gee Gees would prove resilient, battling all the way back to take the lead, 38-37 with the help of some great shooting from the outside.

Lakehead extended their lead to as many as 12 through the third quarter, but had the Gee Gees respond early in the fourth quarter, trimming it to a single point, 66-65 with 7 minutes remaining to play.

Williams would then take control, going on a 5-0 run of her own, on top of pulling down rebounds, creating turnovers, and capping off a 9-0 run with an assist to Corina Bruni.

Bruni was the biggest distributor for the 'Wolves, making 11 assists with 7 points. Bruni was also named to the tournament all-star team. Bridget O'Reilly got the start at forward and scored 11 points with three made 3-pointers.

For Ottawa, Julisa Soriano and Krista van Slingerland scored 14 points apiece, and forward Kellie Ring grabbed 18 rebounds with 9 points.

Coach Jon Kreiner:

"I'm extremely proud at how our players stepped up this tournament. There were several moments we could have caved in but we showed great composure. Bridget, Katie and Corina really stepped up for us tonight and Katelyn Andrea was huge for us all weekend. Jylisa was simply amazing. Her performance today was spectacular and the most dominating one I've ever had the privilege of being involved with as a coach."

The women's team will resume play on January 9-10 in Thunder Bay as they play a critical central division double header against the Brock Badgers.

Source: Lakehead Thunderwolves

Gee-Gees go 2-1 at Thunder Selects Tourney

The Gee-Gees women's basketball team reached the final of the Thunder Selects Holiday Classic in Halifax, Nova Scotia following two opening round wins over Acadia and Toronto. A massive performance by Lakehead's Jylissa Williams led the Thunderwolves to an 83-73 win over Ottawa in the gold medal game on Tuesday night.

Williams, who leads the CIS regular season scoring charts with 30 points per game, dropped 44 on Ottawa in the final game. She shot 18-31 from the field and also collected 18 rebounds.

Prior to Williams' display, the Gee-Gee defence was solid throughout the tournament, holding Acadia and Toronto to 56 and 50 points, respectively.

On offence, Ottawa had different contributors each game, showing an important balance heading into the winter portion of the regular season schedule.

Jennifer Crowe led Ottawa with 15 points against Lakehead while Kellie Ring grabbed 18 rebounds. Ring also had a double-double against Toronto, scoring 17 to lead all scorers with ten rebounds. In the tournament opener, second-year Sarah Besselink sank 10-of-16 from the field to bucket 27 points.

Full box scores are available temporarily on the CIS website:

Ottawa vs. Acadia – 72-56

Ottawa vs. Toronto – 77-50

Ottawa vs. Lakehead – 73-83

Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees

Strong second half leads Brock women's basketball over Dalhousie 86-67

HALIFAX, NS - The Brock University women's basketball team won their opening game at the CIS Holiday Classic defeating the Dalhousie Tigers by the score of 86-67 at the Homberg Centre Sunday afternoon.

The Badgers trailed 36-32 at the half shooting just 37.5% in the opening 20 minutes. In the second half, Brock scored 54 points while shooting a season high 63.2% from the field.

Brock tied it up 40-40 with 6:24 left in the third quarter, before putting together a 7-2 run, leading 47-42 with 4:39 left in the quarter. Brock then put together an 11-2 run late in the third quarter and led by 10, 63-53, after 30 minutes.

In the final stanza, the Badgers outscored Dalhousie 23-14 on route to the 19-point road victory.

Brock had four players in double figures led by senior Kayla Santilli (Brantford, Ont.) who recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double. She also knocked down a season high five three-pointers going 5-for-8 from downtown. Senior Katie Harpur (NOTL, Ont.) contributed with 13 points. Sophomore Kira Cornelissen (Alymer, Ont.) added 11 points and seven rebounds while senior Jenalyn Yumol (London, Ont.) chipped in 10 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Dalhousie had three players in double digits led by Rebecca Nuttall who registered 15 points and six rebounds. Courtney Thompson and Tessa Stammberger chipped in with 14 and 11 points respectively.

The Badgers now take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves in the CIS Holiday Classic Semi-Final at 5pm Monday, December 29th.

Source: Brock Badgers

Brock women's basketball drops 84-71 decision to Thunderwolves

HALIFAX, NS - The Brock University women's basketball team dropped an 81-74 decision to the Lakehead Thunderwolves Monday night in the semi-finals of the CIS Holiday Classic.

The Badgers trailed by six at the half 45-39.

After tying the game 50-50 with six minutes left in the third quarter, the Badgers went on a 13-7 run to take a 63-57 lead at the end of 30 minutes.

In the final quarter, Lakehead opened with a 10-0 run, to go up 67-63 with 7:43 remaining in regulation. Brock junior guard Dayna Howlett (Burlington, Ont.) drained a three-pointer with 3:30 left to make it 74-72 Lakehead. That would be as close as they would come, as the Thunderwolves closed out the contest with a 7-2 run to advance to the CIS Holiday Classic Finals Tuesday.

Senior Jenalyn Yumol (London, Ont.) led the Badgers with 18 points and eight assists earning Player of the Game honours. Becky Ralph (Ancaster, Ont.) contributed with 13 points while Howlett, senior Kayla Santilli (Brantford, Ont.) and freshman Melissa Tatti (Ancaster, Ont.) chipped in with 10, nine and nine points respectively.

Lakehead was led by the OUA leading scorer Jylisa Wlliams who recorded 33 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double.

For the game, Brock shot 41.9% (26-for-62) from the field, 34.4% (11-for-32) from beyond the arc and 61.1% (11-for-18) from the charity stripe. Lakehead was 31-for-67 (46.3%) from the floor, 4-for-11 (36.4%) from three-point range and 15-for-26 (57.7%) from the free throw line.

The Badgers will take on the host Saint Mary's Huskies Tuesday afternoon in their final game of the CIS Holiday Classic.

Source: Brock Badgers

Brock women's basketball defeats Saint Mary's 58-51

HALIFAX, NS - The Brock University women's basketball team defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies by the score of 58-51 in their final game of the CIS Holiday Classic Tuesday afternoon. The Badgers finish with a 2-1 tournament record.

Brock led 14-10 after one quarter. In the second quarter, the Badgers went on a 15-0 run, to take a 33-12 lead with two minutes left in the half, and held a 35-18 lead at the break.

With Brock leading 42-27 with five minutes left in the third quarter, the host Huskies would put together a 13-4 run, cutting the lead to six, 46-40, at the end of 30 minutes. Despite shooting just 23.5% in the second half, Brock outscored Saint Mary's 12-11 in the final quarter on route to the seven-point road victory.

Brock freshman Melissa Tatti (Ancaster, Ont.) led the way with a game-high 18 points, including four three-pointers. Junior Dayna Howlett (Burlington, Ont.) contributed with nine points, all from beyond the arc. Rounding out the Brock leaders were senior Jenalyn Yumol (London, Ont.) who added eight points and five assists and sophomore Kira Cornelissen (Aylmer, Ont.) and freshman Sarah Pallett (London, Ont.) who chipped in with six points each. Cornelissen also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.

Saint Mary's had four starters in double figures led by Laura Langille who recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double. Katrina Murrell added 13 points and 10 boards, while Angelina Carvery and Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse both chipped in with 10 points each in the loss.

Brock shot 35.0% (21-for-60) from the floor, including 33.3% (9-for-27) from beyond the arc and 58.3% (7-for-12) from the free throw line. Saint Mary's shot just 30.3% (20-for-66) from the field, including a dismal 10.7% (3-for-28) from three-point land.

The Badgers return to action January 9th and 10th when they travel to Thunder Bay to take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves in two key OUA contests to open the second half of the regular season.

Source: Brock Badgers

Varsity Blues go 1-2 at Thunder Selects Tournament

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team competed at the Thunder Selects Tournament, December 28-30, at Homburg Centre in Halifax.

The three day event, hosted by Thunder Selects Basketball and held at Saint Mary's University has been designed to celebrate and showcase CIS women's basketball. Fans of all ages were treated to three exciting days of Holiday Hoops which included the final four games all being decided by ten points or less.

Game 1

A 16-point third-quarter performance from Jill Stratton lifted the Blues over the Saint Mary's Huskies, 73-57, on Day 1 of the tournament on Sunday.

Stratton led all players with 25 points, going 9-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. She also added eight boards and two steals on the night.

Sophomore guard Rahshida Atkinson added 11 points and four rebounds, while third-year guard Alanna Garner had seven points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the victory.

Game 2

The Blues dropped a 77-50 decision to the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Day 2.

Fifth-year guard Jasmine Lewin was named Toronto's player of the game with six points and eight boards. Stratton led the team with 19 points.

Game 3

Toronto ended the tournament with an 84-78 loss to the Dalhousie Tigers on Tuesday morning.

Atkinson was named the player of the game with 13 points and three rebounds.

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues