OUA.tv Marquee Matchup: No. 8 ranked Golden Hawks battle No. 1 Lancers in West showdown

Two of the top teams in OUA women's basketball, the No. 1 ranked Windsor Lancers and No. 8 Laurier Golden Hawks, meet for the first time this season when they tip-off in Windsor at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the OUA.tv Marquee Matchup presented by Recharge with Milk.

Both teams head into the matchup riding nine-game winning streaks in 2014-15 and are battling for top spot in the OUA West Division. Windsor (9-0) has not lost since the opening day of the 2013-14 season and rolled through the competition last season, capturing a fourth consecutive CIS championship and second consecutive OUA title.

The Golden Hawks faced the Lancers four times last season – including the OUA West finals and CIS quarterfinals – all resulting in lopsided losses. Now at 9-1 and sitting just half a game back of the Lancers in the standings, Laurier is hoping to continue its development as a program by proving they can hang with the national powerhouse.

"For every team in the country, (Windsor) is the team to beat," said Laurier head coach Paul Falco. "It's an important game in the standings, but for us we look at it as more of an opportunity to gauge where we are. To knock them off would be a significant accomplishment, but the biggest thing is to keep getting better and this will be a good indicator for where we are at."

Having won four consecutive CIS national championships and currently riding a 36-game winning streak against OUA and CIS opponents that dates back to last season, the Lancers have embraced the fact that each time they step on the floor they have a target on their backs.

"Every team brings us their best shot no matter where they are in the standings," said Lancers head coach Chantal Vallée. "I'm impressed with our poise and we're not uncomfortable with it – we thrive on it and are excited for it."

Though Windsor dominated Laurier in the teams' four meetings last season, there has been several changes up and down the Lancers lineup with the graduation of several key players.

"I'm really impressed with my team," she said. "We lost our core and I wasn't sure how we'd remodel the team, but the culture is great, they want to win and know how to win. They've filled in the voids that are left very well and reconstructed a new identity with the same culture of grittiness."

Leading the re-tooled Lancers this season has been fifth-year guard Korissa Williams. She is averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game which ranks second in the conference, and leads OUA in field-goal percentage shooting an eye-popping 62.8 per cent.

As a team, the Lancers lead OUA averaging 81.1 points per game, a full nine points per game ahead of Queen's and Laurier who are tied for second with 72.1. Defensively, the teams are more evenly matched, with a slight edge going to Laurier. The Golden Hawks rank fifth in OUA giving up an average of 56.5 points per game, while Windsor ranks seventh allowing 57.6 per game.

"The big challenge is they're very well-balanced," said Coach Falco. "We need to take it possession by possession, take care of the ball, and reduce their shot attempts by not turning the ball over."

Having won the OUA Bronze Medal last season, which earned the Golden Hawks a bid in the CIS Final 8, Laurier is hoping to take its next step in the development of its program and become a team that challenges Windsor for division and conference championships.

Handing the defending champs their first loss in over a year, and tying them for top spot in the division, would certainly send a message to the province and the country that they are no longer an up-and-coming team but a national threat.

Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 in Windsor, so be sure to catch the game in person or watch live on OUA.tv!

Marquee Matchup By the Numbers

16.1 – Points per game for Laurier centre Whitney Ellenor the team's leading scorer. She also ranks fourth in OUA averaging 8.8 rebounds per game.

1 – Women's basketball team in CIS history to win five consecutive national championships. The Laurentian Voyageurs completed the feat winning five straight titles between 1975-79. Windsor is hoping to join them in the history books this season.

24 – The average margin of victory for the Lancers over the Golden Hawks in four meetings last season. The closest of the four games occurred in the regular season when Windsor beat Laurier 70-59, however the teams expect to matchup more evenly this time around.

78.5% – Laurier's team free-throw percentage which ranks first in OUA. Windsor at 71.4 per cent ranks fourth in the conference.