AROUND OUA: Pearson clutch in No. 5 Gaels thrilling OT win over No. 6 Rams

SCOREBOARD

Ryerson 75 @ Queen's 79

Toronto 78 @ York 48

Nipissing 30 @ Carleton 75

Laurier 62 @ Guelph 55

Algoma 51 @ Waterloo 65

Brock 92 @ Lakehead 84

Laurentian 51 @ Ottawa 66

Pearson clutch in No. 5 Gaels thrilling OT win over No. 6 Rams

KINGSTON, Ont. (January 13, 2017) - In a battle between two of the best teams in the conference, the Queen's Gaels women's basketball team persevered for a thrilling 79-75 overtime victory over the division rival Ryerson Rams on Friday night at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC).
 
Abby Dixon scored a season-high 21 points for the Gaels, who rallied for an overtime triumph after the Rams banked in a three-point bucket to even the game with only seconds remaining in regulation, sending the contest to an extra frame. Dixon was 5-of-11 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line while picking up two steals and three assists.
 
Veterans Emily Hazlett and Robyn Pearson each added 11 points in the victory, as the No. 5 Gaels improve their unblemished conference record to 9-0 and take a stranglehold on first-place in the OUA East division. Sofia Paska dropped a game-high 25 in a losing cause for the No. 6 Rams, who drop to 8-2 on the season.

GAME FLOW
After the nationally-ranked squads exchanged baskets in the early moments of the contest, Nicole DiDominico drained a three in transition to put the Rams up 13-8 at the midway point of the opening quarter. Both offenses stymied themselves in the latter stages of the quarter, committing multiple turnovers as a result of some ambitious pass attempts and high on-ball pressure from the respective defenses.
 
The hosts used a 6-0 streak to move in front of the Rams to take their first lead of the night with just over a minute left in the first, and held a 16-15 lead after the opening period. Pearson (Toronto) led all players with six points in opening quarter, but also picked up two personals, which minimized her minutes for the rest of the half.
 
That didn't seem to have any effect on the Gaels early in the second, as the hosts went on a 6-2 run to open the period. The Gaels jumped ahead by the halftime break when Hazlett (Fredericton, N.B.) followed up a basket with a penetration drive and kick-out to Sarah Saftich (Markham, Ont.), who nailed a three to give the hosts a 36-30 lead after the opening two quarters.
 
Both squads shot 41% in the first half while combining for 20 turnovers. Kellie Ring led all players with 11 points for Ryerson, while Pearson had a team-high seven for Queen's.
 
The Rams started the second half on a 5-0 run by going to their star post player Paska, who notched five of the Rams first seven points of the third. Paska, who was quiet during the first two quarters, then hit back-to-back jump-shots to push Ryerson back in front 41-40.
 
The Gaels would respond, as Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C) came up with two consecutive defensive plays, following up a steal that led to two made free-throws by forcing a jump-ball on Ryerson's next possession. Queen's held a one-point lead heading into the final quarter.
 
A three by Dixon pushed the Gaels lead up to two after the guests began the fourth quarter with a bucket. Another turn-around jumper from Paska once again evened the game at 52-52, but Hazlett nailed a critical corner three that brought the ARC crowd to its feet with just over six minutes left in the game. Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.) pushed the lead to five, but the Rams took the next four points as the momentum continued to shift back and forth for the division rivals.
 
Dixon then got put on the line, and drained both free throws to give Queen's a three-point lead. After Ryerson brought the lead down to one, Hazlett responded with a basket in the paint, restoring the lead to three. With 16 seconds remaining in regulation, however, DiDominico hit a three off the glass to even the game and send it into overtime.
 
The Gaels responded swiftly in the extra period, building a steady four-point lead that was maintained by critical back-to-back jumpers from Pearson with time running down. Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont.) put the game on ice with two made free-throws with under 10 seconds remaining.
 
FINAL SAY
"It was an extremely tough game," said head coach Dave Wilson. "There was never a lead that was more than six points, they are a very good basketball team and it took everything we had just to hold our own in that game."
 
"I thought we held our composure for the full 45 minutes of the game, and that hasn't necessarily been the case in the past. I think our team has matured considerably, and by us not losing our cool when Ryerson had their little runs, it didn't phase us as much. Even though we struggled with our shooting in the second half, we were still confident going into overtime."
 
On Abby Dixon's performance
"The thing we enjoy about Abby the most is her defense. She has really stepped up this year to become a leader in terms of pressuring key players and the fact that she can do that and turnaround and make her shots is a testament to the shape that she is in. She's been outstanding for us this year."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
6- The largest lead throughout Friday's contest
10- The amount of lead changes that occurred throughout the game
76.9%- The Gaels were 20-of-26 from the free-throw line,
50- The women picked up 50 rebounds on the night, their second-highest total of the season
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels return to action on Saturday evening at the ARC, where they will host the Toronto Varsity Blues. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. and the game can be seen live on OUA.tv. For ticket information visit www.gogaelsgo.com/tickets.

Source: Queen's Gaels

Blues push pace in win over rival Lions

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team showcased a high-pressure attack in picking up a 30 point win, dropping the York Lions 78-48 on the road Friday afternoon (Jan. 13).

Diminutive dynamo Keyira Parkes scored a game-high 19 points while also proving to be a pest on the boards with a team-high eight rebounds. Parkes performance was highlighted by a spectacular buzzer-beating three to end the third-quarter which pushed the Blues lead to 50-26 heading into the final period.

Running-mate Rahshida Atkinson also dropped 18 on the Lions while the Blues picked up points from 10 different players in the strong overall team performance.

On the defensive end, U of T also proved to be effective holding York to just 27 per cent shooting from the field including two single-digit quarters for the Lions as they were only able to produce eight points in the second quarter and seven in the third.

With the win the Varsity Blues improve to 6-5 on the year remaining in third place in the OUA East standings.

Toronto will have little time to celebrate the victory as they are back in action tomorrow evening (Jan. 14) in Kingston, Ontario where they will challenge the OUA East leading Queen's Gaels. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the game being streamed live on OUA.tv.

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues

Ravens wallop Nipissing on Shoot for the Cure night at Carleton

OTTAWA, ON — In their first home appearance of 2017, the Ravens women's basketball team delivered a dominant performance with a 75-30 defeat of the Nipissing Lakers on Shoot for the Cure night at the Ravens' Nest.

BOX SCORE

Behind a vintage double-double performance of 20 points and 12 rebounds by fourth-year forward Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON), the Ravens earned their largest margin of victory over an opponent this season with a 45-point drubbing of the visiting Lakers.

Carleton played well at both ends of the floor in a game that saw the OUA North division leaders extend their regular season unbeaten run to seven games.

The opening quarter belonged to the home team, as Heather Lindsay and Steph Carr (Stittsville, ON) ignited Carleton's offensive attack by combining for 16 points in the first quarter to give the Ravens a double-digit lead, 24-9, after one.

Carleton's hot shooting cooled off in the second quarter, but Nipissing could not cut into the deficit as the visitors struggled to put the ball in the basket. The Lakers only shot 16.7% (2-12 FG) in the frame, while the Ravens added more points on the scoreboard to go up 40-14 after twenty minutes of action.

With a comfortable halftime advantage, the Ravens continued their offensive barrage and tough defensive play in the third. Forwards Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) and Catherine Traer (Chelsea, QC) each nailed a three pointer to widen the margin, while Heather Lindsay came up with a massive block in the paint as the Lakers could only muster five points for a second straight quarter.

Up by 39 heading down the stretch, there was little doubt that the Ravens would hold on for victory. Catherine Traer continued to fill the statsheet with a pair of baskets to begin the period as the Ravens closed out the game with a 17-11 fourth quarter to cap off the victory.

For Nipissing, it was a new season-low for offensive utility as the Lakers found very little success against one of the country's top defensive units. Carleton forced 25 turnovers and converted those Nipissing mistakes into 32 points.

Carleton received a strong effort from its bench, which included a regular-season high of 15 points (6-9 FG) from Steph Carr. Third-year Raven Nicole Istead (Ottawa, ON) contributed four points in five minutes of floor time.

An encouraging stat for Carleton came in team's success on free throws, an area that has been one of the team's weaknesses this season. The Ravens shot a season-high 78.3% from the charity stripe, going 18-for-23 on their attempts.

Carleton will host Laurentian at the Ravens' Nest on Saturday, January 14 at 6 p.m.

Source: Carleton Ravens

Schenck helps Golden Hawks snap losing skid

GUELPH, Ont. (January 13, 2017) – Kaitlyn Schenck poured in 20 points to help the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's basketball team snap their three-game losing skid with a 62-55 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Friday night.

Playing in the first basketball game at the new Guelph Gryphons Athletic Centre, Laurier spoiled the party with a strong showing from their fifth-year guard. In the absence of injured starters Nicole Morrison of Hamilton, and Irena Rynkiewicz of Mississauga, Ont., Schenck stepped up and scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half to help Laurier improve to 8-5 on the season.

Rookie guard Jill Condron of Oakville, Ont., making just her second career start, was also solid for the purple and gold as she finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and four steals, all of which were single-game career highs.

Fellow rookie Rachel Woodburn of Courtice, Ont., chipped in with four points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

Laurier got off to a quick start against the Gryphons (1-8) thanks to some strong three-point shooting and solid defence. The Hawks limited the Gryphons to just 22 points in the opening 20 minutes while shooting over 45 percent from behind the arc to take a 31-22 lead into the break.

In the third, Schenck started to take over the game as she poured in eight points in the quarter, stretching Laurier's lead to 14.

Although Guelph would close the gap in the fourth, it was too little, too late for the hosts as the Hawks came away with the win.

For Schenck, the 20 points marks the fourth time this season she has scored 20 or more in a contest and moves her past 900 points for her Laurier career. She now has scored 919 points as a member of the purple and gold and currently ranks sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game.

Laurier will now turn their attention to their cross-town rivals, the Waterloo Warriors, for their first of two meetings in 10 days. The Hawks will tangle with the Warriors at the Athletic Complex on Wednesday, January 18 at 7 p.m. 

Tickets for the game are available by visiting tickets.laurierathletics.com and the game will be live on OUA.tv and RadioLaurier.com.

Source: Laurier Golden Hawks

Warriors lead from start to finish against Thunderbirds

The Warriors women's basketball team did their talking on the court as part of their Bell Let's Talk game against the Algoma Thunderbirds, defeating the visitors 65-51.  What is an important issue that affects us all, Waterloo put together a spirited effort on an important occasion at the PAC.

The win improves the Warriors record to 4-6 while Algoma fell to 1-9 on the season.  Waterloo is now just two points back of Western for third spot in the OUA west.

Waterloo was outstanding in both the opening and third quarters putting up 25 and 21 points respectively.  Kristen Osborne (Markham) was on her game tonight putting up 14 points on six field goals with two from downtown.  Emily Wilk (Oakville) was also solid with nine points and six assists.  Wilk also picked up seven rebounds. 

Rounding out Waterloo's attack was Nicole Schlick (Prince George) who has been very solid for the black and gold since returning from injury.  Schlick had 12 points going an impressive 6-for-11 from the field while collecting seven rebounds.  Off the bench Breanna Hudspeth (Burlington) and Aphia Ward (Beaumont) provided quality minutes, each with nine points in the win.

For Algoma, Mairead Dunn was the lone Thunderbird in double digits with 13 points going 4-for-8 with five from the charity stripe.

The two combatants will do it all over again tomorrow night at the PAC.  Tipoff is set for 6pm.

Source: Waterloo Warriors

Strong fourth leads Brock past Lakehead

THUNDER BAY, ON - The Brock University women's basketball team opened the weekend with a 92-84 victory over the Lakehead Thunderwolves Friday night on the road.

The Badgers led 41-38 at the half and trailed 65-63 at the end of the quarters.

In the fourth quarter, both teams answered basket for basket and Lakehead held an 80-79 lead with 4:32 left in regulation. The Badgers closed out the game with a 13-4 run on route to their fourth OUA central division conference win.

Brock had four players in double figures led by Kira Cornelissen (Aylmer, ON) who registered a game-high 28 points and six rebounds. Melissa Tatti (Ancaster, ON) contributed with 23 points and seven assists while Bridget Atkinson (Welland, ON) and Baelie Campbell (Halifax, NS) chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Gillian Lavoie led the Thunderwolves with 22 points and 11 boards for the double-double.

The Badgers shot a season best 52.5% (31-for-59) from the field, 53.8% (7-for-13) from beyond the arc and 79.3% (23-for-29) from the charity stripe. Lakehead went 34-for-79 (43.0%) from the floor including 5-for-23 (21.7%) from long range and 11-for-17 (64.7%) from the free throw line.

The two teams are back in action Saturday night at 6pm as they close out the weekend series.

Source: Brock Badgers

Besselink sinks 20 to fuel second straight win

The Gee-Gees women's basketball team came from behind early to win 66-51 against Laurentian Friday night at home. The Ottawa duo of Sarah Besselink and Julia Dostaler powered the Gee-Gees offence, scoring 20 and 16 points, respectively. 

The garnet and grey had passing errors in the first quarter, leaving them behind Laurentian by three-points. The Gee-Gees clawed its way back to a one-point lead at the end of the second quarter. Laurentian could not stop uOttawa's offensive momentum thereafter, as the Gee-Gees stretched the lead to fifteen-points in the second half to secure the win. 

 "We wanted to make sure we got Sarah Besselink a lot more looks, and she got those looks in the second half and it made a big difference. All year our starters have been outscored by our bench. That's the first time we have seen them go on a little bit of a run like that," explains Ottawa head coach Andy Sparks.

Normally strong off the glass, uOttawa was rebounded by 15-9 in the first quarter. Laurentian's Emily Tinnes contributed six of the team's 14 first quarter points. Head coach Sparks explained the mental side of the slow start; "We can be a fragile team in some ways because we haven't scored very much this year. I think that sort of wears on you over the course of time. There is a little bit of a lack of confidence. We started very much that way."

The Gee-Gees offence improved further in the second half with Kellie Forand and Brooklynn McAlear effective in the point guard position.  "I am happy with the way we responded in the second half," says Sparks. uOttawa dominated the fourth quarter offensively, outscoring Laurentian 22-13.

Following the Besselink and Dostaler in scoring were Amelie Hachey with 11 points Katherine Lemoine with ten. Tinnes finished with 14 to lead the Voyageurs.

Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees