OUA Playoff Preview: First round set to tip off as quest towards Critelli Cup begins
BURLINGTON, Ont. – Plenty of teams are streaking into the postseason – some on high notes and some hitting a stumbling block – but each will turn the page on the regular season to begin their quest for the Critelli Cup title. Find out how the quest begins below with a closer look at the four first round matchups set to tip off on Wednesday.
The full schedule of first round action can be found HERE.
West Division
No. 6 Laurier Golden Hawks (10-14) vs. No. 3 Lakehead Thunderwolves (16-8)
The Lakehead Thunderwolves were thunderous all season long, playing their way to the No. 3 seed in the West Division. While the team has maintained strong ranks in several critical categories, a key figure in the group’s overall success has been Leashja Grant. The double-double machine played her way to OUA-leading marks in both scoring (22.3 PPG) and rebounding (14.1 RPG) to help improve the Lakehead program by several strides. While Grant is far and away the team leader in those categories, one element that is shared amongst the squad is their ability to wreak havoc on defense, specifically with their OUA-leading 12.6 steals per contest. And while the T’Wolves force turnovers, the northern squad does a great job to take care of it themselves. Lakehead will surely be a tough matchup in the postseason, especially coming in riding a momentum-building four game winning streak.
Laurier will match up well with Lakehead, as they are adept at controlling the ball, which should limit the T’Wolves effectiveness at disrupting their opposition. The Golden Hawks sit ninth offensively, but have an ace up their sleeve in Nicole Morrison. The No. 3 scorer in the OUA has not only made her mark on this season for Laurier, but on her career, as she’s toppled a number of Golden Hawks scoring records in her final season. Despite Morrison’s individual success, it’s been a tough go for the purple and gold as a whole to close out the season, having lost five in a row, including a pair of tightly-contested tilts against Lakehead. In order to defeat their first round opponents, the Golden Hawks will need to soar above their middle of the pack rankings on both offense and defense, but if you look past their February results, the team certainly has a chance to do just that.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to face the West Division’s second seed, Windsor Lancers.
Season Series:
Feb. 16: Laurier 58 Lakehead 60
Feb. 17: Laurier 59 Lakehead 62
No. 5 Western Mustangs (13-11) vs. No. 4 Guelph Gryphons (14-10)
The Guelph Gryphons know their way around the offensive side of the ball. The No. 4 seed can find success from anywhere on the floor – although they don’t utilize the long ball too often – and whether it’s inside or out, the Gryphons will be a threat to rack up the points during their over 68 field goal attempts per game. Despite their offensive prowess, Guelph doesn’t boast a scorer above the 12 point per game mark. They do, however, have five players averaging over nine points per contest, led by Sarah Holmes (11.6 PPG), showing that balance is the name of the game for the Gryphs. Clearly, the team approach has worked well for Guelph, especially of late, as the team enters the postseason winners of six straight. The club has elevated their play in February, exploding for over 77 points per game this month, and if the Gryphons want to maintain a lengthy stay in the postseason, they’ll need to keep up this elevated scoring, passing, rebounding, and beyond.
Tipping off against the Gryphons will be the Western Mustangs, who are a sharp-shooting squad to say the least. The Mustangs rank 3rd in the OUA in shooting percentage (38.8); a mark that extends beyond the arc as well, where Western ranks 6th. But while Western shoots the ball well, they also allow their opponents to do the same, which suggests fans may witness a bit of a shootout in this first round tilt. Helping the purple ponies to keep pace on Wednesday will be Mackenzie Puklicz, who checks in with 18 PPG. Julia Curran and Maddy Horst have also proven to be difference-makers on offense, and will surely need to keep up their scoring efforts to support Western’s postseason efforts.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to face the West Division’s top seed, McMaster Marauders.
Season Series:
Jan. 17: Guelph 58 Western 64
Feb. 17: Western 76 Guelph 85
East Division
No. 6 Toronto Varsity Blues (11-12) vs. No. 3 Ottawa Gee-Gees (15-8)
The Gee-Gees played their way to a 15-win campaign and the East Division’s No. 3 seed can thank their defensive efforts for that strong finish. Ottawa finished in the top seven of just about every defensive category this season, led by their stingy 3rd ranked 56.8 points per game allowed. The Gee-Gees limit teams to just 34.1% shooting and don’t allow for many second chance opportunities thanks to their over 26 defensive rebounds per game. The team also prevents their opposition from getting their scoring chances with almost 11 steals per game – led by 2+ per contest from each of Brooklyn McAlear-Fanus, Amelie Hachey, and Kellie Forand – and 3.4 blocks per contest. Since the calendar turned to December, the Gee-Gees have done well to lift their play each month in several key offensive categories, meanwhile, and if the likes of leading scorers Hachey and Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu can keep up this elevated play, the Gee-Gees can gallop their way to a strong push for the Critelli Cup.
The Varsity Blues ranked middle of the pack in terms of offense during the regular season – something that the team’s leading scorer Keyira Parkes (16.8 PPG) will look to ramp up in the postseason – but they do offer teams a noteworthy test on the defensive end. Toronto ranks in the top ten in points per game allowed (63) and limits teams to just 35.2 FG% and 24.8 3PT%. Beyond these proficiencies, the Blues are also able to take care of the ball, committing just 16.4 turnovers per contest. If the team wants to go beyond just protecting the ball to make more of a splash on offense, they can turn to their three-point shooting proficiency, which had them ranked 2nd in the OUA this season (31.3 3PT%). Overall, the Blues can certainly turn to their February performance as a blueprint for their postseason success, as they will enter the quest for the cup on a six-game winning streak and a sizzling 71.8 PPG mark in the month.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to face the second seed in the East Division – Queen’s Gaels.
Season Series:
Jan. 5: Toronto 44 Ottawa 61
Jan. 27: Ottawa 53 Toronto 62
No. 5 York Lions (11-12) vs. No. 4 Ryerson Rams (13-10)
The Ryerson Rams put forth a strong campaign during the regular season, and if they are able to keep up their impressive offensive pace in the postseason, their quest for the cup could be a long one. Anchored by senior forward Sofia Paska (2nd in OUA scoring), the Rams boast one of the top offensive units in the game, scoring 72.1 points per contest. They are the most efficient at shooting the ball – with a conference-leading mark of 40.6 FG% - and can do so successfully from inside the paint, beyond the arc, and at the charity stripe. Not only can the Rams get after teams on offense, but they can also wear their opponents down on the glass. Ryerson has played their way to a +9 rebounding differential per contest, thanks in large part to their nearly 45 boards per game; a mark that includes success on the defensive and offensive glass. Once again, it’s Paska who helps lead this charge with her 9.3 RPG average, which goes to show that if the Rams want to be at their best, Paska is a key cog in the machine.
The Lions will look to counterpunch with a strong defensive unit to slow down the Rams. York does sit eighth with 64.7 points per game, but if they want to outperform their sub .500 regular season record, they’ll surely need their defensive effort to be a driving force. The No. 5 seed finished in the top three in both steals (12.3) and blocks (4.2) per game, while also finishing in the top ten in points allowed. Much of this success has come from senior Lindsay Shotbolt. The forward contributes across the board for the Lions, as she leads the team in scoring (16.4), rebounding (12.3), steals (2.1), and blocks (1.7). She is one of the most electric players in the conference – along with Wednesday’s counterpart Paska – and it will surely be a matchup to watch straight from tip-off to the final buzzer. Beyond Shotbolt, York has also found great success not only at the free throw line, but in getting to the charity stripe, so they’d do well to keep up that trend against the Rams to put up some additional points in their first round tilt.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to face the East Division’s No. 1 seeded Carleton Ravens.
Season Series:
Jan. 17: York 89 Ryerson 78
Feb. 7: Ryerson 75 York 79
