February 20, 2009
OUA PLAYOFF PUSH: WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
HAMILTON, Ont. - Eight teams remain in the hunt for an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's basketball championship, with the OUA playoffs resuming on Saturday with quarter-final action.
The OUA women's basketball playoffs are presented by Investors Group.
No. 2 nationally-ranked Windsor Lancers get their first taste of the post-season against the Laurier Golden Hawks after earning a bye in the opening round. The Lancers sport OUA's top record of 21-1, including a 9-1 mark at home.
The Lancers won both meetings against the Golden Hawks this season by margins of 16 and 29 points. Fourth-year forward Alisa Wulff (Pickering, Ont.) was a force for Windsor in both of these games, scoring a combined 36 points as well as a double-double in one of the contests. Third-year guard Dranadia Roc (Montreal, Que.) will also have to be contained by Laurier, scoring 31 points against the Golden Hawks in 2008-09. Roc finished with a team-high 315 points this season.
The Golden Hawks (12-11) clipped the Lakehead Thunderwolves 62-58 in their opening round playoff game on Wednesday. Laurier third-year post player Renata Adamczyk (Dundas, Ont.) had a typical game by her standards, netting a game-high 24 points. She finished in the Top 10 in OUA scoring this regular season with 309 points.
In other West Division quarter-final action, the Western Mustangs (17-5) host the defending OUA champion McMaster Marauders (15-8). McMaster hung on to defeat the Guelph Gryphons 72-69 in an opening round game on Wednesday, as fourth-year point guard Taylor Smith scored a game-high 21 points. Teammates Taylor Chiarot and Amanda D'Ortenzio reached double digits with 18 and 13 points respectively. All three players are from Hamilton, Ont.
The trio will need to be on their game, as Western fourth-year forward Bess Lennox (Ottawa, Ont.) will likely gobble up any rebounds that come her way. Lennox set a new OUA regular season record with 270 boards, including 195 on the defensive end. McMaster will also have to contend with fourth-year guard Amanda Anderson (Dover Centre, Ont.), who was the West Division leader in points with 355, four better than teammate Lennox.
Western swept both regular season meetings against the Marauders in 2008-09, including a 56-38 road victory on Feb. 11.
In East Division quarter-final action, the upstart Ryerson Rams (10-13) travel across town to visit the Toronto Varsity Blues (17-5). Ryerson pulled off an upset 74-60 victory against the Laurentian Lady Vees in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday, as the Rams were the only road team to win in the playoffs thus far. Three players produced double digit point totals for the Rams this game, including third-year guard Jenny Hobbs (Burlington, Ont.) with 15, fourth-year forward Rebecca Cox (Renfrew, Ont.) with 12, and fourth-year guard Lacey O'Sullivan (Port Colborne, Ont.) with 11. Hobbs' total was a game-high.
The Varsity Blues finished with the top mark in the East this season and are led by the best one-two punch in OUA women's basketball in fourth-year guard Alaine Hutton (Hamilton, Ont.) and third-year forward Nicki Schutz (Toronto, Ont.), who together combined for 754 points during the regular season. Schutz was second in OUA rebounding with 258 boards.
Both teams split a home-and-home series to begin the regular season, with Ryerson winning 72-65 on Oct. 31 and Toronto responding with a 74-40 victory the following day.
In the final quarter-final game, the Battle of Ottawa resumes as the Carleton Ravens (15-8) visit the Ottawa Gee-Gees (15-7). Despite finishing with a worse regular season record, the Ravens have had Ottawa's number, winning four straight against their cross-town rivals.
The Ravens defeated the Queen's Gaels 53-42 in the opening round last Wednesday. Second-year forward Ashleigh Clearly (Kemptville, Ont.) earned a double-double in the contest with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
This game features the top two three-point shooters in the province. Gee-Gees third-year guard Kelly Weir (Ottawa, Ont.) shot an OUA-high 42.6 percent from beyond the arc, while Carleton third-year guard Kelly Killoran (Sarnia, Ont.) averaged 40.7 percent. Killoran had 50 three-pointers in total.
The winners of the quarter-final games advance to their respective division semi-finals, scheduled for Wed., Feb. 25.
OUA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL QUARTER-FINALS
Sat., Feb. 21
1 p.m. McMaster @ Western
3 p.m. Carleton @ Ottawa
4 p.m. Laurier @ Windsor
6 p.m. Ryerson @ Toronto
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
Photo Credit: Michael P. Hall
The OUA women's basketball playoffs are presented by Investors Group.
No. 2 nationally-ranked Windsor Lancers get their first taste of the post-season against the Laurier Golden Hawks after earning a bye in the opening round. The Lancers sport OUA's top record of 21-1, including a 9-1 mark at home.
The Lancers won both meetings against the Golden Hawks this season by margins of 16 and 29 points. Fourth-year forward Alisa Wulff (Pickering, Ont.) was a force for Windsor in both of these games, scoring a combined 36 points as well as a double-double in one of the contests. Third-year guard Dranadia Roc (Montreal, Que.) will also have to be contained by Laurier, scoring 31 points against the Golden Hawks in 2008-09. Roc finished with a team-high 315 points this season.
The Golden Hawks (12-11) clipped the Lakehead Thunderwolves 62-58 in their opening round playoff game on Wednesday. Laurier third-year post player Renata Adamczyk (Dundas, Ont.) had a typical game by her standards, netting a game-high 24 points. She finished in the Top 10 in OUA scoring this regular season with 309 points.
In other West Division quarter-final action, the Western Mustangs (17-5) host the defending OUA champion McMaster Marauders (15-8). McMaster hung on to defeat the Guelph Gryphons 72-69 in an opening round game on Wednesday, as fourth-year point guard Taylor Smith scored a game-high 21 points. Teammates Taylor Chiarot and Amanda D'Ortenzio reached double digits with 18 and 13 points respectively. All three players are from Hamilton, Ont.
The trio will need to be on their game, as Western fourth-year forward Bess Lennox (Ottawa, Ont.) will likely gobble up any rebounds that come her way. Lennox set a new OUA regular season record with 270 boards, including 195 on the defensive end. McMaster will also have to contend with fourth-year guard Amanda Anderson (Dover Centre, Ont.), who was the West Division leader in points with 355, four better than teammate Lennox.
Western swept both regular season meetings against the Marauders in 2008-09, including a 56-38 road victory on Feb. 11.
In East Division quarter-final action, the upstart Ryerson Rams (10-13) travel across town to visit the Toronto Varsity Blues (17-5). Ryerson pulled off an upset 74-60 victory against the Laurentian Lady Vees in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday, as the Rams were the only road team to win in the playoffs thus far. Three players produced double digit point totals for the Rams this game, including third-year guard Jenny Hobbs (Burlington, Ont.) with 15, fourth-year forward Rebecca Cox (Renfrew, Ont.) with 12, and fourth-year guard Lacey O'Sullivan (Port Colborne, Ont.) with 11. Hobbs' total was a game-high.
The Varsity Blues finished with the top mark in the East this season and are led by the best one-two punch in OUA women's basketball in fourth-year guard Alaine Hutton (Hamilton, Ont.) and third-year forward Nicki Schutz (Toronto, Ont.), who together combined for 754 points during the regular season. Schutz was second in OUA rebounding with 258 boards.
Both teams split a home-and-home series to begin the regular season, with Ryerson winning 72-65 on Oct. 31 and Toronto responding with a 74-40 victory the following day.
In the final quarter-final game, the Battle of Ottawa resumes as the Carleton Ravens (15-8) visit the Ottawa Gee-Gees (15-7). Despite finishing with a worse regular season record, the Ravens have had Ottawa's number, winning four straight against their cross-town rivals.
The Ravens defeated the Queen's Gaels 53-42 in the opening round last Wednesday. Second-year forward Ashleigh Clearly (Kemptville, Ont.) earned a double-double in the contest with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
This game features the top two three-point shooters in the province. Gee-Gees third-year guard Kelly Weir (Ottawa, Ont.) shot an OUA-high 42.6 percent from beyond the arc, while Carleton third-year guard Kelly Killoran (Sarnia, Ont.) averaged 40.7 percent. Killoran had 50 three-pointers in total.
The winners of the quarter-final games advance to their respective division semi-finals, scheduled for Wed., Feb. 25.
OUA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL QUARTER-FINALS
Sat., Feb. 21
1 p.m. McMaster @ Western
3 p.m. Carleton @ Ottawa
4 p.m. Laurier @ Windsor
6 p.m. Ryerson @ Toronto
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
Photo Credit: Michael P. Hall
