AROUND OUA: No. 4 Ravens demolish No. 1 McMaster in landslide victory

SCOREBOARD

McMaster 51 @ Carleton 77

Western 57 @ Toronto 70

Brock 64 @ Ottawa 79

Nipissing 62 @ Laurier 94

Algoma 33 @ Queen's 73

Laurentian 57 @ Waterloo 55

York 62 @ Guelph 71

No. 4 Ravens demolish No. 1 McMaster in landslide victory

OTTAWA, ON — In a highly anticipated battle between two of the country's top women's basketball programs, the No. 4 ranked Carleton Ravens delivered a crushing defeat to the national No. 1 McMaster Marauders, 77-51, at the Ravens' Nest on Saturday.

BOX SCORE

McMaster entered the marquee U Sports matchup with an unblemished 6-0 OUA regular season mark, but a feisty and aggressive Ravens team overwhelmed the Marauders on both ends of the floor to win the 'Battle of the Birds'.

Ravens forward Heather Lindsay (Ottawa, ON) had a vintage double-double performance, ending the contest with a game-high 25 points and 17 rebounds.

Carleton exploded out of the gate to take a 14-4 advantage midway through the first, however, McMaster stormed back with a 13-0 run to take a 17-14 lead.

The Ravens looked to get Heather Lindsay involved early and often, and the fourth-year forward made the most of her touches with 10 points in the quarter to match her game total from Carleton's win over Brock just 24 hours earlier.

Both the Ravens and Marauders shot 50 percent in the opening quarter, but Carleton took a slender 20-19 score into the next frame.

Carleton's interior defence sparked a strong second quarter effort, as Heather Lindsay, Catherine Traer (Chelsea, QC) and Elizabeth Leblanc (London, ON) each provided rim protection with massive blocks in the paint. The Ravens outscored McMaster 18-8 in the period, holding the Marauders to 3-of-14 (21.4%) from the field for the 38-27 upper hand at the intermission.

With an 11-point cushion after two, the Ravens stunned McMaster in the third, blowing the game wide open with an aerial assault led by Jenjen Abella (Hamilton, ON). The fourth-year guard buried three triples on her hometown school in the quarter and the Ravens went on an 18-0 scoring run to take a commanding lead, 59-30. The Ravens posted 5 threes on the scoresheet in the third, leaving the Marauders in disarray and trailing 63-38 heading into the fourth.

Carleton would finish off the Marauders in the last quarter by edging them on the scoreboard, 14-13, and leaving the visitors with plenty to think about on their long bus ride back to Steeltown.

McMaster was averaging 78.0 points per game entering the contest, but Ravens' suffocating defence held their opponents in check and reduced one of the country's best offences to its lowest scoring total this season.

The Ravens absolutely dominated on the glass, owning a 50-27 rebounding margin over McMaster, and outscoring the Marauders 19-6 on second-chance points.

Jenjen Abella had her best display in a Carleton uniform by finishing with 18 points (6-9 FG, 4-7 3PT FG) and 4 assists, while Elizabeth Leblanc put together a solid outing with 12 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the regular season. Forward Catherine Traer added 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.

McMaster's leading scorer Danielle Boiago tallied a team-high 12 points, which fell short of her season average of 20.8 PPG.

Carleton's last victory over a No.1 ranked opponent came against the Windsor Lancers on November 1, 2013 in the opening game of the 2013-14 season.

Based on their decisive win over the Marauders, the Ravens will certainly receive some serious consideration for the top spot in the next national rankings.

With a record of 4-1 heading into the OUA's holiday schedule break, the Ravens will look to stay in current form as they travel out to Eastern Canada to participate in the 2016 Thunder Selects Tournament hosted by Saint Mary's University in Halifax, NS. Carleton opens the tournament with a game against AUS opponent Dalhousie on December 28.

Source: Carleton Ravens

Edwards shines in win over Western

Four players hit double digits as the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team defeated the Western Mustangs 70-57 on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 3) at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
 
With the win, the Blues head into the December exam break with a 4-4 record in third place in the OUA East division.
 
Fourth-year guard Diedre Edwards earned player of the game honours after notching 10 points, eight steals, seven assists and five rebounds on the day.
 
Sophomore standout Keyira Parkes co-led the Blues with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals, while fourth-year forward Emily Piccini also had 15 points, four steals and three boards. Fifth-year veteran Alanna Garner ended with 14 points and four boards in the win.
 
The Blues got out to an early 10-2 lead thanks to two three-pointers from Parkes, but the Mustangs battled back to take a 19-16 lead after the first quarter. The second quarter was a back and forth battle and a final three from Garner brought the Blues within one (32-31) at halftime.
 
Toronto opened the third quarter on a dominant 11-4 run and outscored the Mustangs 27-13 to take the lead for good. The Blues were up 58-45 heading into the final frame.
   
Fifth-year guard Meredith McLeod led all players with 17 points, while Mackenzie Puklicz had 14 points. Victoria Heine tallied a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards in the loss.
 
The Varsity Blues return to action in the New Year as they host the Guelph Gryphons on Friday, January 6 at Goldring Centre. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues

Gee-Gees bounce back with win over Badgers

The uOttawa Gee-Gees women's basketball team came from behind to win against the Brock Badgers 79-64 on Saturday night at Montpetit Hall. After the weekend the team now boasts a 4-1 regular season record.

The bench was a huge factor for the Garnet and Grey, with 48 points coming from outside of the starting lineup. In particular, first-year Amelie Hachey was a revelation, scoring 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting.

Brock started the game at full speed, leaving Ottawa down by thirteen points just minutes into the game. Undeterred and thirsty for a basket, uOttawa third-year Jennifer Crowe made a jump shot, ending a scoreless three minute stretch for uOttawa. Hachey entered the game with under two minutes to go, and helped close the gap by contributing five points.  

The Gee-Gees pushed back in the second quarter, closing the gap to within five points of Brocks lead. With just under five minutes to go, Julia Dostaler mades a big steal on point guard and conference all-star Bridget Atkinson, giving the Gee-Gees an easy two points. "From when it was 34-17 the swing there was almost 40-points," explains Ottawa head coach Andy Sparks on the team's comeback.

At the start of the third quarter, veteran Katherine Lemoine's 6-foot-2 inch presence was felt on the court as she again opens up the scoring for uOttawa with an easy basket off the glass. Lemoine then showed her experience by switching it up in the next play with a beautiful assist to second-year Brooklynn MacAlear. Julia Soriano tied it up at 41 points with seven minutes left to play in the quarter. uOttawa then then went on an eight-point run to take the lead for the first time in the game.

Sarah Besselink drained her shot from distance to open up the fourth quarter for uOttawa. Brooklyn MacAlear read Brock's Bridget Atkinson dribbling, stealing the ball and making her jump shot. Hachey went on a 6-point run midway through the period, finalizing the win for uOttawa after sinking her last shot from distance of the game. Head Coach Andy Sparks highlighted the play of third-year Julia Dostaler, "She was exceptional, she had a great game. She did a great job guarding Atkinson."

"Overall I think it was a good effort by the girls. They responded well after the first twelve minutes of not very good basketball," continued Sparks. "It was really style of play, the players decided to play the style that best suited our team."

Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees

Golden Hawks rolls into break with win over Lakers

WATERLOO, Ont. (December 3, 2016) – The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's basketball team moved into a tie for first place in the conference thanks to a 94-62 win over the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday night at the Athletic Complex.

Playing their final game before the holiday break, the Hawks (7-2) used another strong shooting performance to post their seventh win of the season, tying them with the Windsor Lancers (7-1) for most in the OUA.

A night after pouring in 12 three pointers against the Laurentian Voyageurs, the Hawks repeated the feat, matching their highest output of the season. Rookie guard Brianna Iannazzo of Thornhill, Ont., led the barrage from deep as she hit six of her nine attempts, helping her to equal her career high with 20 points. She also added four steals and three rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.

Veteran guards Nicole Morrison of Hamilton, and Kaitlyn Schenck of Kitchener, Ont., continued their strong play as well, using multiple trips to the free throw line to finish with 18 and 17 points respectively. Morrison hit eight of her 10 attempts, while adding seven rebounds, four assists and three steals while Schenck was 6-of-9 from the line, along with five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Sarah Dillon of Welland, Ont., also shot well from three-point range, connecting three times to finish with a season-best 13 points.

Nipissing, who came into the contest fresh off their first win of the season, were led by Jamie Soffer of Kanata, Ont., who had a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Claire Abbott of Whitehorse, chipped in with 16 points but the rest of the Lakers lineup combined to score just 21 points.

Laurier will now be off for the holiday break and will resume conference play on Friday, January 6, 2017 when they host the No. 4 Carleton Ravens (4-1).

The game will be the Hawks fourth against a nationally-ranked opponent this season and the purple and gold own a 1-2 record in their previous three games.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Athletic Complex.

NOTES: The 94 points for Laurier is the fifth-most scored in a single game in team history…the output is the most in a single game since Laurier scored 95 against Royal Military College back in 2007…the Hawks seven wins leave them two shy of their season total from a year ago

Source: Laurier Golden Hawks

Pearson moves into 10th in OUA all-time rebounding, No. 6 Gaels top Thunderbirds 73-33

KINGSTON, Ont. (December 3, 2016) - Robyn Pearson entered the top 10 in OUA all-time rebounding, and the U Sports No. 6 ranked Queen's Gaels women's basketball team maintain its unblemished conference record heading into the holiday break, defeating the Algoma Thunderbirds 73-33 on Saturday evening at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC). The Gaels are now the only OUA squad yet to lose a game this season.
 
Pearson picked up a double-double, draining 11 points and bringing down a game-high 11 rebounds, moving past Renata Adamczyk and into 10th place on the all-time OUA conference rebounding list.
 
Veronika Lavergne (Kingston) dropped a game-high 14 rebounds and added seven assists, while Emily Hazlett added 10 points and six assists for the Gaels (6-0), who remain undefeated in conference play. The Thunderbirds (1-7) were led by Carriera Lamoureux, who picked up eight points and six rebounds in a losing cause.  
 
GAME FLOW
The Gaels used four different scorers to jump out to an early 8-2 lead in the early portion of the first, but then missed their next six shots. The Thunderbirds responded with a 7-0 run that included consecutive three-point buckets by Karina Cole to give the guests a one-point lead.
 
A running lay-up by Hazlett (Fredericton, N.B.) was followed by a post-up by Lavergne gave the hosts a 16-12 lead at the end of an opening quarter where the teams combined to commit 11 turnovers.
 
The Gaels clamped down on the Thunderbirds offence in the second, as the visitors did not notch their first points just over the halfway mark of the period. Algoma went nearly nine minutes between baskets spreading back to the first quarter.
 
Meanwhile, a rare three-pointer from the veteran post Pearson (Toronto) gave the Gaels a nine-point lead. Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont.) notched a three late in the half, and the hosts held the Thunderbirds to five points in the period to go into the half-time break with a 30-17 advantage.
 
Queen's spread the lead to 19 within the first three minutes of the third quarter, as Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.) hit a three-point bucket, which was followed by a lay-up and made foul shot from Lavergne. Pearson picked up a rebound, and put-back soon after to push the lead up to 21. The hosts led by 26 after three quarters.
 
The Gaels slowly built the lead against a Thunderbird squad that only had eight players dressed for Saturday evening's contest, allowing Coach Dave Wilson to take his starters out of the contest with over six minutes remaining in regulation.
 
The women end the fall portion of their schedule atop the OUA East division, and enter the holiday break as the only undefeated squad in the conference after the McMaster Marauders lost to Carleton on Saturday night.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
738- Robyn Pearson's career total in rebounds
23- The number of rebounds Pearson needs to move into ninth place on the all-time list
42.1%- The Gaels three-point field goal percentage (8-19), their second highest of the season and well above their season average (31.9%)
 
FINAL SAY
Dave Wilson On the victory: "We started a bit slow but once we turned up the intensity on defence that made all the difference in the world."
 
On Robyn Pearson entering the OUA's top ten in all-time rebounding: "Robyn is the quintessential rebounder. She led the country in rebounding last season. She has a great knack for pursuing the basketball and it's one of the things she does extremely well, and enjoys doing it!"
 
On the first half of the season: "We are obviously pleased with being 6-0, but will still focus on improving those things that are going to make us better. We also have a tougher schedule in the winter term and are playing some of the more top teams in the conference, but I am happy with where we are right now."
 
UP NEXT
The women head to Halifax, N.S. from December 28 to 30 for the Thunder Selects Holiday Classic, which is hosted by Saint Mary's.
 
Queen's returns to conference action on January 6 and 7, when they hit the road to take on the Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers respectively.

The Gaels resume their home schedule the following weekend, hosting Ryerson and Toronto at the ARC.

Source: Queen's Gaels

Voyageurs defeat Wariors for first win

Ending a seven-game losing streak, the Laurentian Voyageurs made their comeback in a nail-biting game against the Waterloo Warriors. The Laurentian Voyageurs women's basketball team secured the win by a slim 2 points, beating the Warriors 57-55.

The first half quarter saw the Warriors quickly take the lead, ending the period with the Vees down by 8 points. With a new energy, the Voyageurs stepped up their offense and defense in the second period, taking the lead at the end of the quarter. Meghan Forestell was on fire, leading the Vees by scoring 14 of their 27 points in the first half.

Into the third quarter, both teams came back ready to fight it out, but the Warriors were able to steal back their lead. The final quarter was full of intensity as both teams put their heart into coming out on top. In a nail-biting last few seconds, both teams were tied until Kayla Deschatelets scored a buzzer-beating 2 points, that bumped Laurentian ahead of Waterloo and winning the game 57-55.

Source: Laurentian Voyageurs

Gryphons beat York to earn first win of 2016-17 season

GUELPH, ON – The goose egg is gone.
 
It didn't go willingly, or quietly, but it's gone.
 
The Guelph Gryphons got their first win of the 2016-17 OUA women's basketball season, holding off the York Lions 71-62 on Saturday night at the W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre.
 
The Lions made a determined charge late in the fourth quarter, trimming a 14-point deficit to only five points with just over a minute left. But Megan Brenkel iced the game for the Gryphs, making four key free throws in the final 11 seconds.
 
Brenkel played 38 of 40 minutes for the Gryphs, but she had lots left in the tank as the clock ticked down. She said she's often more tired in practice, where the team works on free throws with a "do or die" drill that forces them to run if they don't make their shots.
 
"That's prepared me a lot, and our team in general, helping us to be strong when we're tired," said the third-year guard from Thornhill, ON. "We've definitely been prepared, and this win means a lot to us."
 
It's been a tough first half of the season for the Gryphs, who dropped five straight contests entering Saturday's game. But head coach Mark Walton pointed out that three of those losses came against top-ranked teams.
 
He's been seeing improvement, and he said he knew it was only a matter of time before the Gryphs broke through.
 
"Without question, we've had the toughest draw of any of the OUA schools," he said. "It's baptism by fire for our players. They're so young, and it's very much a rebuilding year, but it's a rebuilding year with expectations, too."
 
Brenkel and her teammates know this, and they've used those expectations to stay motivated.
 
"We've had a lot of tough games," she said, "but we've used it as a learning tool, knowing that we're a young team and we have lots of room for growth and lots of potential.
 
"So we just continue to motivate each other day in and day out, pushing each other through practice and knowing that it's anybody's game to take. We're the underdogs, but we'll just fight every single night until we come out on top."
 
That was the story on Saturday. The Gryphs led 23-12 after one quarter, but struggled through a second quarter that saw York go on a 14-2 run and get right back into the game. The score was 38-31 at halftime.
 
Guelph reasserted itself with a strong third quarter, and continued to dominate in the final period. The Gryphs led 67-53 with five minutes left, but the Lions refused to fold and began chipping away, scoring nine straight points before Brenkel put the contest out of reach.
 
"She's really starting to play aggressively now, and as a point guard you have to be able to do that, to run the show and not step back," Walton said of Brenkel, who scored a game-high 16 points.
 
He noted that second-year players Ashley Wheeler and Sarah Holmes also had strong games. Wheeler picked up 15 points, four assists, four blocks and three steals, while Holmes added 10 points and five assists; they played 40 and 34 minutes, respectively.
 
"We just rely so heavily on them, because they're our biggest threats," Walton said.
 
Haley Belyk scored nine points for the Gryphs, now 1-5 in the OUA Central Division, while Samantha Renshaw added seven.
 
Ishanaa Seupersadsin scored 16 points for the Lions, who are also now 1-5. They play in the OUA East Division.
 
This was the Gryphs' final game before the holiday break, and also their last game in the Mitchell Centre. When they return to action in January, it'll be in the new Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
 
"It's going to be amazing. We're extremely excited. Now, the competition is to see who can score the first basket in the new facility," said Brenkel, who can claim to have scored the last basket for a women's team in the Mitchell Centre.
 
"It's a nice way to send off the old building, and hopefully we'll pick it up from there in the new one," Walton added.
 
"I think we are continuing to grow and learn. They're not sure yet about some of the stuff I'm trying to get them to do, so it's a learning curve for them and for me, but I think it's starting to get there."

Source: Guelph Gryphons