Women’s basketball: Wolves cruise past George Brown on Senior Night
The Wolves women’s basketball team delivered a commanding 70-31 win over the George Brown Huskies on Jan. 31, keeping their unbeaten streak alive with a decisive victory at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
It was another impressive performance from the Wolves as they came out to an early lead in the first quarter and pressed the advantage, quickly taking control of the game.
The Wolves’ defence was frenetic, characteristic of most of their season, cutting passing lanes, getting 15 steals and dominating the glass, out-rebounding George Brown 41-28.
The victory demonstrated excellent ball movement and teamwork, as the team dished out 22 assists.
It was an emotional game as eight senior players played their final regular season home game with the Wolves.
Before the game, head coach Jaime McLean paid tribute to the eight seniors. Fans applauded as he acknowledged each of the seniors’ unique contributions to the team.
In a speech, McLean said: “Coaching all of them has been a privilege. Watching them grow, not just as players but as young leaders, has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career.”
The graduating seniors include team leaders Dasia McDonald and Sydney Moore, who have been key to the Wolves’ success over their time on the team.
“This group is really special. They’ve come in starting right after COVID-19, with a short half-season, and they’ve built from there,” McLean said after the game. “They’ve built such an amazing team chemistry and team culture. It’s really special. So to see this group come through and what they’ve built up, it’s tough to see it go away.”
The other graduating players are Siena Lesaux, Chloe Lapointe, Libby Hirst, Piper Hatherall, Meaghan McNamara and Madison Robert.
Hatherall shined in the game with a season-high 19 points, along with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Hatherall drained several impressive mid-range jumpers and some difficult contested layups in the paint, all on an efficient 60 per cent shooting.
Cianah Miller also played a key role, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, with six rebounds and five assists, while Libby Hirst contributed to the home victory with 10 rebounds and eight points.
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Wolves are gearing up for the post-season.
“The West is a much more competitive conference, so we’re amping up to play tougher games,” said Hatherall. “But I think playoffs will go well, and I think provincials will go well. I think all of us really want that gold this year, so we’re definitely going to make that extra push.”
Hirst also expressed her excitement about heading into the post-season.
“All the teams in the West are of a higher calibre than the teams in the East, it feels like, so it’ll just be new challenges for us, which is kind of exciting, just to see what we can really do,” said Hirst.
