Women’s basketball: Wolves battle past Lions, advance to the semi-finals
The Wolves women’s basketball team finally tamed the Lambton Lions, winning 59-45 in a dramatic quarter-final victory on Feb. 22 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
It was a familiar matchup for both teams, having faced off in their last two Ontario Colleges Athletic Association playoffs, with Lambton eliminating the Wolves both times. However, the Wolves finally got their long-awaited revenge with a hard-fought win.
“It’s such a satisfying feeling. The two years previous we’ve lost to them so going into it I was kind of nervous, but I think this is something we deserve,” said Wolves forward Piper Hatherall. “Our team is a lot more mature this year and it really shows in the way that we played today and how we came together.”
Early in the game, Lambton demonstrated it was not going to be easy for the Wolves, quickly taking the lead and holding the Wolves to only eight points in the first quarter. Leading the charge was Lambton’s Breanna Pretty scoring 11 points in the first half.
However, the Wolves rallied back with an explosive second quarter, going on a huge run to get ahead of the Lions. The Wolves’ charge was driven by Dasia McDonald, who scored 14 of the team’s 22 points during the second quarter.
“Full credit to Lambton. They’re a very good team. And our girls, as much as it was a tricky start, stuck to the game plan, realized what we needed to do, and just pushed,” said Wolves head coach Jaime McLean.
Once again, it was the Wolves’ defence that turned the tide of the game, grabbing 11 steals and putting relentless defensive pressure on Lambton. Dominance on the glass was also crucial, with the Wolves out-rebounding Lambton 47-34.
After halftime, Lambton found their rhythm on defence again, holding the Wolves to just six points in a low-scoring third quarter.
When the fourth quarter rolled around, the Wolves took back control of the game, shutting Lambton down on both ends of the court.
Hatherall was key to securing the victory, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the second half.
But undoubtedly it was McDonald who was the standout player in the game, finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals. The OCAA East Division player of the year was electrifying, and no matter how difficult the game became, it seemed the Wolves could always rely on McDonald to know where to steer the ship next.
The Wolves’ high-scoring fourth quarter put them comfortably out of reach of Lambton. When the final buzzer went off, the Wolves erupted in celebration at half-court, marking a significant and long-sought-after victory.
“To finally get over the hump with them is incredible. They are a fantastic team. They’re very well-coached, they fight hard,” said McLean.
The Wolves will now host the OCAA final four women’s basketball championship and hope to win Algonquin’s first gold medal in basketball since the 2013-2014 season.
The Wolves return on Feb. 28 for a semi-final matchup against the Humber Hawks at 7:30 p.m. at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
“These girls are hungry. They want this. Getting to the gold medal game last year and not having the opportunity to get it, they want that chance again,” said McLean. “What they want most is cutting down the net in this gym.”
