Wolves women’s basketball team remains undefeated after five games

The women’s basketball game ended with the Algonquin Wolves beating the Loyalist Lancers 66-39 at the Jack Doyle Athletics & Recreation Centre on Nov. 9, keeping the Wolves’ undefeated streak going.

“We want to make it to the gold medal game this year. We got bronze in the first year and silver last year,” said Leah Hirst, Algonquin Wolves guard. “We want gold this year, that’s the end game goal. Potentially nationals after that.”

Both sides started the game strong, but the Wolves were more strategic in their approach, scoring eight points in the first three minutes.

Wolves forward Libby Hirst made a jump shot at the start of the first quarter immediately scoring two points. She consistently made shots through the quarter.

The first quarter of the game ended with the Wolves ahead 16-8.

At the start of the second quarter, Lancers guard missed a three-pointer but made up for it with a successful layup.

Wolves guard Kate Dahmer steered a strong offence to match the team’s impressive defence, helping her squad end the second quarter with a 17-point lead.

“We knew they were going to come off strong, they’re a tough team,” said Lancers guard Priya Bhullar. “We weren’t going to let them walk all over us. We were ready to fight.”

As the Lancers spirit stayed alive, they continued to push the Wolves in the third quarter.

Within the first few seconds, Wolves guard Sydney Moore made a layup.

“We play better in the second half,” said Leah Hirst. “But we need to pick up our defence and communicate more.”

The Wolves continued to lead by the end of the third quarter, 51-21.

As the final quarter began, the plan was clear for both sides. The Wolves would focus on a coordinated defence while the Lancers push for victory.

Callahan continued to put herself to work against the Wolves but couldn’t carry her team to victory.

“Grace Callahan, kind of our heartbeat, she gave us a spark,” said Caleb Hugh, the Lancers’ head coach. “We’re young, we’re still learning and it’s good to be challenged like this”

“I like our group, we have a good attitude and we’re still learning, so it’s all about the next one and getting better every game,” said Hugh. “This might not have been our best game, but we’ll be better in the next one.”

As the game ended, the fun didn’t stop at the final buzzer. Algonquin Wolves head coach Jamie McLean dyed his beard pink to support the breast cancer fundraiser “Shoot for the Cure” by the Canadian Cancer Society.

The cause is personal for the Wolves women’s basketball team and others. Last year, the team almost raised $5,000. This year, the team raised over $3,500.

“It’s really important for us to do something else other than just play basketball,” said McLean. “The cause being so close to home for the team is something we really want to be pushing.”