Women’s basketball: Wolves succumb to the Loyalist Lancers

The Loyalist Lancers defeated the Algonquin Wolves 68-53 at the Jack Doyle Athletics Centre on Feb. 13.

Going in the Wolves knew the game would not be a walk in the park. The Lancers came in with a record of 13-0, and this win brought it to 14-0.

While the first-place Lancers have been on a roll, the Wolves came into the game with a win against Seneca and a loss against Georgian.

The Wolves struggled from the field, shooting 32.7 per cent, and from the three-point line at 20 per cent. However, they flourished at the free-throw line, shooting 80.8 per cent.

Turnovers and offensive struggles played a significant role in the Wolves loss. The Wolves had 15 turnovers, compared to the Loyalists’ 12, creating scoring opportunities for the Lancers. However, the Wolves’ strong defensive effort led to 36 rebounds.

The final minutes saw Loyalist hit timely shots to stay in front, while Algonquin couldn’t quite capitalize on key possessions to tie or take the lead.

The Wolves’ head coach, Jaime McLean, said the team’s inability to capitalize on scoring chances played a major role in the defeat.

“We did a few good things defensively to limit their scoring, but missed a few too many chances on the offensive end to be able to take control of the game,” McLean said.

Guard Cianah Miller, who scored 28 points in the game, said the loss will serve as a learning opportunity for her and her teammates.

“We take this loss as a lesson, learn from our mistakes and breakdowns and correct them during the next game,” Miller said.

Although the Wolves came up short in this matchup, they bounced back in a big way the following day with a key win over St. Lawrence College, 92-26. That victory secured a home playoff qualifying game against Conestoga College, giving them the opportunity to keep their season alive on home court.