The women’s basketball team played two games on the road this weekend, against the York Lions and Laurentian Voyageurs. On Friday, the Gaels took on York, ultimately beating the Lions 66-44.The Gaels had an uncertain start, trailing by as much as 11-2 before narrowing the deficit to five at the end of the first quarter.
“We were a little sloppy with the basketball and York was very hot shooting the ball,” head coach Dave Wilson said. “So they came out on fire and we came out a little flat.”
The Gaels turned it around in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions by 10 to finish the half with a 29-24 advantage.
“We had a quick 8-0 run to put us in the lead, and we never gave it up after that,” Wilson said.
The Gaels dominated the second half, coasting to an easy victory. Third-year wing Christine Wallace delivered another strong effort for the Gaels, adding 15 points and four rebounds.
“Christine had a great game,” Wilson said. “[She] shot the ball very well, got on the boards and played some pretty solid defence.”
Third-year guard Brittany Moore added 13 points, while first-year post Hanna Koposhynska led rebounding with six.
The win over York extended the Gaels’ winning streak to six games, their longest since the 2003-2004 season. It proved to be short-lived when the Gaels were crushed 78-54 by the Laurentian Lady Vees on Saturday.
The Gaels were doomed from the start, with Laurentian pulling ahead to a six point lead in the first quarter. The Gaels responded with an 11-2 run midway through the second quarter, narrowing their deficit to one point. The Gaels trailed 36-33 going halftime.
“I’m quite amazed that we were only down by three at half,” Wilson said. “We really should have been down by more than that based on how we played.”
The Vees’ strong perimeter shooting gave them the edge in the second half, and they ran away with the game, outscoring the Gaels by 12 points in the third quarter.
“What I think we gain from it is a lesson,” Wilson said. “We didn’t gain anything from it in of play. The only thing we took from it is the importance of mental preparation.”
Brittany Moore lead scoring with 13. Fifth-year wing Katie Guthrie added 11, while fourth-year post Jill Wheat contributed eight rebounds.
Fourth-year post Erin Skippon said the Gaels got outplayed by a physically dominant team.
“It’s always frustrating when the ball doesn’t go through the hoop,” she said. “We shot a terrible percentage, but I think we got out-hustled. They’re a very physical team, and I think we got beat up a little bit.”
At 9-5, the Gaels still sit atop the League rankings, tied with Carleton.
Skippon said the team learned a valuable lesson.
“Any team can beat any team in our league this year,” she said. “Especially for our younger players [it was important to lose in order to see] that you have to show up and want it more than everybody else.”
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