Cynthia Lam
Staff Writer
It was a busy weekend for the women’s basketball team as they went head to head with the Lakehead Thunderwolves and Guelph Gryphons on Friday and Saturday. Although they lost both games, they are holding out strong and are determined to give it their best for the rest of their season.
“We have lost some close games during this season, but the score of these games does not reflect who we are as a team,” says point guard Haley Bowie. “We have also given many ranked teams a good run and have put up many hard fought games against these teams.”
The game against the Thunderwolves over the weekend is one example of this. While the Thunderwolves took the lead early on, the Lions proved they were no team to be trifled with, almost catching up to the Thunderwolves in the first quarter.
Strong contributions in the second half came from guard Nina Guzina, who hit three shots from behind the arch in only nine minutes of play, and forward Taylor McAlpine, who put up a deep three at a critical point in the fourth quarter, bringing the Lions up within seven points of the Thunderwolves’ lead in the final minutes of the game. However, a strong effort by the Thunderwolves allowed them to defeat the Lions by a score of 81-73.
“It’s tough to lose close games for sure, but channeling positivity into what works best on the court for us is the best response we have,” says Bowie.
The following night, the Lions headed back to the court to battle the Gryphons. Although the Lions started off on a high note, with Katrina Collins-Samuels opening up the scoring in the game, the Gryphons quickly took a comfortable lead and held it throughout the rest of the game, taking away a 75-56 victory at the end.
“A big highlight in last night’s game on offense was Guzina’s shots from the arch,” says Bowie. Jackie Koudys also contributed greatly during the game, nailing a shot right before halftime.
Despite losing both games this past weekend, the Lions still ran a hard defence against the opposing teams. “When we communicate with each other, there’s no confusion, and when we don’t communicate, we lose sight of the ball and our rotations are not quick enough,” says Bowie.
“The big highlight in both games this past weekend on defence was our ball pressure from the guards. Our goal is to make the other team feel uncomfortable, cause turnovers, and get them out of their rhythm.”
The Lions have now lost 12 games so far this season, but they are not letting the stats define their season. “We are always trying to stay positive,” says Bowie when asked about how they prepare for the next game after a loss.
“Being underdogs, we know that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Using this to our advantage, we try to mainly focus on what works for us and what brings us success in games.”
Though the chances of the team making it to the Ontario University Athletics playoffs are slim, the Lions are determined to bring positivity and tenacity to the five games that remain for them in the regular season.
