TORONTO, Ont. – The Durham College women's basketball team is undefeated through two games to start 2016-17 conference play.
 
Tuesday night the Lords held on to defeat the Seneca Sting 69-62 in Toronto after opening their season with a victory over Algonquin on Friday at home.
 
Durham never trailed in the game, leading 9-1 early, but only 13-10 after the opening quarter. At half their lead increased slightly to 36-27.
 
By the start of the fourth quarter the lead had grown to 14 points, but Seneca wasn't ready to let the Lords walk away with an easy victory.
 
With four minutes to go Durham still held an 11-point lead, but Seneca had it down seven points – 62-55 – with 2:31 remaining. Although the Sting closed the gap, baskets by Kaitlyn Cruickshank (Oshawa, Ont.), Lindsay Panchan (Ajax, Ont.) and Kayla Marshall (Ottawa, Ont.) put the Lords back in the driver's seat.
 
The closest Seneca would get again was seven points with just nine seconds to go as Durham opened with a 2-0 start in consecutive years for the first time since 2010-11 and 2011-12.
 
Panchan led the Lords with a double-double, putting up 26 points and 10 boards. With her 26 points she now has 719 as a Lord, putting her in the top five in all-time scoring for women's basketball at Durham College, passing Samantha McConnell's 704 points. 
 
Marshall wasn't far off Panchan's 26 points in the game, scoring 17 of her own, while Dekota Kirby (Markham, Ont.) added 10.
 
Durham has just over a week off before their next game as they return home to host the Georgian Grizzlies on Nov. 3 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE LORDS
Overall Record: 5-3
Conference Record: 2-0
 
Next game: Thursday, Nov. 3 vs. Georgian Grizzlies (6 p.m. – CRWC)