Algonquin College will welcome the top eight Ontario women’s college basketball teams this weekend as the 2007 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women’s Basketball Championship are set to tip-off from March 1-3 in Ottawa.

The two teams winning their region along with the runner-ups secured their berths into the OCAA Championship earlier this week with the conclusion of the regular season. Seneca (East) and Algoma (West) both took home their respective regional championship with Algonquin and Sheridan claiming the runner-up positions, all receiving byes to the provincials. As well Fanshawe, Humber, St. Clair, and St. Lawrence (Kingston) will travel to Ottawa this weekend for the Championship after victories this past week in their playoff games.

Last year’s OCAA champions, Seneca Sting, look strong to defend their title after finishing the season first in the East Region with an undefeated 16-0 record. The Sting will once again count on 2005-06 OCAA Athlete of the Year, Natasha Thombs, to quarterback Seneca’s potent offense. Thombs averaged 21.0 PPG while teammates Heather Elchuk & Charlene Siopis averaged 12.8 and 10.3 PPG respectively. Head coach Marcy Skribe hopes her squad can put in a repeat performance from one year ago in Ancaster.

Algoma University College will look to make a splash in the schools first ever appearance in the Women’s Basketball Championship. Leading scorer Danielle D’Ettorre, who averaged 26 PPG, will look to flash the talents that garnered her a spot on the All-Rookie team at the NCAA’s Franklin Pierce University in 2003-04. The Thunderbirds improved their record to 9-3 this season from the dismal 1-11 last season.

In contrast to Algoma, the Humber Hawks will be making their 28 appearance in the Championship and will aim to improve on the Bronze medal performance from a year ago. The Hawks from Etobicoke come into the Championship with the best winning percentage of any team in the OCAA with a 27-10 Championship record.

Knocking at the door again this year will be the Algonquin Thunder of Ottawa. Fresh off a silver medal performance in 2006, the host team has aspirations of capturing gold on their home court and hopes of washing away any remnants of the bitter taste of defeat left over from the Championship final in 2006. This will be their 12 Championship appearance with Algonquin sporting a 7-9 all-time Championship record.

The Sheridan Bruins basketball programs have always has a rich tradition of success in the OCAA and since the women’s program was revived in 2005-06 from its hiatus that started in 1989, it appears the women’s program is back on track. Finishing fifth last year in the West Region and missing the playoffs, the team from Oakville has taken the fast lane to the top this year, finishing second in their region and earning an automatic berth into the Championship tournament. With a core group of young talent, led by rookie Jeralyn Espiritu, the Bruins will be making their fifth Championship appearance.

The St. Lawrence Vikings of Kingston will also look to right their ship in the school’s ninth Championship appearance. The Vikings also took a hiatus from Women’s Basketball after the 1989-90 season, before briefly returning in 2000-01 and leaving again until the 2005-06 season. St. Lawrence however appears to be on course for a promising finish this season bringing a 7-6 all-time Championship record, but will face another emerging team in the Sheridan Bruins in their quarter-final match-up.

With the most games ever played and won in an OCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, Fanshawe College enters the Championship for the 27 time. Sporting an all-time record of 29-17, the Falcons will face the host team Algonquin Thunder in what may be the premier quarter-final match-up. First year standout Taylor Knipe will attempt to use her 6’2 frame to maintain her 16 PPG average and lead the Falcons back to the medal round where they won bronze in 2005 and gold in 2003.

Veteran leadership will play an integral roll for the St. Clair Saints in their bid for the title, as they will rely heavily on the third year tandem of Lindsay Nield and Kati Hamilton. The Saints will also have some international flavour in their offensive mix as Elisa Ruhl, Giessen, Germany, will aim to maintain her 10.5 PPG average in her first trip to the Provincial Championship.

The Championship schedule is as follows:

March 1, 2007
St.Clair vs. Seneca – 2pm
St. Lawrence (K) vs. Sheridan – 4pm
Humber vs. Algoma – 6pm
Fanshawe vs. Algonquin – 8pm

March 2, 2007
Semi Final #1: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 6pm
Semi Final #2: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 - 8pm

March 3, 2007
Bronze Medal Game: Losers of Semi Finals - 6pm
Championship Gold Medal Game*: Winners of Semi Finals - 8pm

The event will officially get under way with the OCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Awards Banquet on February 28. A complete championship schedule including game times and results will be available on www.ocaa.com.

For more information on the 2007 OCAA Women’s Basketball Championships, please contact Ron Port at the Algonquin College Athletics Department at (613) 727-4723 X: 5330.

The OCAA governs intercollegiate sports and promotes physical activity in its member institutions through quality athletic and campus recreation programs. It offers fifteen varsity sports to thirty member institutions throughout Ontario. For more information on the OCAA visit www.ocaa.com.