WELLAND, Ont. - The CCAA Women’s Basketball National Championships first semi-final game featured second game of Day two at the 2011 CCAA Championships, the no. 2 seed Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves from Grande Prairie, Alberta, the 2011 ACAC Champions going up against the no. 6 seed Algonquin College Thunder from Ottawa, the 2011 OCAA Champions.

Just like in their opening game, the Wolves would open the scoring 2-0 – but it would be their only lead of the first half. The Thunder would lead after 11-7 ten minutes in a very low scoring first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Thunder would pull away from the Wolves with a 18-7 run to take a 29-14 lead at the break, holding the 2011 CCAA Player of the Year Andria Carlyon to only 5 points in the first twenty minutes.

The third quarter would see the Wolves build momentum, control the boards, and cut the deficit to single-digits. After 30 minutes, it was the Thunder leading 40-32 heading into the final quarter.

The question would be, would the Wolves after being down by 17 at the half, have enough gas in the tank to complete their second come from behind victory in as many games?

With 5:30 left in the game, the Wolves would rally to make it a one possession game, down just 42-39. But, the Thunder would go on a 9-2 run highlighted by a Sandra Bascoe lay-up on a nice feed from Jenny Allen with 1:22 remaining. The Thunder would make their free throws down the stretch en route to a 57-45 victory, the lowest scoring game of the Championships. The two teams would combine to go 1-for-32 from behind the arc.

Carlyon would end up with 17 points (including 9-for-11 from the free throw line) and 10 rebounds for the double-double and the Player of the Game honours.

Meanwhile, the Thunder were led by their 2011 All-Canadian Jenny Allen who pumped in 15 points (including 7-for-10 from the free throw line), and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Allen would be named Player of the Game for the Thunder. The team from Ottawa will now try to become the first team from Ontario to ever win the CCAA Women’s Basketball Championships in the 34 year tournament history. They will face the winner of Capilano Blues and Montmorency Nomades in the Gold Medal game taking place Saturday night at 8:00pm. The Wolves will play against the St. Thomas University Tommies in the consolation semi-final at 10am on Saturday.

Players of the Game

Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves: Andria Carlyon
Algonquin College Thunder: Jenny Allen

Source: Niagara College