TORONTO - The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)
women's basketball regular season is now in the rear view mirror.
For the dozen teams that have advanced to the post-season, it is
now one-and-done time as a single loss will mean elimination from
gold medal contention.
The top two teams in each region get a well-deserved sabbatical as
they have earned automatic entry into the OCAA Women's Basketball
Championship, being hosted by Seneca College from March 1-3. West
regional champion Fanshawe (16-2), East champion Algonquin (15-1),
along with Algoma (15-3) and Seneca (15-1) now await their
quarter-final opponents.
For the rest of the teams, a sudden death qualifier is all that
stands in the way of a berth to the OCAA championship tournament,
and the off-season. The third and fourth place teams in each region
play the sixth and fifth place teams from the opposite region,
respectively.
Durham (7-9, 5th East) at Humber (13-5, 4th
West)
Saturday, Feb. 25 - 1 p.m.
The Humber Hawks have been red hot in February, winning seven
straight games. A perfect month will ensure they play in March.
Humber forward Atissa Cronk (Kingston, Ont.) has
been a positive force in her first OCAA season. She averaged a
double-double throughout the season, contributing at rates of 11.4
points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Durham fifth-year guard Erin Emery (White Rock,
B.C.) has put on a farewell tour worthy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She
led the Lords with 295 points, giving her 1,067 for her career.
Emery became just the third OCAA player to surpass 1,000
points.
Humber puts its 7-2 home record against Durham's 3-5 road mark. The
winner of this qualifier faces Algonquin in the OCAA
quarter-finals.
Niagara (9-9, 5th West) at Loyalist (10-6, 4th
East)
Saturday, Feb. 25 - 1 p.m.
The Niagara Knights and Loyalist Lancers bring separate two-game
win streaks into their qualifier.
Loyalist is led offensively by first-year player Jenni
Thompson (Belleville, Ont.) and her 14.9 points per game
average. Loyalist has identical 5-3 records at home and on the
road.
Fourth-year guard Allana Arundell (Toronto) tops
Niagara in scoring averaging 10.6 points per game. The Knights were
3-6 away from Niagara during the regular season.
The winner of this qualifier faces Fanshawe in the OCAA
quarter-finals.
Lambton (8-10, 6th East) at George Brown (11-5, 3rd
East)
Saturday, Feb. 25 - 2 p.m.
A year ago, Lambton did not have a women's basketball program. The
Lions are now one win from making an appearance at the OCAA
tournament.
Third-year guard Melanie Bouchard (Sarnia, Ont.)
has led the resurgence of the Lions, averaging a double-double for
the season. She has averaged 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per
game.
Second-year forward Aria Charles (Toronto) led all
George Brown players with a 10.6 points per game average. The
Huskies sport a 5-3 home record and have won three of their last
four games.
Lambton has struggled of late, losing its last four. The Lions are
3-6 away from Lambton.
The winner of this qualifier faces Algoma in the OCAA
quarter-finals.
Sheridan (13-5, 3rd West) at Fleming-Peterborough (5-11,
6th East)
Saturday, Feb. 25 - 2 p.m.
The Sheridan Bruins will need to go through the Fleming Knights if
they hope to make a fifth-straight appearance in the OCAA
final.
The top two three-point shooters during the regular season will be
featured in this game. Fleming fourth-year guard Kelly
Killoran (Sarnia, Ont.) set a new OCAA regular season
record with 56 three-pointers, followed by Sheridan fourth-year
guard Nakia Arthur (Brampton, Ont.) and her 48
from beyond the arc.
Sheridan is 6-3 on the road, compared to Fleming's 2-6 home
record.
The winner of this qualifier faces Seneca in the OCAA
quarter-finals.
- OCAA -
ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized
leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to
student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 31 members
sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.
For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com