WINDSOR, Ont. - St. Clair College plays host to the 2020 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women's Basketball Championship beginning Friday.
The reigning silver medalist St. Clair Saints are looking to avenge last year's loss to OCAA champion Fanshawe Falcons on home court. Six other teams are competing for Fanshawe's crown, including the East Division regular season champion Algonquin Thunder, the West Division champion Humber Hawks, the Durham Lords, George Brown Huskies, Lambton Lions and Sheridan Bruins.
Four OCAA quarter-final games take place on Friday, leading to Saturday's semi-finals. The semi-final winners advance to Sunday's gold medal game, while the losing teams play for bronze. There will not be a consolation round unlike past championships.
The OCAA champion advances to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball National Championship in Nanaimo, B.C. from Mar. 18-21.
Lambton (11-7, 4th West) vs. Algonquin (15-1, 1st East)
Friday, Feb. 6 - 1 p.m.
East meets West as the Lambton Lions tangle with the Algonquin Thunder with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
Algonquin suffered just one defeat during the regular season, and have won five straight including the playoffs. The Thunder feature fourth-year player Rita Sibo (Gatineau, Que.) and an OCAA-best three-point proficiency rating of 20-of-49 (40.8 percent) during the regular season.
She will have to contend with Lambton second-year guard Cassidy Crowe (Sarnia, Ont.) who averaged an OCAA-best 2.1 blocks per game. The Lions enter the championship having won three straight.
The Thunder have not won an OCAA title since 2014, ending a string of four straight gold medals. Lambton's lone gold provincial medal came 30 years ago in Division II.
Durham (13-3, 3rd East) vs. Fanshawe (17-1, 2nd West)
Friday, Feb. 6 - 3 p.m.
The reigning champions just happen to be the OCAA's hottest team, winners of 15 straight including the playoffs.
Fanshawe is led offensively by fifth-year guard Chuot Angou (London, Ont.) and her 18.4 points per game average. The Falcons averaged an OCAA-best 82.8 points per game during the regular season.
Durham on the other hand allowed a league-low 54.4 points against during regular season play. First-year guard Kendra Oliver (Ajax, Ont.) was one of only three OCAA student-athletes to average a double-double during the season, averaging 19.4 points and 12.4 rebounds in 16 games.
Fanshawe has medalled at four straight provincial championships. Durham's last OCAA medal came in 1999 in the form of bronze.
St. Clair (14-4, 3rd West) vs. George Brown (13-3, 2nd East)
Friday, Feb. 6 - 6 p.m.
The St. Clair Saints put their 8-2 home record on the line against a formidable George Brown squad.
Second-year player Victoria Lawrence (Ottawa, Ont.) was one of three OCAA players to average four steals per game on behalf of George Brown during the regular season. Fifth-year teammate Zae Sellers (Minneapolis, Minn.) was the East Division leader in assists averaging 4.7 per game.
St. Clair second-year guard Keirsten Tomkins (Sarnia, Ont.) was one of the OCAA's top rebounders during the regular season averaging 10.7 per contest.
George Brown last won an OCAA medal (bronze) in 2012.
Sheridan (9-9, 5th West) vs. Humber (17-1, 1st West)
Friday, Feb. 6 - 8 p.m.
Rivals clash once again, with a berth in the OCAA semi-finals at stake.
Don't let the contrasting records between these two teams fool you. Humber might have swept the two-game regular season series against Sheridan, but it required overtime in one meeting, and a last-second buzzer beater in the other to pull out the wins. These teams play each other tough.
Fourth-year point guard Felicia Velasquez (Brampton, Ont.) of Humber led the OCAA in assists averaging 5.8 per game. Fourth-year centre Miea Campbell-Johnson (Brampton, Ont.) was the leading scorer on the Hawks averaging 14.8 points per game.
Sheridan's top scorer during the regular season was fourth-year guard Theresa Brown (Brampton, Ont.) averaging 14.7 points per game.
Humber is one year removed from winning four straight OCAA championships. Sheridan's last OCAA medal was in 2011 when the Bruins finished second.
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/wbb
Live Webcast: www.ocaa.com/ocaalive
Friday, March 6
Quarter-Finals
Game #1: Lambton vs. Algonquin - 1 p.m.
Game #2: Durham vs. Fanshawe - 3 p.m.
Game #3: St. Clair vs. George Brown - 6 p.m.
Game #4: Sheridan vs. Humber - 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 7
Semi-Finals
Game #5: Winner Game #1 vs. Winner Game #2 - 3:30 p.m.
Game #6: Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4 - 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 8
Bronze Medal Game
Game #7: Loser Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6 - 1 p.m.
Winning team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of game
Gold Medal Game
Game #8: Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #6 - 3:30 p.m.
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at conclusion of game
- OCAA -
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Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com