OSHAWA, Ont. - The Durham College women's basketball team booked their ticket to the OCAA championship, hosted by St. Lawrence College, defeating the visiting Lambton Lions 72-70 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

Two unfamiliar foes, having not squared off once in the last decade, the Lords carried a plethora of momentum into the crossover match with only one loss in 2019. Having finished third in the OCAA east division, the Lords encountered furious resistance from their OCAA west fifth-place opponent.
 
Early on, the Lions showed no fear stepping into the building of the higher-ranked squad, pouring it on for a 14-0 start. Nerves appeared to cause the shaky start as Durham had totaled seven turnovers by the second quarter. Despite showing modest signs of life, Durham was down 40-31 at the half.

Bouncing back in the second half, a crucial three-pointer from fifth-year veteran Kaitlyn Cruickshank (Oshawa, Ont) brought the Lords within three. As the clock ticked past two minutes, Durham guard Victoria Brody (Scarborough, Ont) nailed a three-pointer of her own, which tied the game at 70-70 and sent the CRWC into a frenzy. A minute later, first-year sensation Marie Stasiuk (Cobourg, Ont) collected a defensive rebound, barreled down court, and fed Maddie Dender (Ajax, Ont) for the game-winning basket. 

Following the playoff win the Lords will make their third straight trip to the OCAA championship. DC will head to Kingston next weekend where they will face the Humber Hawks in an OCAA quarter-final showdown on Thursday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.  
 

FROM THE FLOOR

• Marie Stasiuk put the Lords on her back as they mounted their comeback, finishing the night with a team-high 18 points in 33 minutes of action.
• Proving herself to be a playoff performer, Keisha Arthurworrey (Oshawa, Ont.) scored 10 of her 16 points in DC's second half comeback.
• Ashleigh Pettit led the pride for Lambton with a game-high 20 points, followed closely by 19 from Madisyn Campbell.
 

IN THE PAINT

• Stasiuk recorded a playoff double-double, bringing down 14 rebounds, including five off of the offensive glass. She also added four assists, three steals and one block.
• Durham's Dekota Kirby (Markham, Ont.) was a usual spark plug on offence, supplying a game-high five assists in addition to six rebounds and two steals.
• Daylin Galvin registered nine rebounds and five steals to lead the Lions.
 

QUICK LOOK AT THE LORDS

Overall Record: 18-8
Conference Record: 12-5
 
Next game: OCAA quarter-final - Thursday, Feb. 28 vs. Humber Hawks • 3 p.m. - Kingston, Ont.

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