TORONTO – The Algonquin Thunder have repeated as Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women's basketball champions after an epic and fierce double-overtime victory versus the host Seneca Sting tonight. The Thunder defeated the Sting 62-57 in front of a boisterous home crowd at Seneca College's Newnham Campus Gymnasium.
With the victory, Algonquin claimed its second straight provincial title and fifth OCAA women's basketball championship medal since 2005. The Thunder and Sting now qualify for the 2012 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Women's Basketball Championship taking place later this month in Lethbridge, Alta.
A decisive 8-0 run by Algonquin in the second overtime period sealed the final result in this hard-fought gold medal match. The Thunder outscored the Sting by a score of 12-6 in the second of the extra frames but it was the first four periods that accurately reflected how evenly matched and competitive these two teams truly were. With 10 lead changes and six instances where the game's score was tied, both squads kept pace with one another in a remarkable display of athleticism and determination.
The game was sent to the decisive second overtime when, in the first OT, Sting rookie guard and OCAA Championship All-Star Tara Minicuci, of Richmond Hill, Ont., drained a crucial free-throw to tie the game at 50 in the final seconds of the first extra period. Minicuci was the high scorer for Seneca in the game collecting 10 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes of playing time.
The Thunder were led by OCAA Player of the Year and Championship MVP Sandre Bascoe, of Ottawa, who recorded an impressive double-double including a game-high 17 points and 16 boards for Algonquin. Bascoe's Thunder team-mate and Championship All-Star Trish Grey, a fellow Ottawa native, dropped 16 points and eight rebounds in the victory. Grey was named adidas/VSP Sports Player of the Game for the Thunder in this gold medal final.
With Seneca's OCAA silver medal tonight, the Sting have won provincial women's basketball championship medals in eight of the last nine seasons. Sting forward Chanel Grellmore, of Scarborough, Ont., was the Seneca selection for Player of the Game with six points and 16 boards in the gold medal final. OCAA All-Star Tamara Nembhard, of Toronto, had a strong game for the Sting recording eight points and 12 rebounds in the emotional loss. Scarborough's Samantha Evans, with nine points in the Championship Final, was also named to the tournament's All-Star team.
Live streaming coverage of the 2012 OCAA Women's Basketball Championship drew more than 4,000 unique visitors to www.SenecaSting.ca/2012WomensBasketball. The tournament broadcast was produced by students, staff and instructors from Seneca's School of Media and Marketing.
Below find the complete list of 2012 OCAA Women's Basketball Championship All-Stars and MVP.
Tournament All-Stars - 2012 adidas/VSP Sports OCAA Women's Basketball Championship
Aria Charles, George Brown Huskies
Natasha Amo, Fanshawe Falcons
Samantha Evans, Seneca Sting
Tara Minicuci, Seneca Sting
Trish Grey, Algonquin Thunder
Tournament MVP - 2012 adidas/VSP Sports OCAA Women's Basketball Championship
Sandre Bascoe, Algonquin Thunder
Source: Seneca College