SARNIA, Ont. - The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is down to its final four in women's basketball, with all remaining teams headed to the campus of Lambton College in Sarnia, Ont., for the OCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
The top three teams from the West Division during the regular season along with the undefeated East Division champion Algonquin Wolves have survived two elimination rounds to make it to Sarnia. The West Division champion Lambton Lions will have the benefit of playing on home court, and are joined by divisional rivals St. Clair Saints and Niagara Knights.
With Lambton's elimination of the Humber Hawks in quarter-final play last Saturday, there will be a new OCAA champion crowned this weekend. The OCAA semi-finals take place on Saturday, leading into Sunday's medal matches.
The OCAA champion moves on to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball National Championship in Lloydminster, Alta., from Mar. 13-16.
All games are being streamed on OCAA LIVE.
Niagara (12-4, 3rd West) vs. Lambton (14-2, 1st West)
Saturday, Mar. 2 - 5 p.m.
A pair of West Division rivals play for a third time this season, with a trip to the OCAA gold medal game on the line.
The Lambton Lions swept the two-game regular season series against the Niagara Knights, winning 66-63 and 65-40. Reigning OCAA Player of the Year Breanna Pretty (Sarnia) was the top scorer in both games, scoring a combined 39 points on 14-of-29 (48.3 per cent) shooting.
Third-year player Janee Harrison (St. Catharines), who was Niagara's top scorer during the regular season averaging 12.1 points per game, has scored 50 points in two playoff games for the Knights.
Lambton has the second-longest winning streak in the OCAA with nine straight victories. The Lions lost in the OCAA gold medal game last year to Humber, having never won an OCAA Division-I championship.
The Knights were OCAA bronze medalists in 2022. Niagara last won the OCAA championship in 1970, the second of consecutive titles.
St. Clair (13-3, 2nd West) vs. Algonquin (14-0, 1st East)
Saturday, Mar. 2 - 7:30 p.m.
A perfect season is on the line this weekend as the Algonquin Wolves have rolled through their 2023-24 OCAA schedule winning 16 straight, including two playoff games. All that stands in their way now are two of the top three teams from the West Division.
All-Canadian third-year point guard Dasia McDonald (Nepean) continues to lead the Wolves in scoring in the post-season, also averaging six steals, five assists and four rebounds in two games.
This semi-final match-up also features another All-Canadian in Kaitlyn Overeem (Brantford) of the St. Clair Saints. The fifth-year guard averaged 20.9 points per game during the regular season and scored a game-high 34 points in St. Clair's 87-53 quarter-final victory over the George Brown Huskies.
The Wolves are the reigning OCAA bronze medalists. Algonquin last won the OCAA championship in 2014, the final in a string of four straight. The Saints were silver medalists in the three championships preceding last year's. St. Clair last won the OCAA gold medal in 2004.
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/wbb
Live Webcast: www.ocaalive.com
Saturday, March 2
Semi-Finals
S-F #1: Niagara vs. Lambton - 5 p.m.
S-F #2: St. Clair vs. Algonquin - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 3
Bronze Medal Game
Loser Semi-Final #1 vs. Loser Semi-Final #2 - 2:30 p.m.
Winning team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of match
Gold Medal Game
Winner Semi-Final #1 vs. Winner Semi-Final #2 - 5 p.m.
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at conclusion of match
- OCAA -
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