OCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL QUALIFIER PREVIEW

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.

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Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
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E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com