MOUNTAINEERS STRIKE GOLD IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

OTTAWA - For the first time since the 1990-91 season, the Mohawk Mountaineers are OCAA women's basketball champions after defeating the Humber Hawks 73-69. In what can only be described as an instant classic, both teams left it all on the court and put on a show at the Jack Doyle Athletic and Recreation Centre in Ottawa.

The Algonquin Wolves were able to cap off an incredible season by capturing the bronze medal on their home court after defeating the Fanshawe Falcons 68-50. It is the third consecutive year the Wolves have medaled.

GAME RECAPS

Mohawk Mountaineers 73 vs. Humber Hawks 69

After a thrilling weekend of basketball, the Mountaineers and Hawks squared off in the gold medal game in Ottawa. Despite having a depleted roster due to injuries, the Mountaineers came out of the gate strong by going on a 7-0 run to start the game, which was capped off by a Kendra Oliver three. The Hawks were having difficulties finding any offensive rhythm and were held to just three points until the 4:40 mark in the first quarter. With the Hawks down 10-3 late in the first, it was now or never if they didn't want the game to get out of reach. OCAA Player of the Year Kia Watt began to shift the momentum in the Hawks' favour by drilling two threes in quick succession. Beverly Omere decided to join in on the three-point parade and drilled back-to-back shots from beyond the arc in the final minute of the quarter to give Humber the 18-17 lead.

The Hawks stayed hot from the floor in the second and were able to get a 31-23 lead. The short-handed Mountaineers looked as though they may have been running out of gas. Third-year guard and OCAA West Division First-Team All-Star Agong Jacob had other plans as she started to chip away at the Hawks' lead with clutch free throws and jumpers, cutting Humber's lead to two at halftime.

The Hawks were able to push the lead back to five early in the third quarter, and it would stay that way as the two teams traded baskets until the mid-way point of the quarter. This is where Mohawk showed just how determined they were, as they went on an 11-3 run to close out the quarter to take a 57-53 lead into the final frame. 

Both teams showed tremendous heart and skill in the fourth quarter as the teams once again went shot for shot and the game went down to the wire. With 28 seconds left in the game, Watt drilled a three-pointer to make the score 71-69 in favour of Mohawk. Just like they had done all night, the Mountaineers didn't panic and masterfully worked the ball around the court to kill off valuable seconds and forced the Hawks to commit a foul. Jacob would then calmly step to the line and proceed to hit both shots to deliver the final blow to the Hawks' season.

With the win the Mountaineers will now move on to the CCAA national championship, hosted by St. Thomas University in Fredericton, N.B., from Mar. 12-15.

Players of the Game:
Humber - Kia Watt: 22 pts, 7 stl, 4 reb, 3 ast
Mohawk - Kendra Oliver: - 24 pts, 10 reb, 3 stl, 3 ast

OCAA Chamiponship All-Stars
Kia Watt, Humber
Marley Bonnick, Humber
Agong Jacob, Mohawk
Maddie Anderson, Mohawk

OCAA Championship MVP
Kendra Oliver, Mohawk

Algonquin Wolves 68 vs. Fanshawe Falcons 50

Both the Wolves and Falcons were coming off of hard-fought losses from the night before, but the two teams squared off in front of another packed house at the Jack Doyle Athletic and Recreation Centre in the bronze medal game.

It was clear early on that the Wolves wanted to send the fans home happy as they were firing on all cylinders to start the game as Cianah Miller and Dasia McDonald both were getting to the rim at will and helped get the Wolves out to the early 9-4 lead. It appeared early on that Fanshawe had no answers for the Wolves, as a Kate Dahmer three-pointer, and Libby Hirst elbow jumper pushed the Wolves' lead to eight.

The second quarter the Wolves not only continued to score but also locked in on defence to hold the Falcons to only eight points in the quarter. McDonald was once again the catalyst on both sides of the ball for Wolves, as she collected five points in the quarter to help the Wolves take a 34-20 lead into the break.

Algonquin once again came out firing to start the second half, which was capped off by a deep three from McDonald to push the lead to 18. Fanshawe showed they had no quit in them, and were finally able to get things going on offence. Karyn TeBrake, Ashlyn Anderson and Layla Mackenzie all had massive quarters for the Falcons, and Fanshawe was able to get the lead down to nine heading into the fourth.

Algonquin would quickly build their lead back to double digits thanks to back-to-back layups from OCAA East Division First-Team All-Star Miller, and a pair of threes from McDonald and Sydney Moore all but sealed it for the Wolves, who would cruise to the 68-50 victory to take home the bronze.

Player of the Games:
Fanshawe - Karyn TeBrake, 11 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast
Algonquin - Piper Hatherall, 4 pts, 16 reb, 3 ast

OCAA Championship All-Star
Dasia McDonald, Algonquin

Source: Algonquin Wolves

Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/wbb25

Live Webcast: ocaa.live

Friday, February 28
Semi-Finals
S-F #1: Mohawk def. Fanshawe 69-60
S-F #2: Humber def. Algonquin 57-43

Saturday, March 1
Bronze Medal Match
Algonquin def. Fanshawe 68-50

Gold Medal Match
Mohawk def. Humber 73-69

- OCAA -

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