Monday, March 17, 2014

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Another season has come to a close – but we pushed almost as far as it could go, with our first trip to the CIS National Tournament since 2003. Entering as the 6th seed, we faced the 3rd seed, Saskatchewan Huskies. Despite a stellar defensive effort, we ended up on the short end of a 52-61 score. Our next match up was with Alberta, a team that won Canada West with a 20-2 record and ranked #3 in Canada most of the year. In a game of dramatic runs, we fell 55-67, ending our season.

Queen’s 52 – Saskatchewan 61
Going into this game our focus was on stopping Saskatchewan’s 6-3 All-Canadian and Canada West Player of the Year, who averaged 19.2 points per game this season. There is no question we accomplished that goal, with Robyn Pearson, Nicole Morse and Andrea Priamo sharing the primary responsibility to shut her down. Holding her scoreless from the floor and surrendering a couple of trips to the foul line, she managed only 2 points in her 36 minutes of play. In a fast-paced first quarter we managed 15 points on 15 shots, while Sask grabbed 18 points on their 10 shots. The second quarter, however, had much improved shooting with 16 points on 14 shots, while holding Sask to 10 points on their 16 shots. We led 31-28 at the half. However, foul trouble was starting to creep in. The third quarter was low scoring (12-9), giving us a 43-37 advantage going into the fourth. A combination of our poor shooting and fouls proved to be the difference in the fourth as Sask went to the line 14 times, picking up 11 points, while we managed only 1 of 3 from the charity stripe in the fourth. Down 6 with less than a minute to go, we were forced to foul, leading to the 52-61 final. Liz Boag finished with 18 points, while Jenny Wright added 12.

Box score: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb/2014/boxscores_champ/20140314_h5e4.xml


Queen’s 55 – Alberta 67
We came out of the gates firing in this game, connecting on 47% of our shots from the field and 57% from behind the arc (mostly on the performance of Liz Boag) to lead 20-9 after the first quarter. Liz was 4-4 from beyond the arc, registering 12 points in the quarter. The second quarter was not as kind, however, as we shot only 3 for 16 (scoring only 9 points) to Alberta’s 24 point outpouring, which included 12 points from the foul line in the quarter. Foul trouble became a big concern as we struggled both with the speed of their guards, but more so with the size of their posts. We trailed 29-33 at the half. Our struggles continued in the third connecting on only 5 of 21 shots to score 10 points to Alberta’s 20, leaving us trailing 39-53 at the end of the third. We continued to battle hard, however, but couldn’t break the 8 point barrier, eventually leading to the 12 point loss, 55-67. With Alberta’s size, they outscored us 34-14 in the paint, although we did capitalize on their 19 turnovers, generating 21 points. Liz Boag had a stellar game scoring 27 points, including 6-10 from the 3pt. line, but was our only player to hit double digits.

Box score: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb/2014/boxscores_champ/20140315_u9oj.xml


And so we finish the season 7th in the country with an overall record of 26-13. We had an outstanding home record of 17-2 including our two playoff home wins. We finished first in the East for the first time in over 30 years, captured the OUA East Championship (first since 2003) and made our third trip to the CIS Nationals.

At the CIS National Championship Banquet, Gemma Bullard was named the Canadian Tracy McLeod winner, for unwavering commitment and perseverance in the face of adversity. Liz Boag had the second highest point output in a game at the championships (27 points) and averaged 22.5 points per game over the two games.

Liz Boag, Jenny Wright and Gemma Bullard have been selected (courtesy of being all-stars) to the OUA East/West All-star game in London on May 3rd. I have the honour of coaching the East team.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the family and fan support we have had throughout the entire season and the playoffs. Our team must have been the best fed team in the country thanks to all the generous support. I am still working through the more than 350 emails I have received from our supporters over the last 12 days – it has been amazing and greatly appreciated.

Next week is the university’s Athletic Banquet. I will be back in touch afterwards to announce our team and university awards (if any) that happen to come our way.

Have a great week --- and thank you for following our program.

Dave.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Our 9 game winning streak came to a screeching halt with a 48-73 thumping by Windsor. However, that leaves us with the OUA Silver medal; our first medal since 2003. Laurier, by virtue of a double overtime win at Carleton, captures the Bronze medal and the final spot in the National Championships.

Queen’s 48 – Windsor 73
While the score is not particularly flattering, most of the damage was done in the opening quarter. While we expecting full and half court pressure from Windsor, it was the quarter court pressure that caused us significant issues early on as we trailed 2-13 after 4 minutes. Their dominance continued, leaving us with a 7-23 quarter time deficit. Early fouls on two starters exacerbated the problem somewhat, but we were able to “hold our own” throughout the remainder of the game. Each team put up 20 points in the second quarter, with Windsor going on to outscore us 7-11 in the third and 14-19 in the fourth. Liz Boag and Jenny Wright both had solid games posting 17 points apiece.

Box score: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb/2014/boxscores_post/20140308_3qzz.xml

On a more positive note, our team was very well represented with OUA East league awards:

Liz Boag: First Team All-Star
Jenny Wright: First Team All-Star
Gemma Bullard: Second Team All-Star
Andrea Priamo: All-Rookie Team
Gemma Bullard: Tracy McLeod Award Winner (for perseverance & overcoming adversity)
Coaching Staff: Coach of the Year

This marks only the second time in our history to have 3 All-Stars -- the last time was the 2000-01 season where the team captured OUA Gold and finished 4th in the country at the Nationals.

Seeding for the National Championships has been announced and we have secured the 6th spot. Our first round matchup is with the 3rd seed, Saskatchewan Huskies. You may recall we played Saskatchewan in the fall at the Ryerson Tournament. They dominated us 33-68, so we will have our work cut out for us.

First Round Matchups:
(1) Windsor vs. (8) Laurier
(2) St. Mary’s vs. (7) Alberta
(3) Saskatchewan vs. (6) Queen’s
(4) McGill vs. (5) Fraser Valley

Up Next on the Road:
CIS National Championships at Windsor
Friday, March 14 vs. Saskatchewan 3pm
Saturday, March 15 tbd
Sunday, March 16 tbd

Have a great week!

Dave.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Well that was a heart-stopping battle! It took overtime, but we prevailed as the Ontario East Champions with 62-58 win over Carleton. We now travel to Windsor (who beat Laurier for the West Championship) for the OUA Crown. With our win, we have also assured our spot in the National Championship, to be held in Windsor, March 14-16. Carleton will host Laurier for a Bronze Medal and a berth in the Nationals.

Queen’s 62 – Carleton 58 OT
No question nerves were a factor starting the game, as many open looks went wide of the mark. The score was tied at 5 for what seemed like forever, but eventually we stretched to a 12-9 lead at the end of the first. A little more flow was established in the second with Carleton outscoring us 14-16. Shooting only 23% in the first half, we were clinging to a one point lead, 26-25. The third quarter was much the same as the second, with Carleton holding a 12-14 advantage. Trailing by one (38-39) heading into the fourth, the lead changed numerous times, with more than single digit leads very rare. Our defence was very solid in the fourth, allowing only 6 points for 9 minutes and 59.6 seconds, at which point we were up 3. However, a circus shot by Carleton found its mark with .4 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 48 and send it to overtime. This marked our third overtime game this season, winning at home against Brock in the fall (69-65), and at Ottawa in January (57-46). Despite our highest scoring quarter (2nd) being 14 points, we managed to equal that in the 5 minute overtime, while holding Carleton to 10, for the 62-58 win. Emily Hazlett had a critical steal late in the overtime, which she ran out for 2 points, and Meaghan MacDougall connected on 3 of 4 foul shots down the stretch to seal the victory. Jenny Wright finished with 18 points and 9 boards, while Liz Boag had 15 points and 6 boards.

Box score: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb/2014/boxscores_post/20140301_vxzs.xml

Jenny Wright is also the Queen’s Athlete of the Week – her second nod this season.

As a side note, the crowd was fantastic, creating an electric atmosphere. They were instrumental in energizing our players through a very tough, physical game. Thanks for the outstanding support.

Up Next on the Road:

Saturday, March 8 @ Windsor 7pm (OUA Gold Medal Game)

Friday, March 14 @ CIS National Championship (hosted by Windsor) tbd
Saturday, March 15 @ CIS National Championship tbd
Sunday, March 16 @ CIS National Championship tbd

Have a great week!

Dave.