The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s basketball team’s season came to a sudden end as they fell 68-55 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA East division final on Wednesday, February 25 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
In the end, costly turnovers would be the Blues demise, while the Gee-Gees capitalized and dominated from the free throw line, shooting 10-of-10 in the first half and 88.9% throughout the game.
Ottawa came out strong at both ends of the court, with a solid offensive effort and an impenetrable defence that shut down any momentum Toronto attempted to gain.
Hannah Sunley-Paisley (Toronto) and Kyrie Love (Ottawa, Ont.) combined for eight of Ottawa’s 17 first-quarter points. The Gee-Gees impressive defence held Toronto to their first single-digit first quarter this season as Ottawa built an eight-point lead (17-9) going into the second frame.
Toronto continued to struggle throughout the second quarter as Ottawa surged ahead and extended their lead to 15. The Gee-Gees were relentless in their own end and with OUA East MVP Alaine Hutton (Hamilton, Ont.) on the bench in foul trouble, Toronto’s offence lacked its usual punch.
However, Jessica Hiew (Canberra, AUS) would lead a late Toronto rallying attempt with five points at the end of the half to cut the Gee-Gees lead to seven, 28-21.
The Blues came back from the break still unable to find a path to the basket and a Kelly Weir (Ottawa, Ont.) three-pointer at the other end of the court would give the Gee-Gees another ten-point lead midway throughout the third quarter.
Nearing the end of the third Hutton tried to spark a stagnant Toronto offence in hopes of mounting a Blues comeback as the Gee-Gees held a 42-37 lead going into the final frame.
The Gee-Gees, however, had victory within their grasp and held on tight. Fourth-year Ottawa guard Allison Forbes (Riverview, N.B.) went 10-of-11 from the free throw line and recorded a 14-point fourth quarter to cease any possible Blues comeback.
Sherri Pierce’s (Brampton, Ont.) seven points in the final minute, although valiant, just wasn’t enough and the Blues 2008-09 campaign came to an end.
OUA first team all-star Nicki Shutz (Toronto) squeezed out a double-double with 11 points and 13 boards, while Tara Kinnear (Kemptville, Ont.) had ten points for the Blues. Hiew, Pierce and Erin McNeely (Kingston, Ont.) had nine points apiece in the loss.
Both Forbes and Weir had 14 points for the Gee-Gees, while OUA all-star Emily Morasse (Quebec City, Que.) recorded 11 in the win. Ottawa’s stellar defence proved successful, as Hutton was held to a mere five points throughout the game.
With the win, the Gee-Gees advance to the OUA final (Feb. 28) against the Windsor Lancers and earn a berth in the 2009 CIS championships, March 6-8, hosted by the University of Saskatchewan.
