Box Score Erin McNeely tallied 14 points to lead the No. 7 Varsity Blues women’s basketball team to an 80-65 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday, November 20 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.

With the win, the Blues improve to 5-2 and sit in first place in the OUA East, while the Gryphons drop to 3-3 and are tied with McMaster for fifth in the West division.

A native of Kingston, Ont., McNeely added seven boards, five assists and three steals to her team-high 14 points, while Toronto native and veteran forward Nicki Schutz recorded a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards. Schutz went 7-of-8 from the free throw line and also had five assists on the night.

Rookie guard Jill Stratton of Etobicoke, Ont., garnered 12 points, Megan Stoncius had nine and sophomore forward Alicia Van Kampen totalled eight in the win.

The Blues got out to a narrow 16-12 lead after the first quarter, but went on to outscore the visiting Gryphons 21-11 through the second to build a lead that would not diminish.

After a low-scoring third quarter, both teams exploded for a combined 59 points in the final frame. U of T maintained a solid 10-point gap throughout the game to secure their fifth win of the season.

Brock was led by Samantha Russell’s game-high 12 points and nine rebounds, while Alexandra Yallin and Jasmine Douglas each tallied 10 in the loss.

McNeely was named the Varsity Blues player of the game.

The Varsity Blues return to action next Friday, November 26 as they travel to Waterloo, Ont., to take on the Warriors. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

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