The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s basketball team defeated the Laurentian Lady Vees 77-64 in their last regular season game on Saturday, February 13 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.

The Blues finish the season in sixth place with an 11-11 record and will travel to Kingston, Ont. to face the third-place Queen’s Gaels (13-9) next weekend in an OUA East quarter-final match up.

The Lady Vees finish tied for fourth with the Ottawa Gee-Gees with identical 12-10 records. Laurentian will host Ottawa based on head-to-head point differential next Saturday in the other OUA East quarter-final.

The Blues got out to a quick 8-2 lead before the Lady Vees battled back to bring the game within five (16-11) at the end of the first quarter.

Darrah Bumstead of New Hamburg, Ont. got her team off to a good start in the second with a couple of early jumpers, however, fourth-year Blues forward Nicki Schutz (Toronto) tallied nine second-quarter points, including two three-pointers, to give the Blues a 34-28 lead at halftime.

Schutz and first-year guard Katelyn McConnell (Whitby, Ont.) combined for 13 of Toronto’s 16 points in the third, while Lady’s Vees duo of Bumstead and Lisa Furchner (Sudbury, Ont.) kept their squad in the game. The Blues led 50-41 heading into the final frame.

Varsity Blues player of the game Erin McNeely (Kingston, Ont.) drained back-to-back three-pointers to open the fourth quarter and extend Toronto’s lead for good. Despite keeping pace with Toronto in a high-scoring fourth (27-23), the Lady Vees could not muster a comeback as the Blues came away with the 12-point victory.

Schutz recorded a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 11 boards, while McNeely ended with 19 points. Both Emily Larson (Calgary, Alta.) and Robyn Fashler (Vancouver, B.C.) had seven points in the win.

The Lady Vees were led by Furchner’s 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Bumstead had 14 and Norma-Jean Roberts (Burnaby, B.C.) chipped in with 11.

Toronto will travel to Kingston, Ont. to take on the Queen’s Gaels next Saturday, February 17. Game time is TBD.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite Toronto teams, please visit the home of the Varsity Blues at http://www.varsityblues.ca.