Box Score The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team opened the winter semester with a 77-70 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Friday, January 6 at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
 
With the win, the Blues improve to 5-4 and remain in third place in the OUA East, while the Gryphons drop to 1-6 and sit fourth in the Central division.
 
Diedre Edwards notched 17 points, matching her career-high performance, while also adding eight rebounds and three steals. Fellow fourth-year guard Rahshida Atkinson also had a team-high 17 points, adding five boards, two assists and two steals on the night.
 
Second-year forward Charlotte Collyer also matched her career-high, tallying 16 points and adding a game-high nine rebounds and three steals. Sarah Bennett recorded eight points and five boards, with Emily Piccini adding seven points, six assists and four rebounds in the victory.
 
Collyer got the Blues out to an early lead but the Gryphons rallied and the two teams were deadlocked at 24-24 after the first quarter. The Blues took the lead, opening the second quarter on a 7-0 run, and, thanks to a 10-point quarter from Atkinson, Toronto built a 43-36 advantage at halftime.
 
Hayley Belyk and Ashley Wheeler led a 10-0 Gryphons streak to open the second half on a 10-0 run to take the lead and the Blues played catch up from there. A Collyer and one gave U of T a narrow 57-56 lead at the end of the third quarter. Both teams exchanged baskets early in the fourth quarter but six points from Edwards pulled the Blues ahead for good.   
 

WBB: @TorontoBluesWBB and @guelph_gryphons are tied 24-24 at the end of the first quarter.
WATCH this Sarah Bennett basket! pic.twitter.com/nmqtFZh5Ht

— Varsity Blues (@Varsity_Blues) January 6, 2017

 

@TorontoBluesWBB leading @guelph_gryphons 43-36 at halftime!
WATCH this nice drive from Rahshida Atkinson! pic.twitter.com/ySWenMuIfD

— Varsity Blues (@Varsity_Blues) January 6, 2017

 

@TorontoBluesWBB leading @Guelph_Gryphons 57-56 at the end of the third quarter!
WATCH this Emily Piccini basket! pic.twitter.com/RckjoXyUNF

— Varsity Blues (@Varsity_Blues) January 7, 2017

Belyk led all players with 22 points and added four boards, three assists and two steals for the Gryphons in the loss.
 
The Varsity Blues are back in action tomorrow night as they host the Lakehead Thunderwolves at Goldring Centre. Tip off is set for 6 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale at varsityblues.ca/tickets.
 
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