The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's basketball team fell 69-57 to the Memorial University of Newfoundland Sea-Hawks in an exhibition game on Friday (Oct. 3) night at Goldring Centre Kimel Family Field House.

A strong start for U of T saw them begin the game on an 8-0 run but the Sea-Hawks managed to battle back as the score was deadlocked at 19-19 after the first quarter. Memorial's offence was strong in the second quarter to give them a 39-28 lead at halftime as their bench contributed 23 points throughout the game. Scoring was close in the second half as the Blues outscored the Sea-Hawks 17-14 in the fourth quarter but ended up trailing as the final buzzer sounded. Toronto's rebounding was strong once again this preseason, grabbing 57 rebounds to the Sea-Hawks 48. The Blues offence shined on the fast break, outscoring their opponent 6-4.

Leading the way offensively for U of T was second-year guard Lia Barbieri, who scored a game-high 22 points while shooting 40 per cent from beyond the three-point line. She was also Toronto's leader in steals with four. Second-year forward Zi Wang posted a double-double for the Blue and White with 10 points and 16 rebounds. Barbieri and Wang showcased their play-making abilities for U of T, both picking up three assists in the game.

Serena Phillips, Eavan McLaughlin and Carly Norris led the way offensively for Memorial, each scoring double-digit points.

The Blues are right back in action on Saturday (Oct. 4) afternoon when they host the Guelph Gryphons in an exhibition game at Goldring Centre Kimel Family Field House. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., with tickets available at varsityblues.ca/tickets. U of T students receive free entry with a valid T-Card.