ALGONQUIN 76, MOHAWK 65

HAMILTON, Ont. - Algonquin makes it four gold medals in a row after defeating Mohawk 76-65 in front of the Mountaineers home crowd in the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre.
 
"I have a great team, great coaches, so it's been a fantastic year so far," said the tournament's most valuable player and Algonquin's leading scorer for the game, Sandre Bascoe.
 
"It's fun," she said about being named MVP. "It's a good accomplishment to have but if it wasn't for my teammates and coaching staff, I wouldn't be able to have this accomplishment."
 
One field goal for an entire quarter certainly wouldn't be enough to dethrone the three-time defending Ontario Colleges Athletic Association women's basketball champions Algonquin Thunder, but that is exactly what Mohawk came away with in the opening period of Saturday's gold medal match.
 
Six of eight of Mohawk's points for the quarter came from the free throw line as the Mountaineers struggled to convert on a number of early chances.
 
The leading scoring team in Ontario had no problem finishing at the basket, however, when the Thunder dropped 29 points on the Mountaineers in the second quarter to take a 46-29 lead into halftime. Mohawk did everything they could on defence to slow the experienced Algonquin squad down led by fifth-year forward, Bascoe.
 
"The problem was tonight is that they just have so much experience that they were able to find the open person immediately and rotate the ball," said Mohawk head coach Kevin Duffy on trying to stop Algonquin.
 
"We were just an inch or two from making a good play."
 
The Mountaineer defenders stripped balls, took charges, forced a shot-clock violation, and rebounded well but it wasn't enough to stop the sure-handed Thunder players, who finished with layups at the basket regularly.
 
"We don't let teams walk all over us," said Mohawk's veteran point-guard and tournament all-star, Rachelle Abella, about fighting to the very end. "So, hopefully, next year, we can get back to this position."
 
Abella is a fourth-year player from Hamilton and has taken on a leadership role from the beginning of her collegiate career. Abella suffered through not making the playoffs in her first couple of seasons at Mohawk.
 
"This year has been such an amazing (journey) with such a great group of girls," said Abella. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
 
The silver medal awarded to Mohawk is the first medal won by the women's basketball program since 2002.

"We're going to be competitive for years to come," said Duffy. "The turnaround has been amazing and it's all a credit to the players."
 
The Mountaineers actually ended up with 67 field goal attempts, 10 more than Algonquin. The Thunder ran their offence efficiently, however, and had seven more made shots than Mohawk, shooting almost 51 per cent from the floor for the game (29-of-57).
 
Mohawk saved their best quarter for last, doubling the Thunder 24-12 in the frame but it wasn't enough to overcome the firepower of Ontario's only undefeated team.
 
Including Abella and fellow tournament all-star, her sister, Jen Abella, Mohawk has a good foundation with their player of the championship game, Lacey Wolters, and the team's leading scorer for the season, Stef Hyrmak, all returning next season.
 
Rachelle finished the game with a game-high 16 points while Wolters contributed 12 along with 10 rebounds. Algonquin's Jesa Rada was their player of the game, scoring 10 points with one rebound and one assist.
 
Mohawk had several players playing or cheering in their last game as a Mountaineer - Katelyn Arbour, Porscha Hewitt, Carissa Browne, Lacey Wolters, Kimithy Stilwell and Lisa Goldring.

OCAA Tournament MVP
Sandre Bascoe, Algonquin

OCAA Tournament All-Stars
Jen Abella, Mohawk
Rachelle Abella, Mohawk
Kim Cupid, Algonquin
Shannon Kennedy, St. Clair
Lacey Knox, St. Lawrence-K

Championship Website: www.mohawkcollege.ca/athletics/ocaawbballchampionship.html

OCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Thursday, February 27
Quarter-Finals
Game 1 - St. Clair 64, St. Lawrence-K 61
Game 2 - Algonquin 73, Fanshawe 43
Game 3 - Mohawk 64, Durham 50
Game 4 - Humber 67, Sheridan 55

Friday, February 28
Bronze Quarter-Finals
Game 5 - St. Lawrence-K 59, Fanshawe 51
Game 6 - Sheridan 69, Durham 61
Semi-Finals
Game 7 - Algonquin 76, St. Clair 47
Game 8 - Mohawk 65, Humber 43

Saturday, March 1
Bronze Semi-Finals
Game 9 - St. Clair 76, Sheridan 46
Game 10 - St. Lawrence-K 55, Humber 49
Bronze Medal Match
Game 11 - St. Clair 59, St. Lawrence-K 57
Gold Medal Match
Game 12 - Algonquin 76, Mohawk 65

Source: Mohawk College