After a long bus ride to Sarnia, Ontario, it was finally time for the Wolves women's basketball team to compete in the OCAA Final Four. First up was a semi-final matchup with the Saint-Clair Saints. The last time these two teams met was back on March 22nd 2022 in Windsor when the Saints took down the Wolves 78-50 in the semi-final. The Wolves were looking for a different result this time around.
First Quarter
Despite traveling the farthest of all four teams in the tournament, there was a very familiar atmosphere inside the Lambton College gymnasium as many Wolves fans made the trip down to support their pack. Libby Hirst got the Wolves crowd excited early as she opened the scoring with a foul line jumper on an assist by Cianah Miller. That play was a sign of things to come as both players had a large impact on the game. Hirst would continue her hot start scoring 8 points in the frame as the Wolves finished the first quarter with a 18-17 lead.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was a back and forth affair. The Saints took a 28-24 lead on a 3 point shot by Kaitlyn Overeem, but the Wolves would finish the quarter on a 15 to 6 run to take a 39-34 lead into the locker room. The Wolves relied on some hot outside shooting, scoring 9 points from behind the arc in the quarter. Leah Hirst came off the bench and opened up the quarter knocking down a 3 off an assist by Piper Hatherall. Later in the frame with the Wolves trailing by 2, Meaghan McNamara knocked down a 3 to give them the lead right back. Less than a minute later she would knock down her second of the quarter off an assist by Dasia McDonald.
Third Quarter
Algonquin came out of the locker room on fire on both ends of the floor. They started the quarter on a 9-0 run, holding the Saints scoreless until the 4:19 mark. The Saints were held to just 10 points on 14.3% shooting for the quarter. As for the Wolves, they pushed the pace and increased their lead to 58-44 going into the final 10 minutes. The Hirst sisters had a big quarter, scoring 9 of the teams 19 points in the frame. Libby continued to be a force inside adding 4 points to her total, while Leah knocked down another shot from behind the arc and converted a layup in transition.
Fourth Quarter
The flow of play slowed down considerably in the 4th quarter, with 19 free throws being taken between the 2 teams. Despite some foul trouble, Algonquin was able to maintain a comfortable cushion and close the game out, winning 73-58.
Libby Hirst led the way all night long scoring a team high 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Cianah Miller scored 15 points and collected 7 boards while shooting an efficient 50% from the field. Dasia McDonald finished with 12 points and an impressive 16 rebounds while adding 5 steals and 5 assists. Meaghan McNamara and Leah Hirst added 8 points each. Kate Dahmer added 6 points and was a huge contributor on the defensive end.
What's Next?
The Wolves have a date with the host Lambton Lions with the OCAA gold medal and a trip to the CCAA National Championship on the line. Lambton finished 1st in the OCAA West with a 14-2 record. They earned their spot in the championship game thanks to a 65-50 win over the Niagara Knights in the other semi-final. Tip-off is set for 5:00 pm. It promises to be an electric atmosphere with the combination of the Lambton hometown crowd and the strong presence from the Pack.
You can catch the action on OCAA LIVE