After a tough loss to the Humber Hawks ended the Wolves chances at gold, they were back at it on Saturday with an opportunity to finish off their season and for many of them, their careers with a win and a spot on the OCAA podium. They took on the Fanshawe Falcons who dropped a 69-60 decision to the Mohawk Mountaineers in their semi-final.
After struggling offensively the night before, the Wolves got off to a hot start in this one. Cianah Miller opened the scoring with a layup on the Wolves 1st possession. The Wolves shot a solid 35% from the floor and went 2 for 3 from deep in the opening frame. The offense was spread around with Miller leading the way with 4.
The Wolves continued to step on the gas in the 2nd quarter, out scoring the Falcons 18-9 and increasing their advantage to 14 going into the half. Dasia McDonald flexed her muscle in the 2nd quarter, scoring 5 points to give her 7 at the half. The Wolves continued to shoot a solid percentage from deep going 2 for 3.
Fanshawe proved in their playoff run that they are a resilient bunch. They took down the #1 team in the West the Niagara Knights in their own gym to book a spot in the final 4. The Falcons made a push in the 3rd quarter to cut into the Wolves lead. Algonquin however would finish the quarter strong and increase their lead to 19 on a Dasia McDonald made layup to end the quarter. McDonald was once again big for the Wolves scoring 8 points in the frame.
The Wolves were able to maintain their advantage in the 4th and cruised to a 68-50 win to claim the bronze medal. Dasia McDonald had another statement performance in her last game in an Algonquin jersey. She finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. McDonald was named to the championship All-Star team. Piper Hatherall was named player of the game. She scored 4 points and collected an incredible 16 rebounds. Sydney Moore knocked down 3 shots from deep and scored 11 points. Cianah Miller was also in double figures with 11 points.
For the 3rd straight season the Wolves finished on the OCAA podium. This was the last college game for many of these athletes who have given their all to the Algonquin Wolves and our women's basketball program. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow both on and off the court. We would like to take the opportunity to thank them for all the memories created and for their contributions to the program. We look forward to seeing them back in the stands as alumni in the near future.
