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OUA East Final: Gee-Gees win East crown
OTTAWA - The Ottawa Gee-Gees women's basketball team will be
heading to the national championships for their second consecutive
year as they went on to defeat the No. 9 nationally-ranked Carleton
Ravens 59-54 Saturday afternoon in the OUA East final at the
Ravens' Nest.
There was a lot at stake for the winning team of this game: the
satisfaction of defeating their cross-town rivals, the OUA East
title, home-court advantage for the OUA championship and, most
importantly, a guaranteed appearance at the national championships
at McMaster University from March 12-14.
The Gee-Gees defeated Ryerson, and the Ravens overcame the
University of Toronto in quarter-final action last weekend to meet
for the third time this season, a second year of playoff action in
a row.
The Gee-Gees had yet to defeat Carleton this season, falling 70-46
to the Ravens at Carleton in their first regular season game and
53-40 at Scotiabank Place in the MBNA Capital Hoops Classic.
The Ravens were the first to score, as fifth-year forward
Ines Jelic (London, Ont.) successfully put one in
from the paint to put her team on the scoreboard. However, it did
not take long for the Gee-Gees to set their tempo, scoring nine
points in a row and pulling ahead by six to lead 14-8 at the end of
the first quarter and 28-20 going into halftime.
The Ravens came out eager to change things in the second half and
showed they weren't going to back down, scoring 10 points in a row
and taking a two-point lead just over four minutes into the
quarter. Ines, third year forward Ashleigh
Cleary (Kemptville, Ont.), and fourth-year guard
Courtney Smith (Ottawa) were dominant forces for
the Ravens in their effort to keep the game's score within
points.
Once again, it did not take long for the Gee-Gees to regain the
lead. Third-year Hannah Sunley-Paisley (Toronto)
helped pick up the momentum for the Gee-Gees, scoring 10 points and
making big defensive rebounds under the net to regain possession of
the ball. Despite their efforts and a close score, the Ravens would
not be able to take the lead for the rest of the game.
With 2:28 remaining in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 49
apiece, third-year guard Émilie Morasse
(Québec City) pulled one up from the three point line to
pull ahead by three. With the national championship appearance on
the line, both teams battled it out until the very end, but the
Gee-Gees would maintain their lead and take the OUA East title,
winning the game 59-54.
Sunley-Paisley, who was also honoured with the Wilson Canada player
of the game, could not have been happier. "Last year we beat the
University of Toronto at the University of Toronto, and this feels
a hundred times better."
"It's just great. I love that we're going to nationals and I love
that we beat Carleton on the way to making it [to nationals] and we
did that as a team," Sunley-Paisley added.
Ottawa head coach Andy Sparks was truly pleased
with his team's performance. "I am very proud of these girls, they
really played a great game."
"Hannah, really, was very key, she was very patient today," added
Sparks. "We know that sometimes with her she gets flustered, but
she was very patient today and really came through for us."
"Carleton had an outstanding season this year and I think they had
a lot more pressure riding on them coming into this game."
The Gee-Gees will now get to play one more game at home this
season, hosting the OUA championships next Saturday, March 6. Game
time is 3 p.m.
The OUA basketball playoffs are presented by Investors Group.
Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees
