Lady Vees Basketball

Lady Vees 61 – Carleton 57

After returning from the Christmas break, we started our OUA East schedule at home against the CIS #5 Ranked Carleton Ravens. Carleton is a very tough, deep, well coached team and we haven’t had much success against them the last couple of years. This game turned out a little different however as we were able to rally back after their runs and stay in the game until the fourth quarter when we erupted with 27 pts and came away with the W. Our team defence was great and we held them to 27% shooting on the night. Sasha Polishchuk was spectacular, scoring 34 pts, grabbing 9 rbs and dishing out 4 assts. She was red hot down the stretch hitting 3′s and finishing some spectacular drives. It was a great win for us, but we had a tough matchup the next night vs. Ottawa U.

Ottawa 58 – Lady Vees 48

Saturday night saw us match up against the Ottawa GeeGee’s who sport a lineup full of talent and experience. This game was a battle the whole way as our defence forced them into 28 to’s and 30% shooting. Unfortunately we were ice cold the entire game and after we missed repeated good shots in the 4th quarter, they made a run and were able to pull away. It was disappointing as we had the chance for a weekend sweep, but a split against the top two teams in our division was a great way to start the semester. Sasha was our leading scorer again, as she had 21pts and an astounding 10 steals.

Queen’s 74 – Lady Vees 69

Last weekend we had to travel to Kingston for a single with Queen’s (RMC is no longer in our league). We are always close with the Gaels and I was expecting a tough test. Both teams were red hot early until the defences settled down and at halftime we were down 37-34. We had a poor 3rd quarter and trailed by as much as 16 until rallying late (behind some lights-out shooting from rookie Jenna Davidson) and cutting it to 1 with about a minute left. We had our chances but couldn’t come all the way back, and dropped a 5 pt decision. It was a better effort from us  on the road but we still have work to do. Sasha once again led the team in scoring with 20 pts and grabbed 9 rbs, while Jenna Davidson chipped in with 15 pts and  Emma Decloe added 13 pts and 11 rbs.

This week re return home for Ryerson on Friday night and U of Toronto on Saturday which will be our annual Shoot for the Cure Breast Cancer Fundraising game.

Our hectic first semester is now over and everyone is studying hard for exams. Here is a recap of our last two weekends of the West Division Interlock

Lady Vees 80 – Waterloo 52

Our second home weekend of the season started off against Waterloo, a scrappy team that is trying to break out of a losing rut. thankfully, we didn’t give them that chance as we came out strong and took a 20-6 lead after the first quarter. We continued to score well posting 22 and 26 points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The fourth Q wasn’t pretty and we manged to outscore them 12-10, coasting to the victory. Sasha Polishchuk led us with 20pts, 7 asst, and 5 stls. Erin Simpson chipped in with 15pts and 6rbs and Emma Decloe added 13pts, 7rbs and 3stls

Laurier 66 - Lady Vees  55

Saturday night saw us match up with Laurier, a smart and tough opponent that seems to be better than the sum of it’s parts. The game was very close the entire time. We were down 6 at the half and cut it to 4 after the 3′rd quarter. We just couldn’t catch them and they made free throws at the end to get the final point spread up to 11. I thought we played pretty well, especially at the defensive end, but we just didn’t hit shots and when you are ice cold, you need some breaks. Sasha led us with 15pts, 8rbs and 5assts while Emma Decloe and Erin Simpson both dropped 8pts.

Lakehead 73 – Lady Vees 48

Guelph 78 – Lady Vees 57

Our last weekend of Interlock play saw us take to the road to play Lakehead and Guelph. It is a very tough road trip and we didn’t step up with the intensity or mental toughness necessary to compete. It was not the way to finish a semester that was full of so many positives for the program. We now have the opportunity to rest up, get healthy and work on some individual things  before getting back at it. Our next action is a 2 game set with NCAA Div II Daemen College in Amherts NY on Dec 21-22. After that, we play Carleton and Ottawa U at home Jan 4-5.

Our home opening weekend shaped up to be tough as we hosted the two time defending National champion and current CIS #1 ranked Windsor Lancers and the talented Western Mustangs

Windsor 83 – Lady Vees 59

Friday night against Windsor was a very tough game for us. Not only are they very talented and experienced, they also match up very well against us. Their size neutralized a lot of our advantages and left us with little margin for error. In addition, I think we had a few opening game jitters as we hadn’t played at home at all in the pre-season. We got off to a slow start, especially at the defensive end, and it seemed like they made us pay for every mental lapse. As a result, we trailed by 19pts at the half. They picked up there defensive pressure in the third quarter and it took us a little time to settle down. We regrouped late in the game, scoring 25pts in the 4th Q to wind up losing by 24pts. This was a good result for us in terms of our last few games against them, but I think that we all felt we could have played better. Sasha Polishchuk continued her strong play dropping 26 points, 9 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 0 turnovers. Jenna Davidson came off the bench and scored 8 points which was encouraging, and Erin Simpson was a bright spot, scoring 8 points in the first half before injuring her hand and leaving the game. Unfortunately, the hand injury would keep Erin out against Western on Saturday night.

Lady Vees 74 – Western 64

Saturday night’s match up, the Western Mustangs, was no easy task as Western features five former Team Ontario members (4 of which played for Canada’s Junior National or Cadette teams) and have a lot of experience. The good news is that we started the game where we left off in the fourth  quarter against Windsor, scoring 26pts in the first quarter en route to our own 19 point halftime lead (47-28).

The third quarter was not so pretty as Western started the half in a zone, and despite getting some  good shots, we were ice cold and lost the quarter 18-7. We bounced back to score 20 points in the fourth quarter and wound up winning by 10. Sasha  capped off an incredible weekend scoring 38 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists. We got a great defensive performance from Krysten Patrick who also hit a couple of big 3pt shots. Emily Tymchuk gave us some excellent minutes in relief of Emma Decloe who was saddled with foul trouble, and our three wings, Devenae Bryce, Adrienne Moreau and Rebecca Goodier, did a great job on the glass with 17 rebounds between them. When our perimeter players rebound like they did Saturday, we are a pretty effective team. Overall, I was pleased, particularly with our offence (especially without Erin Simpson) although the free throw line continues to be a problem  (13-29 from the line vs. Western)

We are now 6-4 (2-2 OUA) on the season and have climbed to 10th on the RPI. We are back in action this weekend at  home against Waterloo and Laurier.

Our OUA season began on the road as we made the trip to Brock and McMaster

Brock 72 - Lady Vees 32

We  were inexplicably awful against Brock. Virtually everyone was terrible in every aspect of the game. Our physical effort was there (we were trying) but our execution and decision making were horrendous. The only positive note was Emma Decloe who scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. I am not sure what the problem was but it was a very deflating evening and the challenge was getting everyone refocused for Mcmaster.

Lady Vees 76 – McMaster 64

As bad as we were on Friday, we were that good on Saturday. Mac is a deep team that plays high energy, full court pressure defence. This is exactly the style that has given us trouble the last couple of years but we executed beautifully right from the start of the game. As the game wore on, their pressure started to get to us until the fourth quarter when we exploded for 35 points and put the game away.

Sasha went off in this game, scoring a season high 32 points on 14-25 shooting and grabbed 8 defensive rebounds as well. Emma Decloe continued her strong play with a 14 point, 12 rebound double-double and  Devenae Bryce had her best game of the year with 10 points, 3 steals and a bunch of athletic, hustle plays.

I was proud of how we were able to bounce back after such a bad night at Brock and picking up a win at Mac is always great. We are 5w-3l on the season which matches our win total for all of last year. We are 16th on the RPI  and are heading home for 4 games in a row, so at this point, things are looking very positive

For our last weekend of the pre-season, we hit  the road for a three game swing through Quebec. I knew it would be a tough trip (a LOT of driving), but we would get three good games (Bishop’s, Laval, Concordia) and it would be a good test of our mental toughness.

Lady Vees 67 – Bishop’s 47

Our first game saw us match up with the Bishop’s Gaiter’s in Lennoxville. We got off to a slow start and trailed by 4 after the first quarter. We started to find our stride in the 2nd Q and wound up leading 28-23  at the half. We really turned it on in the 3rd quarter and cruised to a 20pt win. Sasha Polishchuk had an excellent game with 23 pts, 4 rbs, 3 assts, and 2 stls and Mary Scott continued her strong play with 18 pts and 5 rbs.

Lady Vees 66 – Laval 65

Our second game in Quebec took us to Quebec City for a matchup with the Laval Rouge et Or. Laval is big, physical and always a tough out at home. I knew we needed to be sharp to  have a chance to win and we definitely responded. The game was back and forth until the 4th quarter when Laval went on a  run and took a 10pt lead with 4 minutes left. We called timeout and responded with a 12-0 run of our own. They hit a 3 in the last minute, setting us up for the final possession where Sasha came up big with a beautiful finish at the rim for us to win by one. Once again, we got a great game from Sasha 29 pts and Mary Scott 15 pts, 6 rbs, 5 assts, and got a boost off the bench from Rachel McLean who gave us great D, rebounding and a couple  of big baskets in the 2nd half. This was a great win for us against a good team in a hostile environment.

Concordia 74 – Lady Vees 44

Game 3 took us to Montreal for an afternoon game with the Concordia Stingers. We were playing on “Bus legs” and Concordia came  out red hot. All in all it was a game to forget…we were never in it and it was a disappointing way to end an otherwise positive trip.

We concluded our exhibition schedule at 4w-2l vs the CIS and are showing a lot of potential. Our first league weekend will be tough as we travel to  Brock and McMaster, always tough places to play.

Last weekend we travelled to Calgary for the Mount Royal Tournament. It was a good opportunity to see where we are at basketball-wise as well as doing some team bonding.

University of Calgary 55, Laurentian 44

Our first game of the weekend was against the Calgary Dinos. They made the final four at Nationals last year and while they graduated some good players, they still have a strong veteran core. Although we started off ok. and were in the lead for most of the first half, we seemed jittery and flat. The Dinos slowly but surely got stronger as the half went on and caught us right at the end to tie  it up at 24 going in to halftime. We floundered in the third quarter going down by as much as 11. We regrouped in the fourth and cut their lead to 5 with about 3 minutes left but couldn’t get any closer. They made their free throws and won by 11. While no one was very good offensively, Sasha Polishchuk led the team with 18 points in her Laurentian/CIS debut.

The bad news is that I think that we lacked confidence against a team that we can definitely can compete with, but the good news is that despite playing poorly, teams like this would have  blown us out last year. After the game, the girls were frustrated at the missed opportunity rather than being discouraged about their ability. I had a feeling that we had begun to turn a corner mentally.

Laurentian 60, Mount Royal 45

Our second game was against the host MRU Cougars. A strong, nationally ranked CCAA team last year, they have recruited and preapared well for their first CIS Season. In addition, MRU boasts a familiar face on the bench in former Lady Vees Asst Coach Scott MacWhirter, so I knew they would be well prepared for us.

We came out in man to man defense, which is a change for us and it went back and forth in the first half. When I sensed they were getting into a comfort zone,  we switched to our zone, and took them completely out of rhythm. They struggled to score the rest of the game and when rookie Jenna Davidson caught fire in the third quarter, it was all but over.

Both Jenna and Sasha had great games. Jenna hit 6 3pt shots for a team high 18 pts in the second game of her career and Sasha was 1 rebound shy of a triple-double (14pts, 9rbs, 10assts, 5 stls). Danielle Harris also stood out, chipping in with 10pts.

Laurentian 70, UBC Okanagan 66

Our last game matched us up with UBC Okanagan from Kelowna (my home town) who are in their 2nd year in the CIS. They are a high scoring team with some very good shooters and a 5th year forward who was one of the leading scorers in CanWest last year.

We played zone which worked out well except for a sloppy patch at the end of the first half when we gave up some open 3′s to wind up down by 6 at the half. We regrouped and dominated the 3rd quarter and had the game in hand after that. We were up 12 with about a minute and a half left and didn’t close well, thus the close score. Our girls have to learn how to play tough with a lead at the end of a game.

While Sasha was good again, our best player was Mary Scott who had a career high 19 points. I am proud of Mary. She worked her butt off this summer, has been playing well in practice and finally saw a payoff in a game.

All in all a good start for us. We are already playing at a higher level than last year and will keep working hard to get better.

Our annual Alumni Weekend came  on October 12-13 this year. Things kicked off Friday night with the Alumni Voyageur Hall of Fame Banquet where Stephanie (Harrison) Dongelmans was inducted as the Female Athlete and the 1997-1998 Lady Vees Basketball Team were inducted in the Team Category. Congratulations on the well deserved honours! Our players were all in attendance and I know that they were inspired and motivated by the excellence of the past teams and players.

Saturday morning we hosted a breakfast at Eddie’s for the current players and alumni and we had a good turnout (although there were a few bleary eyes on display lol). After getting the day off to a good start, we all met up at the Ben Avery for the alumni game. I knew that we would have a tough test as we were facing an athletic, experienced squad. The Kate (Walker)/Katie (Goggins)/Caitie (Blackadder) backcourt was very athletic and aggressive and that set the tone. Up front, Steph Dongelmans, Lisa Furchner and Christi Bauck are all scorers and would be a good test for our young forwards. As I expected, we got off to a bit of a slow start  and looked a little green. However, as the game went on, our fitness and confidence kicked in and we were able to pull away in the 4th quarter. All in all, a great experience and we were a bit lucky so many of our alums were either injured or new moms lol. I can’t wait until next year.

On Thursday October the 4th we travelled to Sault Ste Marie for a pair of games against Algoma University and Sault College. Being able to play games against OCAA (College) teams at this time of year is great for us as we can try different systems and lineups before we head into our CIS exhibition schedule.

Our first game was against Algoma who will be our travel partner in the OUA next year. They had a noisy, packed house and were really ready to play. We came out a little tight and couldn’t get anything to fall in the first quarter. They hit a couple of long 3′s at the end of the shot clock and quarter and were leading 19-10 after the first Q. We switched to a zone and pressed them in the second quarter and it payed off as we held them to 3 pts in the second, and took a slim lead into the half. In the second half we started to run and Sasha Polishchuk really did a good job pushing the ball and finding people in transition. Our zone took away a lot of their action and we were able to pull away for a 64-48 win.

We never really got going offensively but our transition game looked promising in the second half. We got 21 points from Sasha Polishchuk and a very solid 10pt, 5rb, 5asst, 2 st game from Devenae Bryce. We also saw a nice performance off the bench from rookie Emily Tymchuk who chipped in with 7pts and 5rbs.

On Friday we crossed town for an afternoon game with Sault College. The Cougars are a scrappy squad that played aggressive D and looked to push the ball. This played right into our transition game and we were hitting on all cylinders the entire game. We came away with a 118-30 win. There were a lot of big performances but the highlight was rookie Jenna Davidson hitting 7 3′s for 23pts. Mary Scott chipped in with 16pts and Mandy Cosentino dropped 13pts.

Overall, it was a good trip for us. A chance to get out on the road this early and play a couple of games is great for our development. Now we get to practice for a week before our annual Alumni game.

Last Weekend we hosted our annual Junior/Senior High School Girls Basketball Tournament. Lots of exciting games and good basketball. Here is a summary of the results:

Here is some info on our rookies:

SUDBURY, ON – The Laurentian Lady Vees basketball team is
pleased to announce three new recruits for the upcoming 2012-13 season: 5’11” shooting
guard, Jenna Davidson, of North Bay, ON, 5’10” forward, Jamie Soffer, of Kanata,
ON, and 6’0” forward, Emily Tymchuk, of Azilda, ON.

Davidson, who will be enrolled in the Sport and Physical
Education, Con. Ed., program at Laurentian this September, is no stranger to
success.  She guided her St.Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears to 4 straight North Bay city championships and a
“AAA” NOSSA title.  Besides her prowess in basketball, Davidson has also excelled in volleyball and Nordic skiing, competing
at OFSSA in both sports.

Davidson looks forward to the challenges the lie ahead as she aims to
assert herself on a young Lady Vees roster. “I feel like I will be pushed
to my full potential, both academically and athletically. I am very excited to
work with the coaching staff and team on new things. I feel like we have a lot
of potential and I’m looking forward to seeing us grow as a team. I feel
privileged to be on a young team that has the potential to get better every
year.”

“I’m very excited that Jenna chose to be a part of our program,” said head coach, Mike Clarke. “I have watched her grow as a player
over the years and have always considered her an excellent CIS prospect. She has a great basketball IQ and proved this year in high school and the Ontario JUEL that she is one of the best outside shooters in the Province.”

Jamie Soffer is studying Sport and Physical Education at Laurentian.  Soffer is entering her second year at Laurentian but due to injury and illness last season, 2012-13 will be her rookie campaign with the Lady Vees. A two-time OBA medalist with her Ottawa Shooting Stars club team, Soffer looks to get back to the form that brought her to Laurentian last fall.  “I really look forward to being able to compete again after being out due to illness and injuries. I can’t wait to play in my first game in over two seasons.”

“Jamie is a very tough, versatile player who can post up and play on the wing,” said Clarke. “She is a very active rebounder and is willing to take on any defensive match up. As her health and conditioning improved this year, she really started to emerge as a player. With a good summer of training under her belt she will be ready to help us next year.”

Local product, Tymchuk, the future English student, has been a spark for her École secondaire du Sacré-Coeur high school team the last
3 seasons, leading the Griffons to back to back “A” NOSSA titles and three trips to the “A” OFSAA Championships, culminating in an Antique Bronze in 2010-11.  Tymchuk says being a Northern Ontario girl is a big part of her decision to stay and play for the hometown Lady Vees.

“I chose Laurentian because representing the North has always been really important to me,” she said.  “I can honestly say that I have learned and grown, not only as a player but as a person, due to the many coaches from the region of Northern Ontario who have helped me on my basketball journey. Being a part of the Laurentian Lady Vees will surely give me the opportunity to give back to the North’s basketball community as well as represent this region that is often underappreciated and underestimated.”

Clarke is excited to be adding another home grown talent to the Lady Vees roster.  “I have had the opportunity to observe and coach Emily for years and have always been a huge fan of her talent and basketball IQ. She has good size and has the skills to play inside and on the perimeter. She is a perfect fit for our system and I’m excited about her future.”