Guelph makes history against Brock, lose close game to Ottawa
The University of Guelph Gryphons women’s basketball team faced off against the Brock Badgers on March 2, 2016, in their first OUA playoff game since 2013. Entering into this game, Guelph had not won a playoff match in nine years. They very quickly demonstrated that they would not go down without a fight.
Having just beaten Brock in the final regular season game on Saturday, Guelph began the game with much fervor. Brock was equally as intense, which led to a game full of great defensive plays and a notable sense of aggression.
The first half of the game saw Guelph leading only 33-32 heading into the second half. In the third quarter, both teams played a gritty defensive game which led to a low scoring quarter, with Guelph leading 45-38 at the break.
The fourth and final quarter is where Guelph proved they were a powerful team. The Gryphons scored a total of 24 points in the fourth, while only allowing the Badgers to score 13. The Guelph Gryphons won the against the Badgers game 69-51. Starter Dana Van Balkom was a force on the hardwood for Guelph. Van Balkom was composed from start to finish, scoring three three-pointers for the Gryphons.
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As the final buzzer went, Guelph rushed the floor in absolute elation. The win over Brock was Guelph’s first playoff win since 2007, and would take Guelph to the OUA quarter final against the number one seed, the University of Ottawa Gee Gees, in Ottawa on March 5, 2016.
“I’m just so incredibly proud. I’m the person who gets to see what happens behind the scenes everyday. I know how hard I push them and I know how everyday they respond to those expectations,” said head coach Christin Dickenson, in an interview with The Ontarion. “We talked about changing our story and they’ve done that. They completely changed the story that they’ve had for their careers.”
March 5 came quickly, as Guelph were looking to keep their momentum from Wednesday in order to generate an upset against Ottawa. Knowing it would not be an easy game, the Gryphons started conservatively.
The first quarter proved that both teams are highly defensive, with the score at 8-2 Ottawa after one. The game went into halftime, with the Gryphons trailing the Gee Gees 24-11. In order to pull the game back, the Gryphons were going to need to play with more authority. Guelph looked rattled, unable to get past the Gee Gee’s defense, and would need to pull off some magic to pick up their game.
In the second half, Guelph picked up the speed of their play. Guelph averaged more points as each quarter came and went, and heading into the fourth quarter, they were only down 38-28.
Unfortunately, Ottawa demonstrated why they are the number one seed in the OUA as they ran away with the game. Ottawa defeated the Gryphons 55-43, as the Gryphon’s season ended. The Gryphons women’s basketball team will have to wait until next year to make another bid for the playoffs.
The Guelph Gryphons made history last week by beating Brock for but could not muster enough to beat the feisty Ottawa team. The University of Ottawa will move on to host the OUA semi-final against the number two seed, Ryerson.
The Gryphons will say goodbye to five seniors, but look to a bright future with players such as Bridget Atkinson and Quincy Sickles-Jarvis leading the way.