The 2015 Gryphons home opener marked the last for the women’s basketball team at the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre in its current form; after nearly 50 years, the Gryphons team will be playing next season in the newly renovated sports complex.
In the game’s first quarter, the Gryphons found themselves a little off balance at both ends of the court, but were able to keep the Ravens to a close quarter, ending with a score of 13-8 for Carleton. The Gryphons shot only 25 per cent in the first quarter from the field, compared to the Ravens 62 per cent.
The start of the second quarter was not looking promising for the Gryphons as their shooting performance was not as strong as expected. The Gryphons started the quarter 0-4 from the field as the Ravens played with a tough defence and were strong on rebounds, but the Ravens’ shooting game was comparable at 1-4 from the field.
Things quickly picked up as the Ravens’ offence went on a 12-0 run, but the Gryphons showed some life towards the end of the quarter with a nice steal by Guelph guard Regan Duff, who converted with a nice contested layup. This play sparked some energy for the Gryphons, but they finished the second quarter 10 points behind Carleton at 35-25.
Going into the third quarter, the Gryphons began rebounding from their 10-point deficit, going on a quick 7-2 run against the Ravens and showing energy not just in their offensive game but also in tenacious defence that became the theme for the rest of the night.
The Gryphons showed much better chemistry in the third, shooting 44 per cent from the field against the Ravens 16 per cent, with Guelph outscoring Carleton 19-8. Guelph’s Dana Van Balkom deserves huge credit for that with a great shooting performance, scoring seven points for the Gryphons and going 4-4 from the free-throw line. The Gryphons finished the third quarter up by one over the Ravens, with the crowd in the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre showing enthusiastic support.
The energy carried through to the fourth quarter. Despite a less successful shooting performance in the final quarter than the third, the Gryphons remained strong on the boards and on defence with 12 rebounds offensively and defensively. Second-year guard Bridget Atkinson had three steals in the fourth quarter alone, giving the Ravens trouble the entire quarter, and the Gryphons went on to win the game 57-52.
The star of the night for the Gryphons was Dana Van Balkom with 20 points, five rebounds, and a record of 100 per cent from the free-throw line in this game. The Gryphons effectively contained Ravens forward Heather Lindsay for the night, keeping her to only six points and seven rebounds.
After a successful home opener on Friday, the Gryphons fell 72-69 to the undefeated Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday at home. The Gryphons’ regular season record sits at 3-1 as they prepare to host the 1-3 Laurentian Voyageurs on Nov. 20, 2015.