Knights win 5th in a row
Niagara women improve to 6- 3; men’s team runs ‘ out of gas’ versus Sheridan on road
Youth was served and, as a result, so were the Niagara Knights when they played Sheridan on the road in women’s college basketball.
Notre Dame graduate Lauren Frasca and Thorold High alum Hannah Baker received more playing time when Niagara elected to utilize a smaller lineup to nullify the host team’s athleticism Tuesday night in Brampton
“We were very happy with the way our younger players responded, particulary Lauren and Hannah,” head coach Mike Beccaria said after the 82- 74 victory.
Frasca, who joined the program late after starting the season on the women’s soccer team, finished the game with six points and three rebounds as Niagara won its fifth in a row.
Baker played a season- high 29 minutes against the Bruins and is averaging four points, three rounds and two assists per game in her rookie season in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association.
Four- year veteran Mary Ingribelli led the Knights on offence and achieved a career high in scoring for the second time in three games. This time the St. Catharines native and Governor Simcoe grad netted 28 points.
Ingribelli, last week’s OCAA women’s basketball player of the week, came into Tuesday night’s averaging 16.9 points per game.
The loss dropped Sheridan to 3- 5, but Beccaria said that record doesn’t do the Bruins justice.
“Sheridan is a young, talented team, and they are very athletic,” he said. “We are very pleased to come out with a victory tonight.”
Courtney Kilyk, a Fonthill native who played her high school hoops at Notre Dame, recorded her second double double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Also scoring in double digits for Niagara were Leah Bracken, a St. Catharines native and St. Francis grad who began her post- secondary career at Georgian College, and Hope Brown of Mono Mills, Ont., near Orangeville, with 16 and 10 points, respectively.
The Knights, currently ranked sixth in the province, will play two games before the between semesters break. They are home to Humber Friday, Dec. 8, 6 p. m.; and host Fanshawe Wednesday, Dec. 13, also at 6 p. m.
Bruins 93, Knights 84
At Brampton, visiting Niagara “ran out of gas” in the fourth quarter after leading Tuesday night’s men’s game for much of the game.
“Tonight was another great building game for us,” Knights head coach Mike Hurley said. “We played well for the first three quarters, winning the first by three points, the second by two points and the third by one point, respectively.
“We just ran out of gas in the fourth, allowing them to hit some timely threes.”
Sheridan improved to 8- 0. Niagara dropped to 5- 3 in league play despite double doubles from Jordon McDonald, 20 points, 12 rebounds; Van Hutchinson Jr., 18 points, 12 rebounds; and Jordan Wilson, 12 points, 12 rebounds.
Levi Mukuna paced the Knights in points with 23 in his return to the lineup after missing two games due to injury.
Eighth- ranked Niagara closes out the first half with home games against Humber, Friday, Dec. 8; and Fanshawe, Wednesday, Dec. 13.