LANCERS PAY FOR BREAKDOWNS
Women’s basketball team lets third-quarter lead slip away against No. 8 Marauders
It’s a 10-minute lapse the University of Windsor Lancers women’s basketball team might come to regret when the season ends.
A sloppy third quarter turned a three-point Windsor lead into a three-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter and the No. 7-ranked Lancers never recovered in a 67-63 OUA loss to the No. 8-ranked McMaster Marauders on Wednesday at the St. Denis Centre.
“There are no excuses at this point in the season,” Lancers second-year guard Kayah Clarke said. “It’s the defence we lacked in the third and fourth quarters. We didn’t get a break, but we don’t deserve a break.”
Excuses could have been easy to make for the Lancers. The 19-year-old Clarke, who was the OUA rookie of the year last season, is only five games back after missing 11 months after ACL surgery. Windsor is also starting two freshmen in guard Eve Uwayesu and centre Olivia Osamusali and watched guard Carly Steer forced from the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
“We cannot have a team score 21 points on us in a quarter and expect us to win,” Lancers head coach Chantal Vallee said. “We’re going to turn the ball over. That’s youth. We’re going to step on the line (out of bounds). That’s youth. We’re going to make a wrong decision. That’s youth. But denying the ball, boxing out a player, that’s not youth. That’s simply getting a blue-collar mentality.”
Instead of a two-game lead on McMaster in the West Division, both clubs are now 11-4 on the season with the Marauders holding the tiebreaker after winning both meetings this season.
“I never like to lose and I know my teammates don’t either,” the 18-year-old Uwayesu said.
Wednesday was a chance for redemption for the Lancers, who lost 64-52 in Hamilton on Jan. 3.
After trailing by five in the second quarter, the Lancers battled back to take a 30-27 lead at the half.
After a Steer steal and layup to start the third quarter put Windsor up five, the defence disappeared and Marauders roared back.
“We comeback with a chance to win this game,” Vallee said. “Up by three at the half and a horrible third quarter (with) 21 points. We didn’t jump to the ball. We didn’t defend anybody. We didn’t deny the ball. We didn’t box out. We just didn’t defend.”
Uwayesu had a chance to tie the game in the dying seconds, but her running shot down the lane went off the glass and the rim and out.
“We had mental lapses in the third quarter,” Clarke said. “A significant drop in the defensive performance.
“It’s up to us now. (Vallee’s) told us everything she can tell us. Everything she’s giving us are tools to succeed and in the third quarter we didn’t take those tools.”
Emily Prevost led the Lancers with 22 points while Jordan Gutt came off the bench to score 10 points.
We had mental lapses in the third quarter. A significant drop in the defensive performance.
LANCERS 81 MARAUDERS 78
The Windsor men’s team has its first three-game winning streak of the OUA season after a scrappy three-point win over McMaster
Anthony Zrvnar hit Damian Persaud cutting to the basket and he hit the layup for the go-ahead basketball with 12 seconds left in regulation to break a 78-78 tie.
“Just a good read by Zrvy,” said Persaud, who was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to finish with 11 points. “He’s a great passer.”
Marcus Jones finished with 18 points for the Lancers (7-8) while Mike Rocca added 16 points, Lucas Orlita 13 points, which included a half-court shot to end the third quarter for three, and Zrvnar added 12 points against the Marauders (2-13).
“We’ve been winning a lot with offence,” Lancers head coach Chris Oliver said. “We one with defence, which is good.”