Tommies women’s basketball team extends win streak, men’s see first loss of the season
- Liam Carleton
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Both St. Thomas University (STU) basketball teams played the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves (UNBSJ) on Jan. 10, starting the second half of their seasons.
The women’s Tommies were 6-1, while the men’s hadn’t lost a game yet this season.
Tommies fan Sheila Graham comes to games regularly. She said she’s happy to see the large and enthusiastic crowds at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym.
“Both STU teams deserve to win. They put everything into it. The caliber was just amazing, really thrilling,” said Graham.
The women’s game started with STU going scoreless for the first four minutes. The Seawolves got their lead up to 10 points until the Tommies called a timeout to find their bearings.
Third-year guard Paige Leblanc was then fouled and made her two free throws to put STU on the board, until they started to fall behind further in scoring.
Things started to go well for Tommies after fifth-year guard Norah Quinlan made a three-point shot off a pass from fourth-year wing Michaela Hansen through traffic.
Second-year guard Claudia Steeves started to apply pressure on the Seawolves, scoring three points to bring the game within one, with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.
STU began the second quarter falling behind again after giving up multiple turnovers.
Third-year guard Reegan Kerr was able to score three points after battling hard near the corner to bring the score within one for the second time.
The Tommies were able to capitalize with a layup from Leblanc, giving them the lead for the first time, 31-32.
The third quarter saw STU begin to slip again, with UNBSJ chipping away at their lead.
Hansen showed strong defensive plays, including an interception to bring the play into the opposing end.
Second-year forward Mckenzie Giesbrecht followed up the play with a smooth layup.
The final quarter saw back-and-forth battling for possession. Fourth-year post Charlee Connors scored multiple baskets towards the end to give her team a comfortable lead. STU won 72-60.
Steeves says that the team did well at keeping composure despite the weak start.
“We did a good job of sticking together, even when things weren't going our way … we brought it back, not individually,” said Steeves. “It wasn't a one-person game, it was a really good team way to come back and win the game.”
Like the women’s, the men’s began the game on defence.
Second-year guard Marcus Wilson opened up scoring with a three-point shot off a pass from fellow guard Evan Valanne.
Valanne also took advantage of a turnover late in the quarter for a layup. STU took multiple fouls, bringing the score within three through free throws.
The Tommies started the second quarter quickly by gaining their first lead of the game 24-27. Fifth-year guard Vincent Lyttleton and second-year guard Zack Dool continued to gain points and build the lead.
Fourth-year forward Jeven Eddy scored two points after being fouled with less than a minute remaining in the quarter.
The third quarter saw a revived Seawolves team take the court. Despite good defensive play, STU lost the lead halfway through.
The first half of the last quarter was a constant battle back and forth for the lead. Lyttleton made a three-point jump shot early, followed by an assist on a shot by third-year wing Ceejay Hanson.
STU began slipping in points after the halfway mark, with the Seawolves gaining an eight-point lead to finish the game 97-89. This was the Tommies' first loss of the season.
Second-year guard Noah Boudreau said that the team’s shot selection was the reason for their loss.
“[UBNSJ] is always a tough team to go against, but I think our team is really solid this year, so I think next time around will be a lot better.”
Comments