The Niagara College Knights women's basketball team lost a close game 61-57 to the visiting Humber Hawks on Thursday night. The Knights rallied from an early 10 point deficit but failed to complete the comeback against the veteran and experienced Hawks.
Knights Head Coach Ron Lemon felt the Knights "had a couple mental lapses on defense that really hurt the team." The Knights we outscored 22-10 in the second quarter and the hole proved too deep for the team to climb out of.
The Knights got another strong game from 5-foot-10 center Kaitlyn McPherson. The Welland native, and 2nd year Early Childhood Education student led all scorers in points with 16, and added 9 rebounds.
Lemon feels optimistic about the Knights February 20th rematch against the Hawks. "I believe we can beat them next time. In this league all the teams are fairly equal and anyone can beat each other throughout the season."
The Knights also had strong performances from a trio of rookies. Forwards Lauren Brew and Lauran Van Leerzen, and guard Melanie Tanguay "all played well" felt Lemon. The Coach feels that as the season progresses, the experience gained by the Knights' young players will improve the overall play of the team.
The 0-2 Knights' next game is set for Saturday, November 10th when the team travels to face the 1-1 Sheridan Bruins. The Knights' next home game is scheduled for Thursday, November 15th when Redeemer Royals visit the Welland campus athletic centre.
Admission to all Niagara College Varsity sporting events is free, and all Knights games are broadcast and archived at www.sportslive.ca.