Sunday, November 17th saw the Niagara College women's basketball program improve to 5-1 on the season after defeating the Mohawk Mountaineers 63-50 at the Welland campus Athletic Centre. The win moves the Knights into a tie for second in the OCAA West Division with the St. Clair Saints.
After the game, Niagara College women's basketball head coach Mike Becarria commented "I'm happy with the win over a good Mohawk team. We played with good intensity, and responded to their defensive pressure."
Leading the way offensively for Niagara was third-year forward Kaitlyn McPherson. The local Welland native "had a very strong all-around game" felt Beccaria. The five-foot-ten Early Childhood Education student finished with teams high in points (18) and rebounds (9).
Throughout the season, the Knights have used all 10 players on their roster, and employ different combinations of lineups throughout each game.
The concept of starters and bench players is something Coach Beccaria rarely discusses. He added "Today's game saw everyone contribute, and that's exactly how we need to play. It was a full team effort, and in all of our games stat sheets rarely reflect what happens on the court."
With a record of 5-1 the Knights are off to one of their strongest starts in recent memory. The team has three tough road games remaining before heading into the Holiday Break.
The OCAA's number five ranked Niagara College women's basketball program will return to action on Saturday, November 23rd, when the team travels to Ancaster to take on the Redeemer University College Royals.
