The Niagara Knights women's basketball program (6-3, 3rd OCAA West) enter the second half of the OCAA season looking to improve upon some early season success.
In examining the OCAA West division, the only thing that's clear is how unclear it really is. With the second half of the OCAA regular season set to kick off, two games is what separates second from sixth place in the standings. While the defending champion undefeated Humber Hawks (9-0, 1st OCAA West) hold down the top spot, the Knights are tightly bunched with teams from St. Clair, Mohawk, Fanshawe, and Redeemer who are all competing for the important playoff bye.
With the top two teams in the division securing a first round playoff bye, the goal for the Knights is to set themselves apart from the competition down the stretch. With nearly half of their games against teams they are bunched with in the standings, every contest will be important.
Playing a more up tempo, athletic style of basketball this season Niagara has found success through a balanced scoring approach. The Knights lineup features four players averaging 10 points a game, with two more within a basket of a double digit average. Courtney McPherson (Welland) leads the way, nearly averaging a double-double on the strength of 14.8 points and 9.9 rebounds a game.
Brooke-Lyn Murdoch (Welland), Alyssa McCabe (Niagara Falls), and newcomer Xuan Nguyen-Marshall (Scarborough) are averaging 11.1, 10.2, and 10.0 points per game respectively. Of note is the three point range of Nguyen-Marshall, averaging 43.6% from beyond the arc. The perimeter presence has led to an increased ability for the Knights to generate inside scoring from McPherson and Emily Naccarato (St. Catharines).
Head Coach Mike Beccaria has spent the extended holiday break focusing on some areas of improvement that should benefit the Knights. "We have targeted some aspects of our defensive play and rebounding as areas of improvement," said Beccaria. "We are looking at the second half of the season very positively, and if we execute I believe we have the ability to make an impact at the OCAA Championship."
Returning to the team for the second semester is former Knights rookie of the year Melanie Tanguay (Welland). Tanguay was the Niagara College Female Rookie of the Year during the 2012-13 season, and coach Beccaria expects she will make an impact at the forward position.
The Knights get the second half underway on January 12th when they welcome the Mohawk Mountaineers (6-3, 3rd OCAA West) to the Welland Campus Athletic Centre. The regular season will wrap up on February 17th, with the 2017 OCAA Women's Basketball Championship slated for March 2-4 at Seneca College in North York.
