Thursday, March 2nd marked the opening of the 2017 OCAA women's basketball championship with the annual awards breakfast hosted by the Seneca Sting in Toronto. The Niagara Knights received significant year end accolades as Courtney McPherson was named an OCAA first team all-star for the second consecutive season, while Brooke-Lyn Murdoch earned defensive player of the year status as well as being named a second team all-star.
McPherson, a graduate of École secondaire Confédération in Welland, enjoyed an outstanding 2016-17 season for the Knights. The five-foot-eleven forward averaged 14.9 points, and a division leading 10.8 rebounds per game on the year. More impressively, the third year Educational Assistant major shot a dominant 51% and finished the season with 12 double-doubles in 17 games played.
Murdoch (Welland) enjoyed breakout campaign for the Knights. The former Jean Vanier Lynx standout spent her first two seasons of eligibility with the McMaster Marauders. In her second season with the Knights, the five-foot-six guard finished with 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and three steals per game. In addition to her contributions on the score sheet, Murdoch was often tasked with defending the primary offensive threat for the Knights' opponents, earning her the respect the opposing coaches and leading to the West Division defensive player of the year selection.
The Niagara College women's basketball program finished the 2016-17 season with a record of 12-6 and in fourth place in the OCAA West Division. The team defeated the Centennial Colts in an OCAA Playoff Crossover game on February 26th to qualify for the OCAA Championship.
The Knights will open the event being held from March 2-4 by Seneca College against the host Sting at 6:00pm on Thursday, March 2nd. The winner advances to the OCAA semi-final while the loser will be relegated to the consolation side of the bracket. For more information regarding the 2017 OCAA Championship please visit the tournament website at http://ocaa.com/championships/wbkl/2016-17/index
