January 24, 2024, Hamilton
The Knights women's basketball team came together and played exceptionally well as a team when it mattered most on Wednesday evening at Mohawk College in Hamilton. The Knights (now 10-3) pulled off a huge 60-55 win against the now 9-4 Mohawk Mountaineers, which keeps the Knights ahead of the Mountaineers in the OCAA West Division standings.
The Knights struggled out of the gate quickly falling 5 points behind halfway through the first quarter and were not able to get a 3-point shot into the basket at all in the first quarter. The Knights brought it as close as within two points with the leadership of Taryn Mitchell and Jamira Rousseau but were struggling to contain Mohawks strong offensive efforts and could not pull away from the rim with a rebound in hand.
Coach Rao must have had some things to say in the huddle between quarters that resonated with the team as they came out running into the second quarter ready to play! The Knights scored 14 unanswered points to start the quarter giving them a 26-17 lead with 3 minutes left in the quarter. They also tightened up their defensive efforts causing 7 turnovers and holding the Mountaineers to only 11 points in the quarter giving the Knights a narrow 2-point lead heading into halftime.
The Knights continued their strong rebounding efforts in the third quarter reeling in 11 rebounds to Mohawk's 8 but continued to struggle shooting 0% on three's and only 23% from the floor. The Knights trailed by as many as 11 points partway through the fourth quarter, but they found their momentum and controlled the last 6 minutes of the quarter, outscoring Mohawk 20-9. The comeback was a valiant team effort, but scoring was led by Molly Taylor with 6 points in the fourth quarter, Destiny Osadebamwen with 5 points, Janee Harrison with 4 points, and Lexxus Bell with 3 points.
The Knights now have just over a week to rest and prepare for a tough road trip playing Lambton College and then St. Clair College on February 3rd and 4th before coming home for their final game of the regular season against the Sheridan Bruins on Wednesday, February 7th at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre in Welland.
