WEEKEND RECAP: #1 Gee-Gees split weekend with TMU, Toronto
The U SPORTS top-ranked Gee-Gees women's basketball team split their weekend series in Toronto with a loss to the defending national champion TMU Bold and a lopsided win over the Toronto Varsity Blues.
On Friday, TMU erased an early 16-12 Ottawa lead, outscoring the Gee-Gees in each of the final three frames to upset the #1 ranked team in the nation. While both teams shot 40 per cent from the field, the Bold hit 10 three-pointers, while Ottawa was 2-19 from beyond the arc.
Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu led the way for the Gee-Gees with 15 points to go along with 5 rebounds and two steals. Natsuki Szczokin added 13 points, while Melina De Iulio had 11 points off the bench.
Ottawa bounced back with authority on Saturday night at the University of Toronto, with a blowout 54-point win 89-35.
The Gee-Gees built a staggering 28-7 in the first quarter, that ballooned to 44-9 through the second quarter. At halftime, the Ottawa led 51-17. The Blues responded well in the third quarter as the game was definitively out of reach for the hosts.
A dominant first five minutes of the frame gave the Gee-Gees their largest lead of the night at 55 points as they closed out the win to improve to 14-1 on the year. Ottawa shot 48.5% from the field in the win, holding Toronto to only 15.0 % shooting. The Gee-Gees outrebounded Toronto 61-31 and had 44 points in the paint to the Blues' six.
Lefebvre-Okankwu led the way for Ottawa again with 18 points and six rebounds, De Iulio was also in double-figures for the second consecutive night with 17 points, three rebounds and two assists. Oksana Gouchie-Provencher added 13 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double effort.
Up next, the Gee-Gees will return to the Greater Toronto Area for a meeting with the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in Oshawa on Friday. Ottawa will return to Montpetit Hall for a marquee matchup with the second-ranked and undefeated Queen's Gaels on Sunday night at 5 p.m.
Tickets are available at tickets.geegees.ca and the game will be streaming live on OUA.tv.