With the holiday break just around the corner, the Lambton Lions women’s basketball team will look to end the fall term on a winning note.
The Lions will host the Conestoga Condors on Friday night inside the Lambton College Athletics & Fitness Complex for their final OCAA contest of 2019.
For the Lions, Friday’s contest provides the team with another opportunity to get back to their winning ways before the holiday season. After starting the season with five consecutive wins, the Lions find themselves on a four-game losing streak and are trending the wrong way in the competitive OCAA West Division.
Despite their losses, the Lions still have performances to build on. In their last outing against the Humber Hawks, the Lions were competitive from start to finish against one of the nation’s top teams. While the Lions ultimately fell to the Hawks, 73-63, there will still some positives to take away from the game.
As a team, the Lions shot a season-best 44.4% (8-of-18) from three-point range, a number that was fueled by the play of forward Akuluel Anyoun. In 32 minutes of playing time, Anyoun finished the day with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Three point shooting has been an area of concern for the Lions this season. Across their first nine games of the season, Lambton has shot just 28.5% from three-point range as a team, but their performance against Humber has given them extra motivation moving forward.
First year guard Breanna Pretty has been a star for the Lions this season. Through nine games, Pretty ranks inside the top 25 in the OCAA in points (14.4; 20th), rebounds (7.6; T-22nd), and steals (4.2; 2nd) per game. Against a Conestoga team that is strong in the paint, Pretty will look to continue her strong play and be a spark plug for the Lions.
The Condors come into Friday’s tilt with the Lions with a 5-2 record in the OCAA West Division. Conestoga and Lambton are currently tied for 4th in the division standings with 10 points apiece, but the Condors have two games in-hand over the Lions.
Conestoga’s strength lies in the paint. The Condors have three of the OCAA’s top 12 rebounders, and five players on their roster are averaging at least 5.1 rebounds per game through their first seven contests. Forward Jamila Beckford is averaging a team-high 21.2 points to go along with 9.9 rebounds, and will be one player that the Lions will look to keep under wraps.
While the Lions come into the game on a losing streak, they do have history on their side in the match-up. Last season, Lambton swept the regular season series between the two teams. The Lions picked up a 62-52 win in their regular season opener on a night that marked the Grand Opening of the Lambton College Athletics & Fitness Complex. They added a 57-53 win on the Condors’ home floor on January 16th to complete the sweep.
Friday night’s opening tip is set for 6 p.m.