The 2020 calendar year has started strong for the Lambton Lions women’s basketball team.
Winners of three in a row, the Lions will look to extend their winning streak to four games on Saturday afternoon when they visit the Niagara College Knights in the second of two regular season meetings between the programs.
Lambton will look to complete the regular season sweep of the Knights after having topped Niagara back on October 18th in the first game of the season for both teams, 89-43.
Coming into Saturday, the Lions are riding a wave of momentum, one that they hope will carry them down the stretch and lead them to a home Crossover Game. After a 75-69 win over the Mohawk Mountaineers in their last outing to complete the regular season sweep in that series, the Lions will look to do the same against the Knights.
The Lions boast an 8-4 record and sit fourth in the West Division standings.
Lambton finds themselves in a battle for a coveted home Crossover Game with the likes of the Sheridan Bruins and Conestoga Condors. The Lions close the regular season with games against the Bruins and Condors, so building momentum heading into the final two games of the season will only boost their chances.
Against the Knights, the Lions will have a tall order in front of them as Lambton will dress just seven players in uniform. The trio of Cassidy Crowe, Ashleigh Pettit, and Deborah Mboko will all miss the game for various reasons.
As a result, look for guard Breanna Pretty to take on a starring role yet again for the Lions on both ends of the floor. The first-year guard has played like anything but a rookie this season, leading the Lions with 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.3 steals per contest. Pretty has recorded double-figures in each of her last four games, a stretch that includes a 30-point outing against Redeemer.
Veteran guard Morgan Wagg should take on an increased role on offense with the absence of both Crowe and Pettit in the back court. Through 12 games, Wagg is third on the team with 13.3 points per game on 36.6% shooting.
The Knights come into Saturday with a 1-9 record, and while the results haven’t been there for first year Head Coach Chris Rao, the Knights continue to fight night in and night out. Kaisen MacKinnon leads Niagara with 11.2 points per game on 33.8% shooting from the field.
Despite being shorthanded, the Lions will go for the sweep on Saturday, with the opening tip set for 2 p.m. at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre.