SARNIA – Safe to say it was a pretty good regular season for the Lambton Women’s Basketball Program.
On the heels of a successful regular season, one that saw the team win the West Division title for the first time in program history, the Lambton Women’s Basketball Program picked up a total of eight awards on Wednesday afternoon as the OCAA announced their 2023-24 award winners.
Fourth year wing Breanna Pretty (Sarnia, Ont.) headlined this year’s award winners, as she was named the OCAA Player of the Year and a CCAA All-Canadian. Pretty becomes just the second All-Canadian for the Lions, joining former Men’s Soccer star Gary Docherty (1994-95) in that exclusive group.
Pretty, who went to St. Patrick’s Catholic High School in Sarnia, has been as consistent as they come over her four-year career at Lambton College, and the 2023-24 season was no different. She averaged a team-high 14.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game during the regular season while shooting 45.0% from the field and 75.9% from the free throw line.
Pretty ranked inside the top 20 in several OCAA statistical categories this season, but she ranked 54th in minutes per game (26.4) while starting all 16 games. When she was on the court, she was an impact player on both ends of the floor.
In addition to being named Player of the Year and a CCAA All-Canadian, Pretty was named the West Division Player of the Year and a West Division First Team All-Star.
Fifth year forward Brett Fischer (Wallaceburg, Ont.) was named a West Division Second Team All-Star in her only season with the Lions. She was one of four players in the OCAA to average a double-double this season, recording 12.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 37.6% from the field.
Fischer, who had nine double-doubles during the regular season, led the OCAA in total offensive rebounds (84), and she finished second in total rebounds (174) and rebounds per game (10.9). The Western University transfer also racked up 17 blocked shots, which ranked fourth in the league.
Third year guard Emily Van Hooft (Sarnia, Ont.) was named the OCAA West Division’s Sixth Woman of the Year, marking the second consecutive year that a member of the Lions took home the award (Morgan Goffar; 2022-23).
Van Hooft transitioned into the role of ‘first off the bench’ in 2023-24, and she found her rhythm as the season progressed. The St. Patrick’s alum averaged 9.9 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field, which ranked third in the OCAA. Van Hooft recorded 10+ points in seven of the last 10 games of the regular season, giving the Lions a spark off the bench.
As a team, the Lions were recognized once more as the OCAA West Division champions. With a record of 14-2 overall in the regular season, the Lions entered the post-season as the top seed in the West Division, and they have earned the right to host the OCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four, should they advance to the semifinals.
For the second year in a row, the Lions were recognized as the West Division’s Best Defensive Team. They held opponents to an average of 48.9 points per game, which was good for the second-best mark in the OCAA this season. They also forced their opponents into an average of 26.6 turnovers per game during the regular season, the most among all West Division programs.
With their regular season accolades in tow, the Lions remain focused on the task at-hand. The Lions are preparing for a rematch of the 2023 OCAA Gold Medal Game on Saturday afternoon when the Humber Hawks come to town for their OCAA Quarter-Final showdown.
Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. inside the Cestar Group Athletics & Fitness Complex on Saturday, February 24th.
For more information, or for any media inquiries within Lambton College Athletics, please contact:
Tyler Bennett
Lambton College Sports Information & Marketing Coordinator
tyler.bennett@lambtoncollege.ca