February 1, 2025
WELLAND, ON: The Niagara College Knights women's basketball team (13-2) played host to the Lambton Lions (8-7) and St. Clair Saints (5-10) this past weekend in a double header that saw the Knights come out on top in both matches. The Knights beat the Lions 54-47 in a fierce game before settling in to take down the Saints 59-50 the following day.
The Knights are now 2-0 this season against the defending OCAA gold medalist Lambton Lions, beating them at home earlier this season. With these two wins, the Knights move back into a tie for 1st place in the OCAA West Division standings.
A few of the starters for the Knights struggled in this game, but both Eremwon Destiny and Aisja Strachan were able to come off the bench and provide the necessary support for the Knights to get the win. Destiny and Strachan combined for 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 steals playing 25 and 17 minutes respectively.
The Knights put on a defensive display, holding each Lambton player with the exception of one to 5 points or fewer, including 4 out of the 5 starters for the Lions. 4th year Guard Taryn Mitchell had yet another game with 15 points or more (this is her 5th this year), scoring 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
The Knights had a mere 18 hours to recover before they were back on the court for the 2pm tipoff against the St. Clair Saints. An extremely well coached and highly motivated team, the Saints' record does not do them justice this year and they played with the toughness that the Knights were expecting.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with 9 turnovers between the two teams; 5 lead changes led to a very low scoring first quarter with the first 10 minutes ending at 7-6 for Niagara. St. Clair found their momentum in the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Knights by 4 and taking a 3-point lead heading into halftime.
Coach Kimbal Mackenzie must have given a motivational halftime speech, as the Knights came out firing from all cylinders, scoring 18 points in the 3rd quarter and holding the Saints to a mere 10. 4 different players scored for the Knights in the 3rd quarter, while only 2 were able to find the basket for the Saints. The Saints played a stronger game in the 4th quarter, but the Knights were able to find that 5th gear that they seem to be able to turn on as needed and were able to close out the game with a final score of 59-50.
3 steals from Aisja Strachan in the 4th quarter alone were hugely beneficial for the Knights in sealing this game. Strachan had 5 total steals in this game, as well as 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Janee Harrison also had a strong game, contributing 18 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block.
Coach Mackenzie is "proud of the group for finding a way to win in two hard fought games" against Lambton and St. Clair. He adds that they "continue to try and get better day by day preparing for the playoffs".
The Knights have a couple of days to rest before they host their final game of the 2024-2025 regular season on Wednesday evening at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre. This game will be 'Senior Night' for the basketball programs and the women's team will be honoring Kate Roth, Griffin Lack-Shane, Jamira Rousseau, and Janee Harrison. Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm, immediately after the senior night presentation.
For more information on the Knights teams, please visit us at www.goknights.ca.
