(London, Ontario) – The Fanshawe Women's Basketball team (1-0) began OCAA regular season play with a 79-51 victory over the Humber Hawks (0-1) on Friday evening. In front of a packed Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre, the Falcons ended the Hawks 81-game OCAA win streak. The Fanshawe squad sported ONERUN warmup shirts in honour of those who have lost their battle to cancer and to show support to those who continue to fight.
In a rematch of last season's OCAA final, the Falcons got on the board first with a jump shot by Claire Dechet (Sarnia, ON). For the next three minutes, the Falcons had some open looks however went cold from the field. Forward Natalie Warren (London, ON) finally broke the ice with a nice midrange fade-away to give the home team a slim 13-10 lead after the opening quarter. Second-year guard Sydney Kendellen (London, ON) had an outstanding second quarter for the Falcons, as she scored nine points on 2/3 from the field and 4/4 from the charity stripe. Humber stayed within reach with a pair of triples in transition and at the half the Falcons led the Hawks 37-28.
In the third quarter, the Falcons moved the ball well offensively, resulting in an open shot from behind the arc from London native Chuot Angou. The Hawks responded with a pair of layups, not allowing Fanshawe to pull away. Fanshawe guard Mary Ingribelli (St. Catherine's, ON) picked up an offensive rebound and sparked the crowd with an and-1 to give the Falcons a 55-44 lead. In the fourth frame, Fanshawe stepped up their defense, holding the Hawks to only seven points. A steal from fifth-year forward Maddy Kielar (Newmarket, ON) resulted in a fast break layup for Mikhaila Wright (London, ON). The red and white shot an impressive 53% from the floor in the final quarter and went on to defeat the reigning national champions 79-51. The Falcons outrebounded the Hawks 61-43, including a game-high 12 rebounds for Warren. Angou led Fanshawe in scoring with 18 points, and Kielar recorded six steals.
Fanshawe will be back in action on Wednesday, October 24, when they host the Lambton Lions (1-0) at 6pm.
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