(London, Ontario) – The No. 8 nationally ranked Fanshawe Women's Basketball team (1-0) started their 2022 campaign with a 63-40 home win over the Conestoga Condors (0-1) on Wednesday evening. This extended the Falcons win streak to 19 games dating back to November 6, 2019. The Fanshawe squad sported warmup shirts to show support for those affected by cystic fibrosis and in honour of those who have lost their battle.
Third-year student-athlete Alison Cotton (London, ON) opened the scoring for the Falcons with a layup assisted by Grace Shea (Caledonia, ON). Conestoga came ready to play, grabbing offensive rebounds that resulted in points to take an early lead 18-15 after the first frame. Fanshawe stepped up their defense in the second quarter, holding the Condors to only five second quarter points. Legacie Blackbird (Walpole Island) set up Falcon forward Mackenzie Van Dyk (Nairn, ON) for consecutive layups. A pair of steals by Jordan Braekevelt (Sarnia, ON) resulted in points for the home team, as Fanshawe would extinguish Conestoga's early advantage and go into the locker room with a 33-23 lead.
A steal and shot from beyond the arc from Jessica Cameron (Calgary, AB) got the Falcons off to a hot start in the third quarter. Fanshawe controlled the boards in the second half, with Cotton recording seven offensive rebounds to give the Falcons extra possessions. After the end of the third frame the score was 47-33 in favour of the red and white. Rookie guards Micaela Howard (London, ON) and Renee Maat (Oakville, ON) scored four points each in the final quarter to secure Fanshawe's victory, as the Falcons went on to win their first game back in nearly two years by a score of 63-40.
Cotton recorded a game-high 16 points and 11 rebounds in the contest. Van Dyk added 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, while Braekevelt contributed an outstanding seven steals. The Falcons will have a tough match up in their next game, as they host the number four nationally ranked St. Clair Saints on Tuesday, February 15 at 6:00 p.m.
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