2009-2010 TEAM
Girlballer Summer League Champs (July 21)
The Blues entered two teams in the 6th annual Girlballers Summer League and both made it through to the semi final games.
In the first semi, the Blues2 team took on the #1, undefeated X team, in an intense battle to make it to the Championship game. The Blues shot well early and continued to hit big shots every time that the X team tried to make a run. Nicki Shutz, who was absent when these teams met in league play was unstoppable as she scored 38 points in a 69 - 57 win. Sherri Pierce had 10 points and Tania Meunier chipped in with 9.
In the other semi, the short-handed Blues1 team got behind early and could not make a late run as the Shock team knocked them out of a Toronto-Toronto final. Erin McNeely had 15 points in the 53-44 loss.
In the final, the Blues2 took a 15-9 lead over the Shock after the first and extended the lead to 33-16 at the half. The Blues hung on through the third and pulled away again in the fourth for a 58-36 win. Alicia VanKampen led the Blues with 16 in the Championship game. Tania had 10 and Sherri 9 while Nicki added another 8 in a balanced Blues effort.
Congratulations to Nicki Schutz who was named as the Most Valuable Girlballer for the summer season.
2009-10 OUA All-Star Game (Sat May 1)
In a close hard fought battle the West pulled away late in the final period for a 68-63 win over the East All-Stars to even the Series at 1 win each after the inaugral win by the East last year.
In the
game, Toronto's Nicki Schutz was easily the most dominating
player as she led the game in scoring, rebounding, blocks and she played tough
defense to help keep the East close.
CONGRATULATIONS - NICKI SCHUTZ
Named to OUA All-Star and All Canadian Teams
Nicki named an OUA East First Team All Star
Nicki pulled ahead on the final weekend of the regular season to lead the CIS in rebounding with 242 (11rpg). In the OUA Nicki also finished third in scoring with 18 ppg, tied for seventh in steals with 2.4 spg and eighth in blocks with 17 as she contributed double-doubles in 13 of her 22 games. This is her second acknowledgment as an OUA East first team All-Star.
Nicki Also Named a Second Team All Canadian
At the CIS National Championships in Hamilton Nicki was named to the All-Canadian second team for the first time in her CIS career.
Season Ends at Carleton (Feb 20)
The Blues finished their roller-coaster season with a game similar to their earlier efforts with poor shooting from the floor and from behind the arc although they had more shots, fewer turnovers and out-boarded the Ravens. The game started like it was going to be a battle as Nicki carried the Blues with 12 first quarter points and Carleton took a slim 17-16 lead. The second had the Blues hanging in with the league leading Ravens with the score 20-22 at the 8 minute mark and 24-28 with 2 minutes left in the half. Carleton added 4 more to make it 24-32 at the break. Nicki had 18 points and 9 rebounds but only two other Blues players had scored. Carleton had 4 3s while Toronto was 0 for 5. In the second half, Nicki pulled down another 9 rebounds but she couldn't find a way to score as Carleton focused their defensive attention on her. The Blues went through another 8 point quarter and fell behind 46-32 and time was running out. In the final frame Jo scored 5 and Erin put in 9 but Carleton shot 7 for 10 and pulled to a dominating 68-46 win and moved on to the East final vs Ottawa next weekend.
Nicki Schutz finished with another double-double (her 7th in a row) of 18 points and 18 boards, Joanna Medri followed with 10 points and 5 steals while Erin McNeely added 9 points and 5 steals.
Playoffs - Blues Win, Knock Out Queens (Feb 17)
Toronto travelled to the new Athletics and Recreation Center at Queens to take on the third place Gaels in the first round of the playoffs. The teams had split their two league games with the home team coming out on top.
Nicki and Erin were the only Blues scorers leading Toronto to a close 11-10 lead after a tight first period during which both teams shot about 25%. The second quarter was much of the same as Queens tied up the game at 23 as the other Blues starters had chipped in only 4 points and Queens improved their shooting to 30%. The Blues turned the game around in the third with 56% shooting on a more balanced effort as Nicki and Katelyn had 8, Joanna 7 and Erin 6 as the Varsity Blues pulled ahead with a 48-38 lead. The Gaels were not finished as the final frame got underway. In the first minute Queens scored twice and again in the second minute to close to 48-46. After another 3 minutes it was 50-48 as Toronto finally got on the score sheet. With 2 minutes left in one of the team's season, Toronto hung on at 54-50, Queens scored to make it a 2 point difference and with a three point play by Erin Toronto went into the last minute up 57-54, a two by Katelyn put the lead to 5 with 42 seconds left, and Toronto hung on hitting 3 for 4 at the line to end the Gaels season with a 62-54 final score.
Nicki Schutz had her usual double with 21 points and 10 boards while Erin McNeely had a strong 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Joanna Medri added 9 points and 8 rebounds. The Player of the Game was Katelyn McConnell who had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists while holding Queens leader Katie Guthrie to just two free throws in her 30 minutes of play after Guthrie had totalled 48 points in the previous two games against Toronto.
Blues Extend Win Streak to Four (Feb 12-13)
On Friday Toronto hosted York in a game with no real playoff significance for either team but with the 6th place Blues hosting the 7th place Lions it was sure to be a close hard fought battle. In the early going York was perfect at the foul line and 2 for 3 from the arc to take a 14-13 lead at the first break although the Lions shot a poor 23% from the field. In the second period the Blues made that look good as they shot 17% and fell further back at 25-21 by the half-time break. In the third the Blues improved on their first half 1 for 13 threes with 3 for 5 and their 2 for 4 at the line improved to 8 for 9 as the Blues took over the lead at 46-43. The game was going to be decided in the final quarter and it was tied at 49 at 8:20 and again at 57 at 3:30. At 2 minutes Erin hit a 3 to put the Blues up 62-59 and Nicki hit a two to put the Blues up 64-59 with 1:24 left to play. At 36 seconds Toronto was up 67-62 but York was not ready to give in and with a quick three and a 1 for 2 at the line York pulled back to 67-66. A final two made free throws by Erin with 8 seconds left gave Toronto a 3 point lead and although the Lions had one last three to attempt to tie it up - the shot was short, and the Blues hung on to a 69-66 win. The Blues had their second three game win streak of the season with a fine 14 for 17 at the line and a season high 9 threes.
Nicki Schutz had another strong game leading the Blues with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Erin McNeely and Megan Stoncius had followed with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
On Saturday the Blues hosted Laurentian in the final game of the regular season. Toronto had a good start jumping out to an 8-2 lead and used 57% shooting to overcome 6 turnovers to take a 16-11 lead at the end of 10. The second quarter was close but Nicki's two threes and Amanda's long three on her first touch extended the Blues lead to 34-28 at the half. Although the Vees made a run and got to 44-41 at 3:30 in the third, the Blues continued with 4 for 9 from behind the arc and added 3 more to their lead which was 50-41 going into the final period. In the fourth the Blues were ahead by 63-51 with 4 minutes left and held off a late barrage of threes by the Voyageurs to win 77-64 and set a season win streak at four going into the playoffs. Toronto increased their season record for threes in a game with 10.
Torono's Player of the Game was Erin McNeely who had 19 points on 50% shooting, 4 assists and 4 boards in 39 minutes of action. Nicki followed with another double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds to go with her 5 steals and 4 assists.
Blues Win Both to Start Four Game Homestand (Feb 5-6)
CHEER BLUE - THINK PINK WEEKEND
games to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
On Friday the Blues took an early 12-2 lead over the visiting Paladins of RMC and then started freely substituting so that 11 of the 12 players had double digit minutes of court time - the other player missed out only because of a first half ankle injury. With all the lineup changes the Blues allowed RMC back in the game and Toronto held onto a 14-7 lead after 10 minutes and a 29-21 lead into the halftime break. RMC scored an early three to make it a 5 point game but the Blues took over from there and rolled to a 73-44 win.
The Blues were led by Player of the Game Megan Stoncius who scored 17 points. She was backed up by Nicki Schutz double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds while Alicia Van Kampen had 9 points and 5 rebounds as 11 players contributed to the Blues scoring.
On Saturday the Blues hosted Queens. The Gaels rolled into town Friday with a four point hold on second place but left town in a three way tie for second after two losses. The Blues had a hot start shooting 50% to take a 23-14ead after one period but then a 4 for 18 second allowed Queens back in the game and the Blues lead was down to 32-30 at the break. In the third Queens continued to attack as Katie Guthrie scored 11 of her 24 total in the third and Queens took a 47-41 lead with 3 minutes left in the period. The Blues then fought back to pull within 1 at 54-53 with final 10 minutes ahead. The fourth period went back and forth as the Gaels were ahead 60-58 with 3 minutes left. After this Toronto took over with Joanna Medri hitting 2 of her 4 threes and Erin McNeely draining 4 for 4 at the line as the Blues went on a 12-1 run to pull off a well earned W. The final score was 70-61 with Erin scoring the Blues final 9 points.
Erin's line of 20 points, 5 boards, 4 assists and just 1 turnover in 40 minutes of play would normally mean a Player of the Game award but the Blues were led this game by Nicki Schutz who had 24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals to lead the game in all these categories. Joanna Medri had a hot hand with 4 threes to give her 12 key points to go with her 6 rebounds. Toronto won this game with a fine 18 for 21 at the line and a strong 6 for 18 from behind the arc.
Blues Not Competitive in the Capital (Jan 29-30)
After losing in the last 10 seconds at home two weeks ago, the Blues travelled to the home of the # 1 Ravens and were not able to come up with a similar effort. Carleton jumped on the Toronto squad early and often with a barrage of open looks from the three point line and penetrations to the basket as the Ravens took a 26-9 lead. The second quarter was not much better as Carlton chipped in another 20 to take a 46-21 lead into the break. Toronto came out with a much more aggressive second half and won both quarters 19-17 and 15-10 but it was too late as the Ravens rolled to a 73-55 win. The Ravens hit 9 3's as the Blues were shut out from beyond the arc and the Blues were out-rebounded 37-25.
Rookie Katelyn McConnell led the Blues with 14 points and 2 steals, Erin McNeely played all 40 minutes and had 11 points and 6 boards and Nicki Schutz had 12 points and a season low 5 rebounds.
On Saturday the Ottawa Gee Gees hosted the Blues in another roller coaster of a game. Ottawa came back from an early Toronto lead to take a 15-12 lead after 10 minutes and the Blues bounced back to take a 28-25 lead at the mid game break. In the third, the game was close as the Blues hung on for leads of 37-36 and 42-38 but then with less than 3 minutes left in the quarter the Gee Gees tied it up at 43. In the remaining time the Blues game fell apart and Ottawa pulled away to a 53-45 lead. In the final period the Blues missed free throws, threw the ball away and couldn't make a run. Ottawa avenged their loss at Toronto with a 69-57 win. Toronto did out-rebound Ottawa 44-37 but brick-like shooting of 16 for 33 from the free throw line cost any chance in this one.
Nicki Schutz had another double-double of 15points and 10 boards but struggled with 4 for 18 from the floor on the night. Megan Stoncius had a solid 14 and 8 night while Erin McNeely had 13 points and Alicia VanKampen ripped down 8 rebounds.
Blues Playing Tough But Earn Just a Split on the Road
(Jan22-23)
On Friday the Blues took on Laurentian in another down to the last minute battle and another close loss. After one period the teams were tied at 12 and at the break the Voyageurs hung on to a 19-18 lead as both teams were unable to score consistently. Toronto shot just 24% but the Voyageurs were even worse with 14%. The Blues improved their offensive finish in the third period and took a 35-33 lead into the final 10 minutes. The fourth quarter went back and forth as each team took slight leads - at 7:00 Toronto was up 39-38, at 5:00 Toronto was up 45-44 and at 3:00 the teams were tied at 47. In the final minute after a three point shot and some foul shots Laurentian pulled out a 52-49 win.
The difference in the game was the Vees 35 free throw attempts compared to the Blues 16 with Laurentian scoring 20 and Toronto just 7 from the line.
The games top rebounder and scorer was the Blue's Nicki Schutz with 16 points and 12 boards. Erin McNeely had a big 10 point, 7 rebound, 4 steals and 3 assists evening.
On Saturday the Blues travelled to York and a great first quarter erased memories of the last two close losses. Toronto took a 22-11 lead over the Lions with 45% shooting, including 2 for 3 from the three point line and 2 for 2 from the free throw line. For the next 30 minutes the teams played close to even but the early lead was enough to put the Blues back in the win column with a 67-53 victory.
Nicki Schutz again was the games leading scorer and rebounder with 24 points, 11 rebounds to go along with 6 steals. Erin McNeely had 12 points and 8 boards.
Big Win Then Tough Loss (Jan15-16)
On Friday the Blues came up with one of their best efforts of the season against the Gee-Gees of Ottawa. The game started with both teams struggling to score (the Blues shot 25% and Gee-Gees 22%) and Toronto took a close 14-13 lead into the first break and then extended it to 29-20 at the half after holding Ottawa to just 7 points in the second period as Toronto's shooting rose to 30% while Ottawa's dropped to 18%. In the third, the Gee-Gees bounced back with a 21-14 quarter that tightened the game up again as the lead changed several times. In the 4th the Blues went up 50-41 and Ottawa came back to 56-53 but the Blues dug deep and hung on for a 61-54 victory.
it was coach Belanger's 700th career win
The Blues were led by Nicki Schutz with 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals but a key to the win was the 7 fourth quarter points by Joanna Medri and the game long defense that Katelyn McConnell played holding the Ottawa point guard to a 1 for 13 evening. Erin McNeely had a strong 10 points, 7 boards, 3 assists in 38 minutes of action.
After the game the Blues held a reception to honour Alaine Hutton for her four years of leading the Blues. Alaine was OUA East Rookie of the Year, three time East All Star and topped off her career last year as East Player of the Year and All Canadian.
On Saturday the Blues hosted the Carleton Ravens in another hard fought battle that wasn't decided till the final minute of play. The Blues took an early lead and were up 17-13 after the first stanza but the Ravens came back with their usual great three point shooting to take a 31-29 into the break. Carleton pulled ahead to a 40-32 lead in the first 3 minutes but in the next 3 minutes the Blues got it back to 40-40 and the period ended knotted up at 46. In the final frame although Toronto was within 2 with 10 seconds left, there were no heroic efforts to pull it out. Carleton hit 7 of 8 foul shots down the stretch to put the game away with a 64-58 victory that moved them back into a first place tie with Queens.
The Blues Player of the Game was Erin McNeely who played 38 minutes at point guard with just 1 turnover while she put up 9 points, 4 rebounds and made 2 steals. Top scorer for the Blues was rookie Katelyn McConnell who had 12 points to go with her 5 boards and 2 steals. Joanna Medri had a 10 point effort while Nicki Schutz had another 10 points and a game high 17 rebounds.
Blues Split First Weekend of the New Year (Jan 8-9)
Toronto opened the New Year on Friday at Queens and both teams struggled a little in the first quarter as the Blues took a slim 12-11 lead. By the half each team stepped up their offense a little and were tied at 26 in what was still a close battle. After the break the Blues defense disappeared as the Gaels shot 60% and the Blues offense followed as Toronto shot 2 for 17 to fall behind 52-38 going into the final period and Toronto could not recover falling to Queens 68-50.
The Blues had 15 more shots (67-52), more rebounds (41-40), more free throws (27-15), more steals (16-3) and fewer turnovers (18-26) but the 28% shooting and the 16 missed free throws turned the Blues statistic domination into a one-sided loss to extend the Toronto losing streak to five.
Nicki Shutz led the Blues with another double-double of 16 points and 12 boards.
On Saturday the Blues were able to use the winless RMC Paladins to end the losing streak and build back a little confidence in scoring. Although RMC kept the game close at 14-11 after one quarter, Toronto opened up the game with a 19-6 second quarter and the Blues rolled to an easy 65-33 win.
Ten players contributed to the Blues scoring led by Erin McNeely's 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Joanna Medri hit for 11 points with 3 assists, Tania Meunier had 9 points and 5 rebounds while Nicki Schutz had 8 points to go along with her team leading 8 rebounds.
Blues Lose to Two Top CIS Teams in Holiday Tournament (Dec 28-29)
After the exams and Holiday break, the Blues returned to action playing the CIS # 2 Windsor Lancers on their home court. Toronto showed the rust of the 3 weeks between games with 26% shooting and 32 turnovers. The Lancers easily handled the Blues with all 11 players scoring leading to a 67-39 romp. For Toronto Erin McNeely had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals while Nicki Schutz had 13 points and 7 rebounds.
In the second game the Blues took on the CIS #4 Laval Rouge et Or. Toronto took a 2 point lead after 10 minutes and a 3 point lead into the break but a 35-20 second half turn-around led the Rouge et Or to a 52-40 win. Again the Blues had too many turnovers (26) and poor shooting (just 22%) which resulted in an inability to score although the defense kept the game in reach.
Again the Blues were led by Erin McNeely with 11 points, 3 steals and 2 assists. Nicki Schutz had 9 points and 5 boards while Joanna Medri had 8 points and 4 boards.
Blues Lose Two More on the Road (Dec 2-3)
Due to the earlier flu cancellations, Toronto made a rare mid-week trip to Hamilton to take on McMaster as both teams played their third game in six days. The Blues jumped out early and took a 12-0 lead in the first 3.5 minutes. Then the referees took over the game and called 60 fouls leading to 74 free throws to take away any flow or continuity to the game. The Marauders clawed their way back to tie the game up at 17 after 10 minutes. The momentum continued for Mac as the Marauders pulled ahead 42-36 at the half-time break. In the second half the Blues showed an ability to continue to create scoring opportunities but no ability to stop the Mac inside post game and guard penetration from the perimeter. McMaster pulled ahead to a 67-50 lead after three and extended the lead to 75-55 with 4 minutes on the clock. Toronto made a final 10-0 run and cut the lead to 10 but it was too late and the Blues fell 83-71.
The number of shots, rebounds and turn-overs was close to even for the two teams but McMaster shot 46% to Toronto's 39% and Mac outscored the Blues by 9 at the foul line to earn the win.
For Toronto Nicki Schutz had another great effort with 25 points and 9 rebounds while Emily Larson had 11 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. Katelyn McConnell had 8 points and 5 rebounds off the bench before fouling out.
On Thursday Toronto flew up to Thunder Bay for the re-scheduled game with Lakehead. The Blues had a 6-4 lead in the first until Tasia McKenna scored three successive 3s to put the Thunderwolves up13-6 on her way to an outstanding 31 point night. A last second three of their own put Toronto back in front at 21-20 at the quarter. At the half the Blues had increased the lead to 36-33 but then the Blues lost their shooting touch and with an 18-14 quarter, Lakehead took a 51-50 lead into the home stretch. With 4 minutes left the two teams were still knotted at 62 but the Blues only managed 3 more points from the foul line and Lakehead pulled out a 69-65 win as the Blues lost their fourth game in the last 7 days to tumble from 2nd to 6th place in the OUA East. Toronto finished the interlock portion of the schedule with a 3-5 record vs the West teams.
Toronto was led by the double-double of Nicki Schutz who had 14 points and 16 rebounds. Joanna Medri had 11 points and 8 rebounds while Erin McNeely contributed 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Megan Stoncius had a strong defensive effort and chipped in with 10 points and 5 boards.
Toronto Loses to Windsor and Western (Nov 27-28)
On Friday the Blues hosted Windsor the CIS #2 ranked team and Toronto came up with 36 minutes of their best game of the season. The problem is that a game is 40 minutes long. The Blues took a 19-18 lead in a very intensely played first quarter and Toronto pulled ahead in the second taking a 29-18 lead on Nicki's missed free throw that was put back for two since the Lancers were holding a team huddle and forgot to send anyone in to rebound. The Blues moved on to a 34-21 lead with 4 minutes left till the break but Windsor was not ready to quit. In the next 2 minutes Windsor upped its pressure, created some turn-overs and pulled even at 34. At the break the Blues hung on to a 39-38 lead. In the 3rd the Blues continued to out-shoot the Lancers and pulled ahead at 57-51 and the fans started to think upset. It was not to be as the Blues shot 3 for 14 as they hit a wall with 4 minutes left and the score knotted at 61. Toronto would not score again until a late 3 by Emily Larson and Windsor pulled away for a 71-64 win.
The difference in the game was the 25 fouls called on the Blues that led to a 32-15 edge in free throws and a 12 point difference at the line for Windsor.
Toronto's Player of the Game was Erin McNeely for her 38 minutes of tough defense and ball control. She had 9 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal. Nicki Shutz had a strong game before fouling out with 3 minutes left with 18 points and 9 rebounds, while rookie Katelyn McConnell had 12 points off the bench.
On Saturday the Blues were unable to continue the energy and intensity of Friday evening especially on defense. Although they were able to penetrate and score easily with a 50% shooting rate, the Blues were unable to prevent the Mustangs from getting open looks from beyond the arc and Western converted 4 for 9. The 8 Toronto turn-overs also led to 10 more shots by the Mustangs and a 27-17 lead at the first intermission. In the second, Western hit 3 more threes and continued to pull away with a 51 point half and an 18 point lead. In the 3rd quarter the Blues had 2 more shots than the Mustangs and were even on turnovers but a drop to 26% from the floor put Toronto further behind at 74-48. It was too little too late but the Blues increased their pressure, created 9 turnovers and won the final frame 19-10 but Western came away with the win 84-67 to stay in second place in the West while Toronto dropped to 6th in the East.
Nicki Schutz led all scorers and rebounders with 25 points and 13 boards to earn Player of the Game honours. Erin McNeely had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while Joanna Medri had 8 points, 5 boards and 6 assists.
Blues Split at Brock and Guelph (Nov 20-21)
On Friday at Brock the Blues came up with their worst effort of the year. In the first quarter the Blues had 17 shots compared to the Badgers 14 but with just 1 basket compared to Brock's 6, Toronto fell behind by 16-4 and the score never got any closer. In the second period the Blues found their range with improved finish around the hoop to score 16 points but they seemed to be running in sand on defense as the Badgers continued to hit from the three and run in uncontested layups. The score at the break was 41-20 as the Badgers shot a sizzling 50% and the Blues were at a dismal 26%. The second half was more of the same with Toronto turning the ball over 18 more times and although dominating the boards 30-18 for the half, still not hitting a three and continuing to shoot just 26% from the floor. It was Toronto's worst offensive output of the season as Brock rolled to a 72-45 win to extend their win streak to 5.
Nicki Schutz led the Blues with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 7 turnovers.
On Saturday it was a better start by the Blues who had 6 more shots, 1 more foul shot, 6 less turnovers but strong inside play and 62% shooting by Guelph gave the Gryphons a 22-19 lead. At 8:50 of the second stanza the Blues finally moved ahead 23-22 for the first time since the opening basket but Guelph hung in and took back the lead at 29-28 with 3:40 left till the break. The teams stayed close and Toronto held on for a 35-33 lead as Guelph cooled off to 48% shooting and Toronto moved up to 42%. In the third both teams scored 15 points so the Blues still led by 2 moving into the final 10 minutes. The Blues gradually pulled ahead and appeared to be wearing down the Gryphons but a banked 3 pointer as the shot clock ran out put Guelph back to within 2 at 58-56 with just over 4 minutes to go. Down the stretch the Blues hit some big shots to move ahead 63-56 with 1:37 left and then hung on for a 68-60 win to remove the memory of last night's poor effort.
Toronto had 10 more shots, 9 more free throws, 10 less turnovers and each team shot 39% but Guelph hit 7 threes compared to just 1 by the Blues and Toronto was out-rebounded 34-32.
After sitting out most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters with foul trouble, Nicki Schutz still managed 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks and an assist in a strong effort to lead the Blues. Joanna Medri had 13 points, 6 boards and 4 steals while Erin McNeely also had 13 points to go along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds.
Blues Edge Laurier-Kick Waterloo (Nov 6-7)
It was a little ugly early as the Blues opened with an 8 point, 2 for 14 first quarter including a 9-1 deficit after 6.5 minutes. It wasn't until Emily Larson hit a 3 at the 2:15 mark that Toronto scored its first basket. Luckily the Blues defense created 8 turnovers and Laurier shot only 29% so Toronto was just down 2 at 10-8. The second period was better for the Blues as the Hawks had another 9 TOs and at the 4 min mark Toronto took its first lead at 17-16. The Blues pulled ahead 25-21 at the break but Laurier was not ready to give in. After 4 minutes the Golden Hawks moved ahead again 30-29 and then the lead went back and forth as Laurier hung on to a 43-42 lead after three.
The fourth period continued the close battle with the score knotted at 49 at 4:36 on a 3 by Joanna Medri. Then Robyn Fashler put in a layup and followed with a quick 3 to start a 9-0 run over the next 2 minutes that resulted in the Blues finally pulling away for a 66-55 win.
The Blues were led by Player of the Game Joanna Medri who had 15 points, 5 steals and 3 assists. Erin McNeely had another solid effort with 10 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. Nicki Schutz had 10 points and 8 boards while Robyn Fashler also chipped in 10 points.
On Saturday, Waterloo visited the Athletic Center. The Warriors hung in early as both teams couldn't find the rim with the Blues shooting just 21% and still taking a 15-12 lead. In the second stanza the Blues started to pull away and Waterloo called a time-out at 3:33 as Toronto went up 31-18. Waterloo settled down and with a 9-3 run got back in the game at the break. In the third Toronto pulled ahead by 40-31 at 5:33 but this time even a time-out was not going to help the Warriors as the Blues rolled to a 60-38 lead going into the final quarter. With the Toronto bench taking control in the fourth, the Blues continued to dominate and held Waterloo to just 1 point as the Varsity Blues rolled to a 77-39 win. Toronto dominated the boards 64-29 and had 33 more shots than the Warriors.
Nicki Schutz led the Blues with 14 points and an outstanding 20 rebounds and 4 steals while Joanna Medri had 12 points. Rookies Alicia Van Kampen with 10 boards, 6 points and 3 steals and Amanda Lum with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists showed that they are ready to play and contribute.
Blues Lose Opener Then Bounce Back (Oct30-31)
For the second straight year the Blues opened the regular season with a loss at Ryerson. Toronto came out shooting, hitting 60% from the floor, but turned the ball over 6 times against the Rams pressure D and left 3 point shooters open as Ryerson took a 24-19 lead after 10. In the next frame the blues continued to score well but added 9 more turnovers and pulled within 1 at 37-36. After the break, the Blues continued to give the ball away with 8 more TOs and the smaller Rams dominated the boards 13-8. The extra possessions led to 9 more shots and a 56-49 lead after 3. In the 4th the Blues could not close the gap as Ryerson continued to draw fouls and outscore Toronto at the foul line. Ryerson finished the game with 14 more shots, 13 more free throws and a 73-64 victory.
The Blues were led by Nicki Schutz who had a game high 19 points to go along with her 8 boards. Erin McNeely had another full line with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Megan Stoncius had 9 points and 7 rebounds while Emily Larson also had 9 points.
In Saturday's rematch Toronto had another good start but Ryerson again hung tough keeping it close at 19-17 as the Blues reduced their turnovers to 4, out-rebounded Ryerson by 2 and got to the foul line 8 times to zero for the Rams. In the second quarter Ryerson came back strong with increased pressure forcing 7 TOs, an increase in foul shots and improved work on the boards to take a 39-35 lead that had the young Blues rattled. After the break the Blues settled down and increased their own defensive pressure, followed up with 51% shooting and outscored the Rams 23-7 to take a commanding 58-46 lead into the homestretch. Toronto held Ryerson to just 11 points in the final 10 to pull away to a 74-57 win. It was not the 34 point win of last year but a similar opening weekend turn-around.
Player of the Game was Nicki Schutz who had a season high 34 points to go with her 9 rebounds. Erin McNeely followed with 9 points and 5 assists while Megan and Amanda each had 8 points.