Varsity Blues Archive

2010-2011 SEASON

CIS National Championships, Windsor (Mar 18-20)

At the CIS Championship banquet on Thursday evening Blues fifth year senior Nicki Shutz named as Second Team ALL CANADIAN again this year and first year player Jill Stratton was named to the CIS ALL ROOKIE team.

On Friday the Blues took on the AUS winner from Cape Breton in the last quarter-final of the day. After 5 minutes the Blues were up 8-7 but Nicki had already spent 2 minutes on the bench by then after 3 quick fouls that took her out of the game till the third quarter. In the next 5 minutes the Capers jumped to a 23-12 lead as the Blues had 9 fouls compared to 3 and the Capers shot 47% compared to Toronto's 36%. In the second frame Sherri and Liane joined Nicki on the bench with 3 fouls and the Blues shot a miserable 22% but holding the Capers to 2 for 15 kept the Blues in it down just 21-28 at the break. In the third, 8 points by Nicki and 5 points by Joanna tied the game at 38. The Capers responded with an 11-0 run to start the fourth and Toronto could not reply again as Cape Breton won 49-58 after out-rebounding Toronto 54-32 and outscoring the Blues 13-5 at the free throw line.

 Toronto was led by Nicki Schutz with 12 points and 7 rebounds while Joanna Medri , Erin McNeely , Alicia Van Kampen and Sherri Pierce each had 8 points. Jill Stratton had a game leading 5 assists and 5 steals.

 On Saturday the Blues took on the Quebec champions from Laval in a Consolation round game.

It was a back and forth first quarter with several lead changes as Toronto took a 20-16 lead after one. Although the Blues pulled ahead 25-16 at 8:02, the Rouge et Or fought back to within 1 at 2:02 and two final baskets by the Blues kept them up by 39-35 at the break. Nicki already had a 14and10 double-double. After changing ends Laval went on another run and took a 42-41 lead at 7:20. Toronto quickly regained the lead and stretched it to 63-54 after three. In the fourth Laval responded again and tied it up at 70 at 5:20. Toronto went ahead 76-71 at 3:32 but Laval took the lead once more at 1:39. At 1:14 Erin went 1 for 2 to knot things up again at 77. Then with 42 seconds left, it was still up for grabs at 79 each after Jill scored a layup. Erin then went 3 for 4 from the line to give the Blues an 82-79 win.

  There was no question about the Player of the Game as Nicki Schutz had a monster game of 35 points (her season high) and 13 boards. Erin McNeely 's 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists would have normally been good enough for the POG award.

  On Sunday in the Consolation Final Toronto met Laurier who they had beaten two weeks ago in the OUA Bronze game as well as in league play last November. This time Laurier, going in as the #7 seed, had more to prove. The Golden Hawks came out flying, taking a 12 -2 lead at 5:55 after hitting 4 threes. Toronto settled down but were still down 11-20 after the first. In the second the Hawks continued to out-hustle and out-work the Blues extending the lead to 16-34 at 3:35 and held on for a 23-36 lead at the break. The Blues had shot 27% while the Hawks were at 40% including a hot 5 for 10 from the three. The two teams played even for the next 10 minutes as the Blues continued to struggle shooting with a very poor 19% but a better defensive effort kept the score after three at 36-49. In the final period the Blues offense came to life but each time they started a run Laurier would reply to cut it off and prevent Toronto from getting closer than 5. It was 44-50 at 6:51, 46-51 at 5:09, 48-53 at 4:13 and 50-55 at 1:55. The Hawks held on for a 57-64 win.

 In her final game as a Rookie Jill Stratton led the Blues with a double-double of 12 points and 12 boards to go with her 3 steals and 2 assists. Erin Mcneely finished her Varsity Blues career with a strong 13 point 7 rebound effort and Nicki Schutz closed off a great career with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals to fill up the stat sheet.

BLUES OFF TO NATIONALS

Eastern Regional at University of New Brunswick (all times AST)
Friday, March 11

6:00pm Semifinal #1: Western Ontario (82) vs. UNB (66)
8:00pm Semifinal #2: Fraser Valley (69) vs. Toronto (78)

Saturday, March 12
Regional Championship Final 4:00pm Toronto (65) vs Western (57)

 The Varsity Blues took on the Fraser Valley Cascades Friday in the second semi-final game after Western had beaten the host UNB Reds. Toronto jumped to a 9-2 lead after just over two minutes, extended it to 13-4 after just over four minutes of play but the Cascades fought back and closed to 18-14 at 1:46 and the Blues closed the period up 22-16. UFV continued to pressure the Blues and cut into the lead taking a 23-22 lead at 7:47 but the Blues tied the game at 24 at 6:30 and followed with a 6 point run to move Toronto back up 30-24 at 4:48. A late three by the Cascades and the Blues were just up 34-31 at the break. Toronto took over in the third with a 21-12 quarter that made it 55-43 going into the final ten. At 5:54 Toronto was up 66-53 but the Cascades hit several big shots to keep fighting back but the Blues responded each time and hit free throws down the stretch to hang on for a 78-69 win.

  Toronto outscored the Cascades at the free throw line 20-16, out rebounded them 34-29, had fewer TOs (19-23) and out-shot Fraser Valley 39% to 35% to earn the win and a meeting with Western with a trip to Nationals on the line.

 For the Blues the Player of the Game was Nicki Schutz with 24 points and 9 boards. Jill Stratton followed with 12 points, 4 assists and 3 steals while Erin McNeely had big game with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Sherri Pierce , after missing two weeks of action with an injury, returned to action late in the first half and played a key roll with 10 points in limited time.

 On Saturday the Blues played their biggest game of the year, the winner going to Nationals and the loser finished for the year. Considering the pressure of such an important game, Toronto had a very slow start offensively, shooting 3 for 19, but a tough defensive effort held Western to just 5 for 15 and a 13-6 lead. In the second period the Blues finally started to find the range improving to 6 for 15 and cutting the lead by 1 to 21-27 at the break. At 7:00 of the third, Toronto had closed to 28-31 and at 5:00 the Blues had finally climbed back to tie the game at 31. At the period end the Mustangs hung on to a 40-42 lead. With ten minutes left the season was on the line and the Blues were up to the challenge. At 8:57 Erin scored to give the Blues a 44-42 lead. Three minutes later she scored again and Jill followed on the next possesion to give Toronto a 52-47 lead. At 4:04 Jill scored again to extend the lead to 56-49 but Western fought back with two threes to close to 56-53 with 3 minutes left in somebody's season. Nicki made an old-school three point play and put the Blues up 59-53 at 2:49 and the Mustangs scored twice to make it 59-57 at 1:12. With 29 seconds left Joanna hit a three to make it 62-57 and Erin hit two free throws to make it 64-57. Nicki went 1 for 2 to close it out at 65-57 and the Blues are off to Nationals.

 With the game on the line in the fourth quarter Toronto out-rebounded the Mustangs 12-4 and out-shot them 10 for 21 to 5 for 16 to pull out the win. The Player of the Game was Jill Stratton who had 17 points, 6 boards and 5 assists while Nicki Schutz had a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds and Erin McNeely , with 10 fourth quarter points, had 14 points and 4 assists. Joanna Medri , whose only basket was the big fourth quarter three, had 4 points, 3 assists and 4 steals with a strong defensive game.

BLUES WIN OUA BRONZE WITH BIG COMEBACK (Mar 5)

The Blues hosted the Laurier Golden Hawks in the OUA Third place game Saturday night. Toronto was playing without their fourth year All-Star guard Sherri Pierce who was injured in the third quarter of the East Final last Sunday and so Rookie of the Year Jill Stratton moved up into the starting lineup and rookies Liane Bailey and Julie Longauer were going to have to step up under Playoff Pressure.

 The game started slowly for the Blues as they couldn't find the range shooting 2 for 12 and falling behind by 20-8 after one period. In the second quarter fourth year senior Megan Stoncius came off the bench to go 4 for 4 to spark the comeback. Erin McNeely went 3 for 4 and the Blues closed it to within 7 at 34-27 at the break.

Jill started the third period with two quick baskets and by 6:44 the Blues had closed to 33-36 and at 3:37 tied the game at 39 on an Alicia VanKampen basket. Then at 2:12 Toronto was up 43-42. At 1:39 Nicki picked up her fourth foul and she would sit out the next 6 minutes as the Blues closed the frame up 45-43. At 8:17 of the fourth Joanna Medri went 2 for 2 at the line to put the Blues up 48-46 but the Hawks tied it again at 7:17. The turning point of the game was at 6:57 as Jill hit a big three  and followed with a penetration two 30 seconds later to put the score at 53-48 and then at 5:34 Liane hit a three and followed it with another three at 4:47 to put it away with a 59-48 lead as the Blues Rookies completed an 11-0 run. Toronto closed it out with a 62-54 win for the OUA Bronze medal and a trip next week to the Atlantic Regional while Laurier will go West.

 The Player of the Game with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists in 33 minutes was Jill Stratton the OUA Rookie of the Year. Erin McNeely had 11 points and an outstanding 7 assists while Nicki Schutz had 11 points and 8 rebounds and Megan Stoncius finished with 10 points and 3 steals as eight Blues players all played major minutes and contributed to the win.

CONGRATULATIONS

Coach Belanger, Nicki Schutz, Sherri Pierce and Jill Stratton

OUA Award Winners

2010-11 OUA EAST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

Toronto's veteran coach Michèle Bélanger is the East Coach of the Year . Bélanger and the Varsity Blues improved on last season's 11-11 record and 1-1 playoff performance, finishing first in the East winning 18 games this year to host the East division Final Four. This is her eighth coach of the year award since winning it for the first time in the 1980-81 season.

Jill Stratton (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Toronto Varsity Blues is the East Rookie of the Year . The first-year guard played in all 22 games for the Blues, recording 192 points and 57 assists. Defensively, Stratton chipped in 59 rebounds, 55 steals and 10 blocks. She is a member of the all rookie team.

Player of the Year
Hannah Sunley-Paisley - Ottawa

Rookie of the Year
Jill Stratton – Toronto

Defensive Player of the Year
Katie Goggins – Laurentian

Joy Bellinger Award
Katie Goggins – Laurentian

Tracy McLeod Award
Sarah Nolette - Ottawa

Coach of the Year
Michèle Bélanger – Toronto

First Team All-Stars
Hannah Sunley Paisley – Ottawa
Ashley MacDonald – Ryerson
Lisa Furchner – Laurentian
Brittany Moore – Queen's
Nicki Schutz - Toronto

Second Team All-Stars
Brittany Szockyj – York
Alyson Bush – Carleton
Sherri Pierce – Toronto
Katie Goggins – Laurentian
Jenna Gilbert – Ottawa

All Rookie Team
Jill Stratton – Toronto
Kim Cupid – Ottawa
Liz Boag – Queen's
Ashley Clarke – Ryerson
Gemma Bullard – Queen's

Blues Struggle But Overcome Ryerson-Then Lose to Carleton in Final

(Feb 26-27)

Toronto had a good start taking a 14-10 lead after 10 minutes but then someone put a lid over the basket and the Blues had their worst quarter of the year, scoring just 2 points by shooting just 1 for 10 and turning the ball over 12 times. The stingy Toronto defense kept them in the game holding the Rams to 3 for 16 from the floor and Ryerson was just up 1 at the break, 17-16. Both teams stepped it up in the third, as the Rams went from shooting 21% to 42% and the Blues from 28% to 35%. Toronto had just 1 TO to Ryerson's 5 and the Blues won on the boards 12-8 to come up with 8 more shot attempts and a 33-30 lead going into the home stretch.

 In the fourth at 7:38 the Blues were up only 33-32 and then came the turning point of the game - at 6:26 Sherri hit a big three and followed it up on the next posession with another three to give the Blues a 39-32 lead with 6 minutes left. At 4:07 Nicki kept the Blues up 7 at 43-36, at 2:49 Jill scored to make it 47-38 and from there the Blues closed it out as Erin hit her FTs to hold off the Rams 53-41.

 The Player of the Game was Sherri Pierce who had 21 points and 4 assists. Nicki Schutz had another double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds to go with 3 steals. Erin McNeely chipped in with 10 points and 5 assists.

 On Sunday the Blues took on Carleton in a battle of the two teams that had tied for first and it was the rubber match after they split their two league matches. There was no doubt that it would be a close fight that would come down to the last minute.

 In the first period the game was tied 8-8 at 2:31 and a 5 point run by the Blues finished off the quarter with a 13-8 lead. Early in the second the Blues pulled ahead 17-10 but after two quick threes the Ravens were back in the game down 17-16 at 6:23. At 2:40 the game was tied up again at 20 and both teams remained scoreless from there into the half-time break. In the third the Ravens pulled ahead by 5 at 3:00 and the Blues fought back to within 1 at 35-34 going into the 4th period. Carleton scored first and then kept their slight advantage responding each time the Blues tried to take over. At 6:00 the Blues were down 38-40, at 4:00 Erin hit two free throws to make it 40-44, at 3:00 Nicki scored to make it 42-44, and at 2:16 Sherri went two for two to make it 44-46 but the Ravens would score again at 1:15, then at :04 Sherri hit a 3 to make it 47-48 but Carleton hit both free throws and Toronto missed the final shot to go down 50-47.

 It was a good defensive game for the Blues holding the Ravens to just 50 points, the teams finished even on the boards, Toronto had 5 fewer TOs and 6 more shots but once again the Blues showed an inability to finish with these opportunities. Toronto shot 29% from the floor compared to Carleton's 36% although the Blues went 10 for 11 from the line.

 For the Blues Nicki Schutz was the Player Of the Game with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. Erin McNeely had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Sherri Pierce had 9 points, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Blues Finish Regular Season With Win on Senior Night (Feb 18)

  Blues Seniors; Nicki Schutz, Erin McNeely, Joanna Medri, Sherri Pierce and Megan Stoncius started in the final league game of the season as Toronto hosted Ryerson. The Rams had clinched 4th and couldn't move up but the Blues still had a shot at first with a win. Both teams wanted to move into the playoffs on a positive note but only one could go in with a win and it was going to be a battle down to the last minute to earn that victory.

 The first quarter ended with a Blues 16-15 lead to preview the battle ahead. The Rams scored the first 4 points of the second to pull ahead 19-16 at the 9 minute mark, at 5:33 Sherri hit two free throws to tie it up at 23 and at the buzzer the Blues appeared to be taking charge moving ahead 37-30 although the Rams were outshooting the Blues 43% to 35% including an outstanding 56% to 18% from the three.

 In the third the Rams got back in it and closed to 53-49 going into the final frame. Ryerson continued their roll and took the lead at 59-58 with 6 minutes to go but Alicia scored on a put-back and Jill on transition and the Blues were back on top 62-59 at 4:28. Jill followed up with a big crunch-time three at 2:15 to go up 67-61 and at 1:06 Alicia finished a hook inside for a 69-65 lead as Toronto responded each time Ryerson closed in. Erin closed the game with 2 more free throws to put it to a final 71-65 win and a tie with Carleton who will finish at Ottawa Saturday.

 Toronto shot 91% from the line (19 for 21), out-boarded the Rams 44-41 and had 7 fewer turnovers to lead to 9 more shot attempts.

 The Player of the Game was Jill Stratton who put up 13 points, 2 assists  and 2 steals to go with her game changing 7 point fourth quarter. Alicia Van Kampen had a great finish after Nicki fouled out leading the Blues with 9 points in the 4th to give her a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. Sherri Pierce was shut out in the second half but had a great start with 16 points, to go with 10 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals for a solid effort. Erin McNeely was another key player leading the Blues with 17 points to go with 5 assists.

Blues Knock Off CIS #3 Ravens and Gee-Gees (Feb 11-12)

  With the Blues two games behind Carleton and with just three games remaining it was a must-win for Toronto to have any hope of hosting the East Final Four. The Ravens needed the win to clinch first and hosting of the Finals. This made it a playoff-like atmosphere and the game had that post-season intensity.

  In the first quarter Carleton hit a 3 on their first possession and then it took more than 3 minutes until Nicki hit the first Blues basket to tie it up at 3. Then at 3:12 Nicki followed with a deep 3 to tie the game at 6 and Jill hit the Blues 3rd basket at 1:20 to close it to 11-8 for the Ravens. At the quarter Carleton was up 11-10 as both teams used great defense to hold the offenses to 23% (Ravens)and 20% (Blues). The Blues had forced 10 turnovers and took 7 more shots but just couldn't finish consistently. In the second period the Blues continued to struggle and the Ravens forced 6 TOs and out-rebounded the bigger Blues team to take a 25-21 lead into the intermission.

  After the break Carleton continued their push as the Blues backed off on their full court pressure and the Ravens pulled ahead by 30-23 at 7:20, 36-29 at 4:45, 40-29 at 3:25 and 41-33 at 1:14. The score after three was 44-37 as both teams raised their finish percentage rate into the low 30s. In the final frame the Blues picked up the intensity of their full court D and penetrated aggressively to get to the free throw line. The game momentum changed as the Blues crept closer and closer. It was 23-30 at 6:15, 44-48 at 5:30 as Nicki hit her second three-ball, 46-48 at 5:00 as Erin hit a long two. Then as time was running down Sherri went 2 for 2 to tie it up at 48 at 4:38, Jill  went 1 for 2 to give the Blues a 49-48 lead at 1:53, then Jill put back a missed shot at :45 to take a 51-48 lead. The Ravens were forced to foul and Sherri hit two and Joanna one to finish off the game with a 54-49 Toronto victory over the CIS #3 Ravens. Toronto held Carleton to just 5 points in the final 10 minutes. The Blues defensive intensity along with 78% foul shooting made the difference as both teams shot only 26% from the floor. The Ravens led the rebounding by 54-46 and the Blues led in turnovers 14-20.

  The Blues Player of the Game was Nicki Schutz who led with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 blocks. Sherri Pierce went 11 for 12 from the line to tally 13 points while Jill Stratton had 8 points, 4 assists and 3 steals.

 On Saturday the Blues hosted Ottawa and a win was needed to keep open the chance of finishing in first place. Toronto was also out to avenge their 1 point loss last month in the Capitol City. The Blues high intensity defense almost shut out the Gee-Gees for the first quarter holding Ottawa to 1 for 11 from the floor although the Blues own 29% shooting kept it to a 10-5 lead. The Gee-Gees picked their game up in the second period and took a 13-12 lead at 8:30 but at 5:23 Jill scored a layup to put Toronto back on top 18-17. At 3:58 the Blues extended the lead to 23-17 and when Nicki hit a three at the buzzer the score was 26-19. Toronto shot 35% and Ottawa improved to 23% but their 1 for 11 from the arc combined with Toronto's 23-18 rebound lead kept them from closing the gap.

 In the third quarter Toronto pulled ahead 33-22 at 7:05 and at 4:00 it was 36-28, then 38-32 at 2:37 as the Gee-Gees fought back. The period ended at 40-32 as Ottawa kept it close with a 5 for 10 quarter. The final 10 minutes was wide open as both teams turned the ball over frequently but finally found a way to score - Ottawa hit threes and the Blues went to the foul line. The final score was 64-52 as the Blues rolled to their 10th straight win.

 The Player of the Game was Erin McNeely who had 19 points, 5 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Nicki Schutz followed with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals, while Joanna Medri had 11 points, to go with 4 steals and a great defensive game. Sherri Pierce had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals.

After Kingston Trip Win Streak Now Up to Eight (Feb4-5)

 On Friday the Blues took on Queens on the Gaels home court and Toronto had a great start. The Blues were up 9-4 at 5:30 and extended it to 17-4 at 2:32. The quarter finished with Toronto leading 17-6 and the Blues pushed it up to 25-8 at 6:35 of the second but the Gaels bounced back to close the half down 33-24. Sherri had 9 points and Nicki 7 to lead the Blues while Queens top scorer Brittany Moore was held to 2 points and the Gaels turned the ball over 16 times. The Blues took complete control in the third with a 22-10 quarter that put the game safely out of reach at 55-34. Toronto went to the bench for most of the final period and held on for a 68-46 win.

 Queens was held to just 22% shooting and coughed up 26 TOs as the Blues dominated the boards 40-34. Toronto shot 40% from the three as four players hit from behind the arc.

 The Player of the Game was Nicki Schutz whose big second half resulted in a 20 point, 12 rebound, 2 blocks game. Joanna Medri followed with 8 points, 6 boards and 4 steals and Jill Stratton had a 4 point, 7 rebound, 3 steal effort. Katelyn McConnell chipped in with 7 points and 4 boards.

 On Saturday the Blues moved across town to the Royal Military College to take on the last place Paladins. The Blues easily rolled to a 27-10 first quarter lead, 49-21 at the half, extended it to 75-33 and then cruised to a final 88-45 win for the Blues eighth consecutive victory. The Paladins scored most of their points from the free throw line hitting a great 23 for 26 but the Blues were 28 for 34 as both teams shot over 80% from the line. The Blues had another strong game from behind the arc shooting 44%. All 12 players contributed to the scoresheet as they all played at least 10 minutes.

 The Player of the Game was Liane Bailey who led the game with 16 points to go with her 3 boards and 2 steals. Sherri Pierce had 14 points while Joanna Medri followed up with 9.

Blues Extend Win Streak (Jan28-29)

  On Friday the Blues hosted York and the Lions were out to make up for their 33 point loss at home two weeks ago. The Lions hit a three on their first possession and Toronto struggled to respond. It was 6:45 when Alicia finally scored the first Blues basket and then on the next possession Sherri hit a three to give Toronto a 5-3 lead. York responded with a 10-0 run to take a 13-5 lead at 4:00. The Blues bench then ran off 6 points to close the period at 13-11. The Blues continued their roll with a 17-7 second quarter to take a 28-20 lead into the break. The Lions hung tough in the third as both teams improved their shooting and York closed to within 4 as Toronto hung on to a 45-41 lead. After shooting only 10 free throws in 30 minutes, the Blues got to the line for 17 freebies in the final 10 and a hot 6 for 10 from the floor led to a 70-59 win over a much improved York squad.

  Toronto led the rebounding by 54-41, led the turnovers 11-15 and led in shooting 36%-32%. The Blues Player of the Game was Jill Stratton who led the Blues with 14 points, led with 4 assists, led with 2 steals and ripped down 5 boards while having no turnovers. Nicki Schutz added another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Sherri Pierce had a strong 13 point effort.

 On Saturday, Laurentian was in TO to try and avenge the 31 point home loss when the Blues visited Sudbury two weeks ago. Like Friday's game, Toronto had a slow start and the Lady Vees took an early 18-16 lead by shooting 4 for 5 from the three. Both teams struggled through the second quarter. At 6:30 the teams were tied at 19 and the Blues were stuck there as Laurentian went up 25-19 at 3:00. At the break the Vees were up 27-23 after a 9-7 quarter that neither team would be proud of. In the third, the Blues finally put their game together and at 7:38 Nicki scored to give the Blues a 31-29 lead and at 5:00 the Blues were up 37-32. Laurentian fought back and hung in at 45-40 at 1:35 and going into the final frame Toronto was up just 46-42. The final 10 minutes were dominated by the Blues as Toronto jumped out to a 52-42 lead at 8:22, extended to 56-43 at 5:00 and closed out the game with a 66-53 win.

 Toronto out-rebounded the Vees 44-37, out-scored the Vees 14-6 at the foul line, had 12 less TOs (16 to 28) but the 0 for 10 beyond the arc was well off the Laurentian 5 for 16.

 For the Blues Sherri Pierce was the Player of the Game as she had a team high 16 points. Close behind was Erin McNeely with 14 points while Jill Stratton had another fine game with 8 points to go with a game leading 9 rebounds, game high 6 assists and game high 5 steals. Nicki Schutz had 11 points, 5 boards, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 2 assists in another balanced contribution.

Blues Start Four Game Home Stand WithTwo Big Wins

(Jan 21-22)

  On Friday the second place Blues hosted the last place Paladins of the Royal Military College. It was over early as Toronto jumped to a 28-4 first quarter domination with 9 Blues players contributing to the big lead. By the halftime break all 12 players had participated but the Blues hot 52% first period shooting had dropped to just 10% and a low 7-5 score as the Blues held on to a 35-9 lead. In the second half the Blues had a good third quarter moving ahead 49-16 as the Paladins were held to just 12.5% from the floor. The Blues relaxed in the final frame and RMC had their strongest period but the Blues used the 15-14 period to close out the Paladins 64-30.

 The Toronto Player of the Game was rookie point guard Jill Stratton who led the Blues with 12 points, led with 8 boards, led with 7 steals and led the team with 3 assists. Another rookie, Liane Bailey followed with 11 points and 7 rebounds, Erin McNeely had 10 points, 5 boards and 2 steals, while Megan Stoncius had 8 rebounds and Alicia Van Kampen had 4 blocks.

 On Saturday the Queens Gaels were the visitors. Again the Blues had a good start as both teams had 15 first period shot attempts but Toronto hit on 53% while the Gaels shot just 20% as Toronto took a 19-11 lead. The Blues extended the lead to 30-17 in the middle of the second but Queens fought back to close to 32-25 at the half. After the break the Blues pressure created turnovers and tough defense kept the Gaels at just 26% shooting from the floor while the Blues moved ahead on the boards as well to take a 45-32 lead at 5:00 and then extend to 54-37 at the end of three. The Blues kept the pressure on and turned to their transition game to pull away going up 66-47 at 7:00, then 75-48 at 3:00 and closing it off with an 82-48 victory.

 For Toronto the Player of the Game was Nicki Schutz who had 28 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists to lead the Blues in both categories. Sherri Pierce had a leading 7 assists to go with her 8 points and 3 steals while Erin McNeely had 8 points and 5 assists. Jill Stratton had 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals for another balanced line.

Blues Win Big on the Road (Jan 14-15)

  On Friday Toronto made the short trip north to York for their first meeting of the season and after three straight losses on the road, the Blues were looking to get back on track. The Lions kept it close early as the Blues took a 19-17 lead into the second period. After 5 minutes it was 28-23 as Toronto slowly started to pull away. By the break it was a nine point lead at 36-27 although the Blues had taken no free throws. In the second half the Blues took off. At 8:20 of the third it was 41-27 and by the period end it was 58-36 as Toronto forced turnovers and dominated the boards. Toronto continued to pile it on in the final frame and at 4:00 it was all over at 77-50. The Blues used all 12 players with 11 of them contributing points for a final 87-54 confidence builder.

  Toronto controlled the boards with a 45-14 domination which along with 13 steals lead to a 73-48 shot difference. The Blues shot an excellent 51% and 8 for 9 from the line.

  Erin McNeely had a big bounce-back game with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists while Alicia Van Kampen had 12 points, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Nicki Schutz had 12 points with two 3s to go with her 8 rebounds, Joanna Medri had 10 points and 5 steals, Jill Stratton had 9 points and 4 assists while Julie Longauer chipped in 10 points in a balanced team effort.

  On Saturday Toronto continued further north to Sudbury to take on Laurentian and the Blues continued their solid play, taking a 32-19 lead after 10 minutes - one of their best starts of the season with red-hot 61% shooting. At the half-time break the Blues had extended the lead to 54-34 led by Sherri Pierce's 15 points. After another 10 minutes the lead was 77-54 and the Blues closed it out at 94-63.

  Statistically the game looked much closer as Toronto led by just 42-39 on the boards, 26 for 35 compared to the Vees 24 for 33 at the line but the 28 Laurentian turnovers led to a 77 to 52 lead in shots as the Blues had just 11 turnovers of their own.

  Sherri Pierce took over this game with 21 points, 6 boards, 3 steals and 2 assists to lead the Blues. Nicki Schutz had 15 points with two more 3s to go with her 7 rebounds, Erin McNeely had 11 points, 3 steals and 2 assists, Julie Longauer had 10 points, Katelyn McConnell had 8 points, 4 boards and 2 steals while Jill Stratton had 7 points and rebounds to go with her 3 assists and steals. Again another great team effort!

Toronto Drops From First as Blues Edged Twice in the National Capital (Jan 7-8)

 On Friday the Ottawa Gee Gees hosted the Blues in what was to become an exciting battle with an unexpected ending. Toronto had a good start in a low scoring defensive battle as the Blues took an 11-5 lead at the 5 minute mark and held on for a 13-8 lead after the first period. Both teams stepped it up over the next 10 and the Blues hung on to a 27-24 lead at the break. After changing ends the teams stayed close as Toronto took a 43-39 lead into crunch time. It was an intense final period - the Blues were up by 1 at 7:10, down 1 at 6:17 and tied again at 5:00. As the game wound down the Blues hung on to a 49-48 lead at 4:00, but it was tied up at 49 with 2:55 to go as both teams struggled to score. At 2:00 it was still knotted at 49 but the Blues pulled ahead to take what should have been a safe 55-49 lead going into the final minute. At :37 Ottawa hit a three to make it 55-52 and the Blues turned the ball over on an inbounds pass allowing the Gee Gees to score again at :29 to make it 55-54. At :10 Toronto missed two free throws and Ottawa post player, Hannah Sunley-Paisley, popped out and found herself open on the perimeter with time running out. She calmly stroked a three on the broken play and put Ottawa up by 2 with 2.4 seconds left. Ottawa then opened the door for the Blues by fouling with .4 seconds left but Toronto went 1 for 2 and couldn't force overtime.

  This was a very winable game as Toronto led in shots, free throws and rebounds while having less turnovers but poor shooting from the field (33%) and especially from the three (20%) cost them the victory.

  Nicki Schutz led the Blues with 15 points and a game-leading 13 boards while Erin McNeely chipped in with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Sherri Pierce had a big 6 assist evening while Katelyn McConnell had a leading 3 steals.

 On Saturday, the Blues were on a mission to make up for the missed opportunity on Friday at Ottawa. Against Carleton Toronto jumped into a 9-2 lead forcing an early timeout. The Ravens settled down and clawed back to take a 10-9 lead at 4:30 and the teams finished the quarter tied at 14. The Blues made another push in the second and with a 19-10 quarter the Blues took a 33-24 lead into the break. In the third, the Ravens stormed back with a 19-9 quarter of their own that moved them into a 43-42 lead with 10 minutes to play. In the final frame the Ravens used a 7-2 run to move ahead 50-44 at the 7:00 minute mark and it was time for the Blues to make a push. At 2:06 Toronto closed to 52-47, at 1:34 it was 52-49 and at :28 the Blues hit two free throws to close to 52-51. After Carleton turned the ball over the Blues had last possession and the chance to pull out the win but the final shot didn't drop and Carleton took the win and moved into first place dropping the Blues back into second but tied with Ottawa in losses.

 Toronto shot a poor 22% in the second half after a hot 57% first half, the Blues missed 8 free throws to Carleton's 1 miss and Toronto was out-rebounded 36-24 and the Ravens managed to take 9 more shots than the Blues.

 Rookie Jill Stratton, in her first OUA start, had a solid 13 point, 3 steal evening leading the Blues with 8 second half points. Nicki Schutz was the rebound leader with 8 boards to go with her 11 points while Sherri Pierce had a game leading 15 points.

Blues Beat CIS#4 Vic and Laval but Lose to Calgary in Final

(Dec 28-30)

  In the first game of the Calgary tournament the Blues took on CIS #4 Victoria. Both teams were returning to action after the exam and Christmas break and play was very ragged as Toronto had 30 turnovers and the Vikes coughed the ball up 31 times. In the first half the Vikes shot 52% and the Blues, with 16 more shots but a poor 28% finish rate, fell behind by 12 and then closed to 39-35 at the break. The Blues finally found their range in the second half and the short-handed Vikes hit a wall dropping just 25% of their second half attempts as Toronto pulled off a 66-60 win to knock off another Top Ten team. The Blues out-shot the Vikes 6 for 16 to 3 for 13 from the three, 16 for 19 to 19 for 28 from the free throw line and the Blues out-rebounded Vic 44-40.

  For the Blues Nicki Schutz was Player of the Game with an outstanding 30 point, 12 rebound double-double. Rookie Jill Stratton had a strong game with 8 points, 6 boards, 3 assists and 4 steals.

  In the second game the Blues took on Laval. Again Toronto fell behind early with the Rouge et Or up 14-11 after one period but at 1:36 of the second Jill hit a three and the Blues moved ahead 25-22 for their first lead. Toronto held on for a 27-24 lead at the break, 46-42 lead after three and then a final win of 65-60. The Blues cut their TOs to 16, shot 41% and out-rebounded the big Laval team by 40-34.

 Nicki again was selected as POG with 17 points, 7 boards and 2 steals but the key Blues player was Alicia Van Kampen with her 14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal. Erin McNeely had 10 points, 3 assists and Sherri Pierce had 8 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.

  Toronto then took on the home team Dinos for the tournament Championship. It was a great game for the fans as the Blues took an early 12 point lead and the Calgary team fought back to within 3 at the end of the first (20-17). In the second Calgary continued their push taking a 28-24 lead after 6 minutes and then holding a 33-28 lead at the half. After the Dinos went up 40-31 with 6 minutes left in the period, Toronto switched to a zone defence and slowed the Dinos down and started a come-back of their own. At 1:06 Liane Bailey hit a shot to tie the game at 42 and the Blues moved ahead 49-44 with 10 minutes to go. The Dinos weren't finished and at 7:45 they had tied the game up again at 51. At 3:00 the game was still tied up with both teams at 58. At 1:27 the Dinos moved ahead 63-61, then at 1:15 the Blues missed two free throws, got the rebound and were fouled again but just scored once. Calgary went down and scored with 23 seconds left to take a 65-62 lead and the Blues went 1 for 2 again at the line with 9 seconds left. The Dinos scored again to pull out a 67-63 win. Thirteen missed free throws and 2 for 16 from behind the arc cost the Blues the game.

 Nicki had 13 and 8 with 3 steals while the Player of the Game was Alicia Van Kampen with 6 points and 8 boards. Joanna Medri had 10 points while Sherri had 8 points and 3 steals.

Nicki and Alicia were selected as Tournament Allstars.

Blues Head into Exam Break with Two Wins in Waterloo (Nov 26-27)

  On Friday the Blues had little trouble with the Warriors as they played the host Waterloo team for the third time this Fall. Toronto had a good start and jumped to a 14-5 lead after 5 minutes and extended it to 21-11 at the first break. The second quarter was more of the same as the Blues extended their lead to 45-26 with 45% shooting from the floor, 10 for 11 from the line, forcing 19 turnovers and out-rebounding Waterloo 20-13. The Blues bench took over in the second half and continued to pull away with a 64-36 lead after three and 17-9 final quarter finished the score at 81-45. Toronto did not hit a three but finished with 42% from the floor and 15 for 17 at the line as the Blues bench scored 33 points.

  Top performer for the Blues was rookie Jill Stratton who shot 70% to score 15 points, to go with her 5 steals, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Nicki Schutz had 16 points and 7 boards while Alicia Van Kampen just missed a double-double with 12 rebounds and 9 points. Sherri Pierce had a strong game with 11 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.

  On Saturday the Blues travelled down the street in Waterloo to take on the Laurier Hawks in a rare noon start which made it a short turn-around time for both teams after their Friday night games. Toronto had the best start as they jumped to a 7-0 lead but from there to the end of the game both teams seemed to struggle to finish around the hoop. The score after 10 minutes was 16-8 and 5 minutes into the second quarter it was 18-12 as the Hawks hung close. At the intermission Toronto held on at 25-17 as the teams shot 31% and 23%. There wasn't much improvement after the half although both teams did improve their finish slightly and the Blues held on to a 39-28 lead. In the final period they must have taken the lid off the baskets as both teams finally started to score with some consistency. The Hawks scored 24 points to threaten to turn it around but Toronto held on with 21 points of their own to head into the Winter Exam Break with a 60-52 win and still holding on to first place in the OUA East.

 Nicki Schutz took over this game early with 14 rebounds in the first half and she finished with an 18 board, 14 point double-double to go with 3 assists. Veteran guards Erin McNeely and Sherri Pierce chipped in with key efforts as the younger players seemed to struggle with the short rest of the back to back on the road. Erin had 11 points, all in the fourth, hitting 5 for 6 as the Hawks had to foul her at the end. Sherri had a 10 point, 4 rebound, 3 assist, 2 steal afternoon.

Toronto Drops Game at Home then Bounces Back (Nov19-20)

 On Friday Toronto hosted Brock in their return to the court after last week's shocking blowout at Western. The Blues struggled offensively from the start and continually were coming from behind to keep the game close. It was 9-9 after 5 minutes, 14-14 after 7 minutes but a 10-2 run for the Badgers left the Blues down 24-16 at the quarter. In the second Brock increased the lead to 28-19 before the Blues got their running game going to close to 35-37 at the break. In the third quarter, at 5:50 Nicki scored to move Toronto ahead 45-43 and the Blues seemed to be taking control of the game. But Brock dug in and fought back, at 2:58 the Badgers were back on top 50-52 and the teams were knotted at 54 at the buzzer. In the fourth, Toronto continued to struggle from the foul line and on defense had trouble stopping Badger penetration. A three by Pierce put Toronto up 57-55 at 8:58 but at 7:00 Brock was back on top 59-60. At 6:48 Schutz hit 2 free throws to go up 61-60. At 4:00 Brock was back on top 64-66 and at 2:05 it was 64-70. The Blues pressed, created turnovers but had trouble scoring on these final possessions and finally fell 67-74 in a tough loss on their home court in front of a big, loud, supportive crowd. This was a costly loss since Carleton and Ottawa had previously beaten Brock and to make it worse Carleton moved further up on the Blues with a big upset win at Western.

 This was a winable game for the Blues as they out-rebounded Brock 46-40, had more shots 65-60, had more free throws 34-22 and were even in turnovers. The difference was 18 missed free throws and 37% shooting compared to the Badgers 47%.

 Tops for the Blues was Nicki Schutz with 21 points and 8 boards while Sherri Pierce had 11 points and 4 rebounds. Jill Stratton had another strong game with 8 points, 6 boards and 3 steals while Katelyn McConnell had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

 On Saturday the Blues cut off the losing streak at two as they defeated the visiting Guelph Gryphons with a much improved effort including balanced contributions from more players. The Blues took an early 13-1 lead and it was 4:15 before the Gryphons scored their first basket. Guelph then scored 3 threes to get back in the game as Toronto held on to a 16-12 lead at the first break. Toronto increased the lead again taking a 28-17 lead with 3:33 left till the half but again two quick threes tightened the game but the Blues pulled ahead again to take a 37-23 lead into the intermission. Guelph fought back again and won the third stanza 14-12 as the Blues struggled to score and hold onto the ball. In the final period Toronto held on to but could not extend the lead. With 3 minutes left the score was 68-58 and with 1:27 it was 70-58 but a final run pushed the score to 80-65 as the Blues.

 Player of the Game was Erin McNeely who had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in a solid two-way game. Nicki Shutz had a double-double of 11 points and 13 boards to go with her 5 assists. Jill Stratton had another good effort off the bench with 12 points to go with her 2 assists and 2 steals.

Blues Knock Off CIS #1 Windsor on the Road then Crash at Western (Nov 12-13)

  It was the best of times (win at Windsor on Friday) and the worst of times (loss at Western on Saturday). It was the toughest road trip of the year as Toronto went into home opener weekends at Windsor and Western against two of the strongest teams in the country. Things went well Friday but the young Blues were unable to recover and rise to the challenge of another talented squad. It was all Western from the opening as the Blues missed layups and the Mustangs hit everything. Western took a 28-8 lead after ten minutes by shooting 55% while the Blues struggled at 19% and the game was already decided. The usual Toronto pressure, transition and late comeback run was not going to happen tonight. At the half the score was 47-16 as the Blues continued their struggle still shooting 19% while taking 3 more shots than the Mustangs. After three it was 65-24 as Toronto now had 9 more shots but still finished at just 19%. As both teams went to their benches Toronto did show a little life and closed with an improved 25-19 fourth quarter to lose 90-43 to the undefeated Mustangs.

 Erin McNeely and Sherri Pierce led the Blues with 12 points each while Alicia Van Kampen had 8 boards and Nicki Schutz had 7. Toronto had 18 more shots in the game although Western had 11 more free throws and the Blues were out-rebounded by 9.

  On Friday the Blues pulled off one of their biggest wins of the decade knocking off the undefeated Lancers in their home court opener in front of a big home-town crowd. Toronto had a good start as the teams went back and forth - the score was tied at 6 after 4 minutes, tied at 9 after 5 and then the Blues were up just 1 (16-15) at the break. In the second period the Lancers started to pull away taking a 34-27 lead into the halftime break. The Blues were leading in rebounds 21-19, ahead in turnovers 6-12, and although they had 9 more shots it was a 50% to 31% finish rate that put Windsor in the lead. A strong 19-18 third quarter put the Blues in range going into the final 10 minutes as Windsor hung on to a 52-46 margin. By 5:12 of the final period the Blues had closed to 53-54 as Alicia Van Kampen left the game with 5 fouls. At 4:30 the score was tied at 54 and the crowd was quiet. At 4:16 Jill Stratton hit a big three that put the Blues on top 57-54. At 2:54 Erin McNeely hit a basket to put the Blues up 59-57. Now into the final two minutes and Windsor was down 2 at 61-59 but with 32 seconds left Nicki Schutz went to the line hitting both to move ahead 63-59. With 20 seconds Jill hit 1 of 2, then with 15.7 seconds Erin hit 1 of 2, and again with 4 seconds Erin repeated another 1 for 2 as the Blues closed it out 66-61 holding the Lancers to 9 points in the final frame.

 Nicki Schutz had 15 points, 9 boards and 5 steals while the Player of the Game was Alicia Van Kampen who had a 12 point 9 rebound game. Rookie Jill Stratton coming off the bench had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists with no turnovers. Sherri Pierce had a strong game with 10 points, 8 boards and 3 assists while Erin McNeely contributed 10 points with 5 assists and 2 steals in a balanced team effort by the Blues. Toronto out rebounded the big Windsor squad 41-36 and forced 25 turnovers leading to 20 more shots.

Blues Win Both Home Openers (Nov 5-6)

  On Friday the Blues hosted Lakehead in the first home game of the season. The Thunderwolves started in a zone in an attempt to slow down the Blues transition/penetration game but Toronto hit three early three pointers and took a 12-4 lead after five minutes. Both teams then went cold and the score remained at 12-4 until the end of the period. Both teams picked up their offense in the second and after each team scored 18 the Blues held on to their 8 point lead at 30-22. For Toronto nine players had already contributed to the scoring in a balanced effort with the Blues bench outscoring Lakehead 11-3. After the break the Blues took over the game shooting 11 for 19 with a push that extended the lead to 58-40 led by Jill Stratton's 8 points, 4 assists and 1 steal in 7 minutes off the bench. Toronto hung on with a 16-13 final quarter to finish off the Wolves 74-53.

  The Player of the Game was rookie Jill Stratton who finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal to go along with no turnovers. Nicki Schutz led the game with 12 points and 14 rebounds for her second double-double of the young season. Julie Longauer scored 10 points while Erin McNeely had 8 with 3 assists, Sherri Pierce had 8 with 3 steals, Amanda Lauzon had 6 with 6 boards and 3 steals, Alicia VanKampen had 6 points and 5 boards while Joanna Medri had 5 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. The Blues bench out-scored Lakehead 38-22 and Toronto out-rebounded the Thunderwolves 50-29. The Blues shot 42% from the three point line and pressured Lakehead into 28 turnovers.

 On Saturday McMaster came down the QEW to play the red hot Blues. The short-handed Marauders had lost Friday in the last couple of minutes at Ryerson and were wanting to get out of TO with a split. The Blues had beaten Mac by 18 at the Ryerson tournament and might have thought that this would be an easy game. They were in for a big surprise as McMaster dominated the first quarter holding the Blues to a season worst 2 for 18 while Mac finished 8 for 14 to take a 17-9 lead. It was more of the same as Toronto continued to get more opportunities but couldn't find the hole going 3 for 15 while the Marauders went 7 for 16 to extend the lead to 31-17 at the break. After the rest, Toronto hit a couple of threes and increasing their energy and enthusiasm. Although they still shot a poor but improved 5 for 18, Mac cooled off a bit and the Blues closed to 44-32. In the first 4 minutes of the final frame the Blues had a 9-1 run to close to 45 -41 with 6 minutes left. The Blues bench and crowd started to get into the game as they felt Toronto making a surge. At 5 minutes it was 45-43, at 4 minutes it was 47-45, at 3 it was 49-45, with 1:49 left it was 49-47, then at 40 seconds it was 49-48 as Mac hung on and the crowd went wild. Toronto finally took the lead at 50-49 but Mac didn't yield as they hit another shot with 14 seconds left to take a 51-50 lead. The Blues Nicki Schutz was fouled as she missed a layup and went to the line with 10 seconds left. she missed the first then with ice in her veins hit the second to tie it up. Mac was out of timeouts so had to inbound from the baseline against Blues pressure. Mac turned it over and Schutz had a final look and hit from 10 feet to take the lead with about 5 seconds. McMaster inbounded and pushed the ball into the Toronto end getting a long shot away at the buzzer. It hit the rim but bounced away and the Blues won their 8th in a row (5 exhibition and 3 league) and Mac dropped to a frustrating 0-2.

 In the final quarter the Blues outscored the Marauders 21-7, forcing 10 turnovers to finish off with a 53-51 win. Toronto had 17 more shots, 20 more free throws, 18 less turnovers but shooting 25% for the game almost cost the 2 points for the win.

 Player of the Game Nicki Schutz had an outstanding 25 point, 14 rebound, 3 steal evening. Jill Stratton had another fine game with 10 points to go with her 4 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks - yes, 3 blocks.

Regular Season Opens at Ryerson (Oct 30)

 The Blues opened the regular season at Ryerson against last year's second place Rams. Both teams struggled in the early going and after 8 minutes of play the score was knotted at just 10. In the next 2 minutes the Blues scored 8 straight to take a 18-10 lead at the first break. In the second quarter the Rams bounced back as the Blues were out-rebounded and shot just 25%. At the half, Toronto hung on with a 30-25 lead. The Blues finally got their game rolling in the 3rd forcing 14 turnovers, shooting 37% and out rebounding the Rams and getting to the foul line 17 times compared to Ryerson's 13. Going into the final period Toronto led by 52-39 and then continued to pull away. The final was 74-51 as the Blues broke the Rams two year streak of winning the season opener.

 For the balanced, deep Toronto squad Erin McNeely was the Player of the Game leading with 13 points, while Nicki Schutz, coming off a lower body injury that kept her out of practice this week, managed a double -double of 10 and 10. Joanna Medri led the game with 5 steals to go with her 7 boards, 3 assists and 4 points.In just 13 minutes of action Julie Longauer chipped in 9 points while Sherri Pierce, Liane Bailey and Amanda Lauzon each tallied 8. Jill Stratton had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in another strong effort as the Blues bench outscored the Rams by 31-13.