THUNDER BAY – Sports – The Lakehead Thunderwolves women’s basketball team were denied a weekend sweep on Saturday afternoon, dropping 53-46 to the Ryerson Rams. The halftime score was deadlocked at 22.
In a dramatic finish to the game, Lakehead’s 44-39 lead with less than 5 minutes to play didn’t last. Ryerson’s pressure defense turned Lakehead over late and the Rams ended the game on a 14-2 run.
Shooting guard Jylisa Williams, of Atlanta, Georgia, scored 25 points with 10 rebounds. Fellow American Essa Jacobsen, of Grand Marais, Minnesota, grabbed a whopping 17 rebounds and scored 8 points.
Keneca Pingue-Giles scored 18 points with 7 assists to lead the Rams.
“In terms of effort and intensity, this was one of our best games of the year,” said coach Jon Kreiner. “It was one of those games where no matter how hard we worked we came up just short. Our defence was tough and we held them in check for 36 minutes until they picked up the pressure and we coughed up the ball. Six first-half turnovers, 17 second-half turnovers. We need to be better against pressure and also find more ways of getting to the free throw line. This game was a playoff style game and that will benefit our club as we prepare for Queens next week.”
Lakehead begins regular season play next weekend against Queens and York in the Thunderdome.
