Golden Hawks split weekend with Thunderwolves

After a much deserved week of rest, the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks were set for a double-header against the Lakehead Thunderwolves at the Athletic Complex last Friday where they hoped to extend their winning streak to five.

Although the game got off to a slow start, the action ramped up in the second half of the game which eventually saw the Lady Hawks finish with a comfortable 66-51 win to start the back-to-back weekend off on the right foot.

A big block from Hawks forward Kimberley Yeldon led to a foul at the other end where she made a free throw to open the scoring two minutes in, while eventually leading the Hawks to a first-quarter 11-10 lead.

Solid defence and some big rebound recoveries made by Doreen Bonsu helped to pull the Hawks (8-4) ahead before the half at 31-25.

Despite the Thunderwolves’ valiant effort at bringing the score close again, the Hawks managed to pull away by the end of the third to keep the lead with 49-39.

More tough defence proved to be too much for the Thunderwolves (7-5) as Laurier managed to increase their lead and hold on for a 66-51 finish.

Felicia Mazerolle who finished with 18 points and Kimberley Yeldon with 16 of her own proved to be the turning point on the offensive end, while Doreen Bonsu contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds to halt the Thunderwolves’ offensive chances.

“Felicia is so active and a tricky player on the defensive end which causes problems for the opposing guards, while Doreen flat out went after every rebound and got most,” said head coach Paul Falco. “They were definitely impact players, and a good tandem with the two of them.”

Free-throws and a strong defensive effort were shown to be the major factors in the win, with the Hawks going 22-for-26 on free-throws and Mazerolle netting all eight of her free shots.

“Definitely the number-one thing we improved was defensive effort and taking away what the other team wanted to do,” added Falco. “We met our target pretty much every quarter and that was the result of everybody who stepped on the floor committing to hard defence and being active on helping each other.”

Despite their win on Friday, the Hawks came up just short in a 65-61 loss to Lakehead the next day. The opposition showed that they were determined to come away with a win and split the weekend.

Laurier will now go on the road for their next three games beginning by visiting the Guelph Gryphons who they defeated by a score of 75-69 Wednesday night. Felicia Mazerolle notched 17 points while Laura Doyle recorded 12.,