The Women’s Tommies welcomed the University of New Brunswick Saint John to the South Gym on Wednesday for their last home game of the season.
The Sea Wolves sat at .500 on the season, but were no match for the Tommies, who ran away comfortable winners, 75-45.
The Tommies got off to a hot star against the Sea Wolves, going on an early 23-8 run. After the first quarter the game already looked like it was going to be an easy win for STU, with the impressive offense and solid defence.
What dug the Sea Wolves in such an early hole was the lights-out shooting from behind the arc for the Tommie’s in the first half. They shot an incredible seven of 14 from the three-point line, leading to half of their points in the first 20 minutes.
The Tommies held a commanding 41-17 lead at halftime. Third-year guard Renee LeBlanc led the charge with four three pointers and a game high with 16 points. “It was a good win for us. It showed us the little things that we have to clean up before playoffs, and by the time we go we will be well prepared for it,” LeBlanc said.
The second half was a different story as the Tommies went cold from behind the arc, where they only shot one for nine. Luckily they had a big enough lead and they didn’t have to overwork to keep their big lead. They didn’t finish the game the way they wanted to, but they still came out with the win and kept their perfect season intact.
Ashley Bawn and Kelly Debow each had 15 points, while Kathleen McCann had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the victory. This win brought their record to 18-0 heading into the remaining three games of the year. Playoffs will be held at Holland College, where St. Thomas will be ranked number one heading into the tournament.
In between the women’s and men’s game, there was a ceremony held in honour of the three graduating players from both the Tommies’ men’s and women’s teams. The two teams will only be losing a combined three players as Jillian Lamoreau, Kelly Debow and Brent Kingston will all be moving on from the program next season.
After coming off two tough losses in Halifax last weekend, the men needed a strong performance against the Sea Wolves on Wednesday.
They got the desired result with a 70-46 victory over UNBSJ thanks in part to Richie Wilkins, who had a game high 20 points, with most of them coming in the third quarter for St. Thomas.
The Tommies had one of their best first quarters of the season where they dominated the entire time and went up 21-9 after the first.
The momentum continued for the Tommies into the second quarter as they kept the pressure on their opponents and led 35-19 at half time.
The Sea Wolves showed some life in the second half as the kept up with the Tommie’s, but could never get over the hump they dug themselves in the first half. Nathan Mazurkiewicz had 12 points, while Will Kowalsky and Calvin LeBlanc were a force down low with 10 points each.
The win meant a lot to the Tommies in terms of positioning in the standings as it kept them in second place heading into the final stretch. “It wasn’t the best win of the year, but a win’s a win,” said Tommies forward Corey Delong.
