The St. Thomas University women’s basketball team won their first preseason home game against the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves on Oct. 13.
Both teams demonstrated a high level of play from the first whistle. Tommies guard Bridget Frazee opened up the scoring two minutes in by hitting the first three-pointer of the game.
In the first few minutes a strong defence was put on by both teams — the scores remaining low.
As the quarter continued, the Tommies maintained possession, forcing the Seawolves to play defensively. Halfway through the quarter, Tommies guard Vanessa Soffee made both free throws after receiving a tough foul. This gave the Tommies momentum to finish the first quarter with a 12-6 lead.
The second quarter started off in the Tommies favour. The Seawolves drove down the court, only to be stripped of possession and have the Tommies score moments later. The game didn’t get easier for the Seawolves, as Tommies guard Becca Macneil caused many disruptions on defence, eventually leading to a turnover and a basket for the Tommies.
The Tommies quickly found their rhythm, as their offence worked well to penetrate the Seawolves defence. They were just as solid on the other end as well. The Seawolves received a 24-second violation before the half due to the Tommies defence.
The score after the first half was 30-11 for the Tommies.
The Tommies continued their great team play by effectively moving the ball. Soffee drove to the basket well and often found her teammates for the assist.
The fourth quarter saw the Tommies increase their lead significantly. They managed to score 25 points in the fourth quarter, nine of which came from three-pointers. The team’s sharpshooting sealed the Tommies 71-26 win.
Head coach Fred Connors was pleased with the team’s performance.
“I thought our ball movement was great and our intensity was awesome,” he said.
“I thought everybody played really well. I thought their intensity levels were excellent. Some people are going to score a little more, some people are going to rebound a little more, so I just thought everybody came with good energy and really contributed.”
