CREDIT: RYAN MCCULLOUGH/ NIAGARA COLLEGE
Fanshawe women's basketball team celebrates after winning the bronze medal game against Algonquin Thunder in the OCAA Provincial Championships.

Fanshawe’s women’s basketball team defeated the Algonquin Thunder to capture the bronze medal in the Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association (OCAA) Women’s basketball Provincial Championships.

“It was rewarding getting that win, getting that medal and it showed in the girls’ reactions after the game, that told the whole story for me,” said Bill Carriere, head coach of the basketball team.

The team finished the championships with a record of 2 – 1, with their only loss coming at the hands of the second placed Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the Humber Hawks in the semi-finals. The Hawks went on to win the gold medal.

“[The girls] showed the nerves in the semi finals against Humber, they were having a hard time with turnovers,” Carriere said. “But they were dedicated enough to turn it around and give it their best effort [in the finals].”

Mikhaila Wright was named the Falcons Player of the Game with 14 points, three assists and three steals in the bronze medal game. And Falcons’ Anique Daley was named a Championship All-Star.

According to Carriere, the team will be taking the importance of conditioning and experience into next season to hopefully allow them to go even further in the OCAA.

“It was obvious that we were the team in better condition [in the bronze medal game], so it shows the importance of hard work, we are going to take that into next season and also just the experience that we were able to get from this tournament.”

The last time Fanshawe’s women’s basketball team won an OCAA medal was back in 2013, when they took home the silver against the Thunder.

“We haven’t been in the medal rounds in the past few years; it was the first time in the medal rounds with these girls and they showed the nerves in the semi finals… but it showed in the bronze medal game that that experience [from the loss] helped us.”

And for all of the support the team has received this past season, Carriere would like to thank you.

“I am always thankful for the support we get from the athletic staff at Fanshawe, I am also very thankful for the effort we got from our players this year and finishing off a season of 17 – 5 is extremely impressive and something that our girls should be proud of.”