Lady Falcons basketball team off to unbeaten start

The Fanshawe Falcons women's basketball team is currently the school's best team still in action heading into the Christmas break. This says a lot about the team considering how strong the volleyball teams are this year.

No one at the start of the year would have thought the girls would be undefeated in league play to this point in the season with only three returning players. Well the vets and rookies are silencing the doubters with a spotless 6-0 record, as well as being ranked second in the OCAA as of November 19. One just has to wonder if the girls are playing above their heads or are they for real.


Heading into Wednesday's game against St Clair the girls hadn't faced a strong team yet this year. Their toughest test came against Sheridan, where they won 57-53. The girls knew they would be in tough against St Clair in their match-up last Wednesday. The girls came out hard at the start and the lead changed back and forth with the Saints, however the Falcons took a 37-28 lead into half time. It looked like the Falcons would cruise to another victory but that was not the case. After missing three straight laysups to start the second half, the girls found themselves tied and even behind during the second half. They showed some great resistance and were able to hold off the surging Saints to get the win 67-62.

You can see the biggest difference in the team this year just by looking at the roster.

The girls had 10 players ready to play. I'm 100 per cent positive this would have been a game they would have lost last year, because of a short bench and not being able to rest their key players.

Head coach Kevin Gordon has the ability to go to his bench and know he will get key minutes and points from his rookies. Leading the rookie wave of support has been #22 Rose Rutter, #23 Tiffay Wilbur and #45 Alison Griffiths. Rutter is the leading scorer for the team this year and played valuable minutes in the win. Wilbur and Griffiths both played over 20 plus minutes.

“Our skill came through. They were more aggressive then us; however at the end it was all our skill,” said coach Gordon.

Veteran Chelsea Brown was tenacious on defense. It was not her best offensive game this year; however she got a key basket late in the game. Penny Ackersviller had a break out game leading the way with 18 points. She dropped three trey balls along the way.

“They play us very well. I do not know what it is. Whenever we play them its super close,” said Gordon.

Another big change for the girls this year has been the play of Jessica Finlay and her ability to shoot a free throw. Finlay has an ability to get to the free throw line more then others with her physical style of play. The ability of Finlay to get to the line didn't translate to more points last season, but this year she is shooting an amazing 90 per cent from the line.

Gone is the argumentative attitude Finlay had with the refs when calls didn't go her way. It seems Gordon has gotten her under control. With the three captains Finlay, Ackersviller and Brown playing great team ball and being able to come out for a rest more often, the girls are taking advantages of the teams they are playing late in the game.

The other biggest change has been the team's attitude. Gordon has done what some coaches struggle to do.

“Our record is 0-0 going into every game” say Gordon. “The day we believe our record, we are in big trouble.”

If any of the players feel they should be ranked first they will have their chance to prove it next Wednesday when the team plays host to the number one ranked Seneca Sting in an exhibition, tipping off at 6 p.m. If the girls do the simple things right and play as a team, they should have a chance to stay in the game, however the Sting are the defending two time OCAA champs.