CREDIT: FANSHAWE ATHLETICS
Fanshawe's Samantha Highgate takes the ball strong to the hoop for the Fanshawe Falcons. The Falcons are tied for first in the OCAA West division with a 9-2 record.

The women's basketball team handily defeated the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association fifth-ranked Mohawk Mountaineers 52-34 at home in J building on January 17. The win improved the Falcons' season record to 9 wins and 2 losses, and the win has now tied them with the Algoma Thunderbirds for first place in the OCAA West division standings.

The game started off with Fanshawe leading the scoreboard, however a tough defence on Mohawk's part kept the point differential within six points in the first half. Into the second half, Fanshawe and Mohawk were scrambling for the ball, both teams struggling to keep a handle on it, leading to several scrapping sessions. Mohawk, however, was unable to keep up with the Falcons' endurance and faltered, letting them break away to what would eventually be a Falcon win by an 18-point differential. By the end of the game, every Fanshawe player who stepped on the hardwood had scored.

Mohawk head coach Kevin Duffy said that neither coach was pleased with the refereeing during the game, which led to some confusion. Despite the loss, Duffy said Fanshawe deserved full credit for the win. "Fanshawe's a great team, no doubt about it; they play really hard, they press you hard and they don't give you an opportunity to breathe. They are a great team to play against because it only makes our team better. When a team pressures you like that, you have to be able to deal with it." A few of Mohawk's key players were absent, which may have been a reason for the large point differential. The loss left the Mountaineers still tied for fifth in the OCAA West division.

Tanisha Bromfield, a second-year Fashion Design student and power forward for the Falcons, was all smiles after the win, citing that winning games and team chemistry were her favourite parts of playing basketball. Reflecting on the game, she explained the reason behind the chanting on the bench. "I liked the fact that when our energy was down, we were able to fight through it and get our energy back up to win the game." Bromfield was a key in keeping the zone defence. "I think personally I could've definitely rebounded more and boxed out."

This marks the fifth straight win for the Falcons, whose last loss was to Algoma on November 24, 69-65. That was their second loss of this season; their first loss was earlier that month on November 7 in a surprise upset from the Sheridan Bruins in overtime, 70- 67. However the Falcons will be seeking redemption in their next meeting with the Bruins on February 2 in Oakville.

Falcons head coach Matt White was on hand after the game to comment on the team's performance. "I was very happy with our defensive effort; we regained focus in the second half, and we're just happy to come out of our gym with a win." Despite being tied for wins in the OCAA, Algoma still leads Fanshawe as they have only one loss. At the end of the day, White said the team is just looking to get better and finish as strong as they can in the league to get the best seed in playoffs.

The lady Falcons are back on the home court on January 30 when they take on the Humber Hawks.