Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
WINNIPEG, Man. – While they didn't get the result they wanted on the scoreboard on Saturday, the MacEwan Griffins women's basketball team is returning home having taken a huge step forward on a road trip to #YWG.
Although they lost 66-57 to the Winnipeg Wesmen, the performances of three emerging second- and third-year players – Unity Obasuyi (20 points), Toni Gordon (13 points and three blocks) and Samantha Hickey (a double double with 11 points, 10 boards) – is a huge encouraging sign for the team's future fortunes.
"If we're not looking at the outcome, we can be really pleased with the efforts those three put forth this weekend," said head coach Katherine Adams. "I thought this was probably the most consistent performance we've had on back-to-back nights across the weekend from all three of them. Really good contributions in a lot of different ways, just scoring, rebounding and creating, and at the defensive end, too, so certainly some positives to take from the weekend."
Obasuyi has now scored at least 20 points in a game in half of the Griffins' matches this season, upping her points/game average to 14.8 – 10th in Canada West.
HALF | Sofia Makinen gets a great steal and dishes to Unity Obasuyi for a key basket late in the second quarter for @MacEwanGriffins, who lead @ReginaCougars 29-28 at the half. Obasuyi leads the Griffins with nine points.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/V25UYE9aUy
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) November 24, 2024
The encouraging thing for Adams is Obasuyi, Gordon and Hickey are beginning to play as veterans and they still all have plenty of time left in their Canada West careers.
"It's something that we've known that they're capable of," she said. "It's a huge learning curve as you make the jump from high school to U SPORTS basketball. With 17- and 18-year-olds trying to compete against grown women, there's always a really steep learning curve.
"They've had an opportunity to play in their first and second years (for Gordon), and I think it's great to see them making that adjustment and finding their rhythm and groove, and doing what they do well stepping into the role that we've envisioned for them from the beginning."
As for the game on Saturday, it was a third quarter to forget when the Griffins were outscored 25-9 that led to their demise.
"I thought we did a good job adapting and making some changes, but in the third quarter we got in a slump, we struggled to put the ball in the hoop and turned the ball over a little bit to feed their scoreline," said Adams. "Certainly, that was kind of the turning point. It was a valiant effort for us to fight back in the fourth to make it a game, but unfortunately that third quarter let us down today."
Winnipeg was led by Jazmin Birch, who had 14 points, while Raia Guinto chipped in 11.
With the result, the Griffins fall to 0-6, while the Wesmen are now 4-1.
Next up for the Griffins is a return home to host the Brandon Bobcats Nov. 29-30, including Friday's 'School Day' match played at 12 p.m.
