October 20th, 2024
WELLAND, ON: The Niagara Knights women's basketball team started their 2024-2025 season with a bang, beating the visiting Humber Hawks 59-52 at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Niagara brought all the energy to start the game, kicking off the first quarter with 6 un-answered points. They were able to grow their lead to 8 points before Humber was able to answer with a few baskets of their own, ending the 1st quarter with a score of 19-13. Fourth-year forward Janee Harrison proved to be too tough for the Hawks to defend, counting 6 points in the 1st quarter and setting the tone for the rest of the game.
The 2nd quarter saw the domination continue as the Knights proved their defensive tenacity and their offensive depth as 8 different Knights contributed to the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter alone. Niagara held a comfortable 37-21 lead heading into halftime.
The Humber Hawks were determined to make this a close one coming out of the halftime break with a vengeance and scoring the first 9 points of the 3rd quarter. Baskets were traded back and forth before Humber went on another run to end the 3rd quarter, getting themselves within 2 points.
The Knights' defense was locked-in during the fourth quarter, thanks in part to third-year player Aisja Strachan, who brings a diverse background of basketball experience to the Knights squad this year. She played 23 minutes off the bench for the Knights and contributed 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 turnovers, and 1 steal for a strong first game as a Knight.
Despite the pressure from the Humber Hawks, the Niagara Knights rose to the occasion displaying great determination. They were able to hold off the Hawks and went on to seal the victory with a final score of 59-52.
When the new head coach for the Niagara Knights, Kimbal Mackenzie, was asked if he was satisfied with the performance of his team, he said "never satisfied, we just want to keep on getting better; take one day at a time and keep moving forward". He adds that he is "proud of the group. Basketball is a game of runs, there is going to be ups and downs and that's what it was today".
The Knights will aim to maintain their momentum as they travel to play the Conestoga Condors on Friday, October 25th, 2024. Tip-off is scheduled for 6pm at the Conestoga Student Recreation Centre in Kitchener.
