November 30, 2024
WELLAND, ON: The Niagara Knights Women's Basketball program brought their record to an impressive 8-1, with a victory over the Fanshawe Falcons. On Saturday, November 30, 2024, at 1:00pm the Knights hosted the Falcons at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre in their final game of 2024, and showed out in a 64-55 win.
The Knights came out with a strong start, dominating through the first two quarters of basketball and posting a score of 41-28 over the Falcons at the halfway point of the game. The ball was well distributed through the first half as every Knights player that entered the game notched at least 2 points to give them this commanding 13-point advantage over their opponents. However, as the game progressed into the third quarter the Knights showed signs of fatigue letting their opponents cut the lead down to a narrow 47-45 heading into the final quarter of the game.
"Remain calm, basketball is a game of runs" is what head Coach Kimbal Mackenzie told his players as they entered the fourth quarter looking to pull back away from their opponents. The team did just that as their resilience helped restore their dominance on the court and come away with a 9-point victory. The team was led back onto the right track by 4th year Fitness and Health Promotions major and starting forward, number 14 Janee Harrison, who had 12 points and 4 rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. Janee finished the game with an outstanding 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Head Coach Kimbal Mackenzie also highlighted her performance saying, "when the going gets tough like it did today, and it's a long game where she [Janee Harrison] has to play a lot of minutes, I believe the best is going to come out of her." Harrison led the team in minutes played during today's game with 34 minutes of floor time. The 6'0" St. Catharines native came out of the gates flying as well, with 10 first quarter points, and her effort certainly proved to be the difference in their win today.
Although the Falcons edged back into the game, the Knights did not surrender the lead once throughout the duration of this matchup. The Niagara Knights led their opponents in every statistical category with them out-rebounding the Falcons 37 to 32, out-blocking them 4 to 2, and out-assisting them by twice as much with 18 assists to the Falcons 9. Other key contributors tonight consisted of starting guards Jamira Rousseau, a 4th year Social Service Worker major from Welland, ON, and Lexxus Bell, a 3rd year General Arts and Science major from St. Catharines, ON, who each notched 8 points and the second and third most minutes played respectively.
The team will look to pick up where they left off in their next game come the new year, as they take on the Mohawk College women's team in Hamilton, ON at the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre at 1:00pm on Saturday, January 11th, 2025.
For additional information regarding the Niagara College Knights or todays game, please visit our website at https://www.goknights.ca/landing/index.
Written by Cory Shelton and Quinn Fowler for Niagara College Athletics
