Badgers push winning streak to eight games
The Brock women’s basketball team remained perfect in 2024 and pushed its Ontario University Athletics winning streak to eight games with a pair of road wins over the Lakehead University Thunderwolves (4-14) on the weekend.
Leading Brock to a 63-41 win Friday and 77-72 victory Saturday was third-year guard Madalyn Weinert, who surpassed 1,000 points for her career. On Friday, the Eden product had 32 points, seven rebounds, three assists, five steals and three blocks. Saturday she recorded a season-high 34 points while adding 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.
The medical sciences major is leading the league in scoring, averaging 22.5 points per game.
“She had great weekend,” Brock head coach Mike Rao said. “She played really hard and she is really good.”
Rao was happy to come away with two wins from Thunder Bay. Over the years, teams have found it hard to sweep a weekend series there because of the travel and the nuances of Lakehead’s home gym which causes most visiting teams shoot below their season averages.
“For Thunder Bay, it was OK. It was a long trip. You are all messed from no sleep and no nothing. Monday is always a tough day and we have to get back on track now,” he said. “Carleton and Ottawa is the same thing. And Lakehead is a pretty good team too and they give you fits. They have beat some good teams on their home court.”
The Badgers’ eight-game winning streak makes them the hottest team in the OUA and their 13-4 record moves them into top spot in the OUA Central Division a half-game ahead of Toronto Metropolitan. Division winners get a first-round bye in the playoffs.
“It would definitely help but right now I am not looking at it,” Rao said. “I am looking at our next opponent and it’s game to game. I am not reading articles. I am watching film, planning practice and taking care of the individual players on our team.”
Also performing well for Brock Friday were: Tito Akinnusi with nine points, six assists and five rebounds; Angeline Campbell with nine points and four rebounds; and, Noor Bazzi with six points and four rebounds.
Helping out on Saturday were: Akinnusi with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists; Olivia Fiorucci with 11 points and six rebounds; and, Allison Addy with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Niagara Prep product and Niagara Falls native Vienna Vercesi made her return from a knee injury on the weekend. In her OUA debut Friday, she had one point, three rebounds and three assists in 10 minutes of playing time and on Saturday she played nine minutes and recorded four points and two rebounds.
“She got hurt not on her knee but on another part of her body Saturday. She is getting the flavour of play,” Rao said. “She is ready to go this weekend and there will be a little bit of limitations on her, maybe 15 or 20 minutes.”
Brock hosts Windsor (9-7) on Friday and Western (10-7) on Saturday. Both games are at 6 p.m.
