Campbell finds footing with Brock

After graduating from Nipissing, where she averaged 11.4 points per game over two seasons for that school’s women’s basketball team, Angeline Campbell went searching for another university to complete her post secondary hoops career.

The first coach she contacted was Mike Rao with the Brock Badgers.

“I just liked the way that they ran their offence. I came out for a tryout and the rest is history.”

Following her tryout and remembering his team playing against her, Rao was more than willing to give Campbell a shot.

“She really saw the court well and she could handle the ball,” he said. “A couple of things had been keeping her from playing at a high, high level and slowly she is overcoming those barriers. She is not quite there yet but she is growing as a player.”

That growth has been especially evident in the past three games for the 25-year-old Brampton native. The former Ontario University Athletics All-Rookie Team member averaged three points a game in her first three games and 14.7 in the last three heading into Saturday’s game against McMaster, including 21 against defending national champion Carleton and 19 versus Queen’s on Friday night.

“She has come on the last couple of weeks. She is playing really good basketball and she has really upped her level of intelligent play,” Rao said. “It didn’t come around easily but it came around and it was a lot of persistence that I saw in her.”

The Women’s and Gender Studies major attributes her improved play to making the adjustments to playing with a new team and a different offence.

“Not playing last year took me a minute to get adjusted to the game and eventually game by game I just got comfortable and now it is picking up.”

The 5-foot-6 guard spent the 2022-23 season redshirting for Brock

“It was really tough to sit and watch the team every game because I knew I could contribute. I just tried to stay patient and wait for my turn this year.”

It wasn’t easy but she got through it.

“I just tried to stay locked in throughout practice and help the team as much as I could as a practice player. I knew eventually I would be on the court with them.”

She reached her comfort level in the team’s third game of the season against Toronto Metropolitan, where she had nine rebounds and two assists.

“I didn’t score but it was being able to take the point guard position to the fullest. Then the Carleton game I really broke out.”

Scoring 21 versus Carleton was a huge boost to her confidence.

“It makes me feel that I shouldn’t be afraid of any team and I can do whatever I want against any team. I have to keep my confidence up and help my team whenever I can.”

She knows there are still a few things to work on to take her game to the next level.

“I know he (Rao) wants me to up my fitness so that I am able to stay on the court for the whole 40 minutes. It’s not that I will be playing 40 minutes, it’s just being able to,” she said. “And mentally staying in the game. My biggest thing is probably mental, just staying locked in and making smart decisions. Even though I may have the hot hand, it’s taking the best shot and making the best play for my team.”

One thing that Campbell obviously does well is handle the ball through pressure and traffic. She credits that attribute to her upbringing.

“I grew up playing with boys and my brothers.”

Campbell has five brothers and all six siblings would head to downtown Toronto to play at Harbourfront.

“I got pretty beat up,” she said, with a laugh.

BADGERS 82 MARAUDERS 73

Brock outscored McMaster 18-7 in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Meridian Centre to escape with an 82-73 victory over the visiting Marauders.

McMaster built quarter leads of 22-21, 42-38 and 66-64 before the Badgers rallied for the victory.

Topping the stat sheet for Brock were: Tito Akinnusi with 37 points and six rebounds on 15-26 shooting; Madalyn Weinert with 25 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists, four blocked shots and three steals; and, Olivia Fiorucci with seven points. Akinnusi is now leading the OUA in scoring at 21.2 points per game followed by Weinert at 20.3.

Top scorers for McMaster were Sophia Urosevic (19), Jenna Button (18) and  Cassie Joli-Coeur (10).

The Badgers improved to 4-3 with the win while McMaster fell to 5-3 with the loss.

Brock concludes the first half of its season with games at Waterloo Friday and Laurier Saturday. Next home game for Brock is Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. versus Toronto Metropolitan.