MacLeod’s home away from home

Megan MacLeod enjoyed her chance to play another home away from home game Wednesday night.

The 21-year-old Niagara Falls native and her York basketball teammates were at Brock University to battle the Badgers women’s basketball team.

“It was really nice,” MacLeod said, after her team dropped a 73-55 decision to the Badgers. “We had our football team out so that was great support and I had almost all my family out too. It was nice to play on front of them.”

The thrill of playing at home has yet to wear off for the two-time recipient of the Harold Biggar Memorial Award as the top girls high school basketball player in Niagara Falls.

“It never gets tired,” she said. “I love it and it’s special because I only get to do it once a year.”

The six foot forward, who had eight points and seven rebounds in the game, arrived in St. Catharines playing the best basketball of her career.

The former Ontario University Athletics All-Rookie Team member came into the game averaging 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Her scoring average is more than 5.5 points higher than at any other time in her career.

“Scoring is just kind of working for me this year more than it has in the past,” the Saint Paul alumnus said. “I am assuming it just comes with being a veteran on the team and knowing the game a little bit more.”

It is the type of season the fourth-year psychology major was hoping for.

“I knew coming into this year that I really wanted to step up my game being a fourth-year player and things,” she said. “I am more confident and that just comes with being a veteran player.

“You have those years under your belt, you’re stronger, you’re quicker and it gives you that advantage on the court.”

One attribute that MacLeod has always had is toughness and that is probably thanks to her gene pool. Her uncles, Colin and Ryan Pepperall, were both hard-nosed and physical professional hockey players.

“I think it was ingrained in me at a very young age to be a fighter, keep on going and it doesn’t matter what size you are,” the former Niagara Juel player said.

She has brought that mentality to the basketball court, but it took a while to adjust to university ball.

“The first year was definitely a shock,” she said. “I was a lot smaller than a lot of the girls and I wasn’t as quick or as strong as them. But I adjusted pretty quickly thanks to our training staff at York.”

She now relishes the tough assignments.

“I generally like to take the strongest biggest girl on the other team and rise to that occasion.”

She has one more year of eligibility remaining and wants to continue to improve her game.

“I just want to get better on my all-around skills, offensively and defensively, and I want to continue to be a leader and a better leader for our team on and off the court.”

When she is done at York, she is thinking about pursuing a career with Canada Border Services.

“My mom works there and I know it is a good job that I could see myself doing and enjoying.”

For now, York head coach Erin McAleenan will enjoy having MacLeod on her roster.

“Megan has had a lot of experience over the last three years and now in her fourth year and really settled in and is much more confident in what she is good at,” McAleenan said. “She is an undersized post player but she makes up for her lack of height with her smarts and strength. She is so good at sealing at the rim and getting position to finish at the rim and/or get the and one (basket and foul) there.

“From last year to this year, she has really worked on her consistency from the three-point line. She is our second-best three-point shooter and in the forward position that really helps stretch the defence.”

MacLeod is also a bigger contributor on defence because of her smarts.

“She can defend anyone, three, four, five, for us but obviously defends a lot more at the forward positions,” she said. “When she is rebounding consistently, she can rebound really well but she is probably a little bit up and down in that area. But she plays a lot of minutes for us and is a great offensive threat and a good defensive stopper.”

McAleenan loves MacLeod’s toughness and stoicism.

“The best thing about Megan is that she is tough and she is the type of player that you can’t see any emotion. She has a lot of it but you can’t tell what it is and because of that she is able to be tough.”

MacLeod plays through all of the highs and lows and nothing really seems to faze her.

“Especially playing at the rim a lot, there’s a lot of contact that gets let go in that area and in doesn’t seem to faze her,” McAleenan said. “She is consistently our first player up the floor in transition, getting seals at the rim and continuing to battle for the entire game.”