Pilling helps Badgers remain unbeaten
Jenneke Pilling had 14 points Wednesday to lead the Brock women’s basketball team to a 67-54 victory over visiting McMaster. Photos by Stephen Leithwood/Brock Athletics.
Jenneke Pilling is adjusting well to a new role with the Brock women’s basketball team.
“I was more of a role player last season (2019-20). I knew what I needed to do,” the 22-year-old St. Catharines native said. “We had a lot of scoring from our vets, Melissa Tatti, Samantha (Keltos) and Jess (Morris), and this year I have had to step up. Sometimes if our main scorers aren’t scoring as much I have to step into that role which I did tonight (Wednesday).”
The 5-foot-9 guard scored a season-high 14 points Wednesday night to help the third-ranked Brock improve to 9-0 in Ontario University Athletics play with a 67-54 triumph over the visiting McMaster Marauders.
“Honestly, I just try to make the right read if I am open and I am shooting well,” the Eden graduate said. “I have no problem taking the shot but if they are on me, I really enjoy being a facilitator, passing and getting other people going. Today, the opportunity came to me.”
This season, Pilling is averaging 24.6 minutes, 7.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Badgers.
“She is much more aggressive defensively. She does a lot of good things defensively and on offence she’s a lot more poised and she is reading the play a lot better,” Brock head coach Mike Rao said. “She is moving the ball, getting a lot of assists and becoming a good overall player. She is quiet but she leads by example. She is getting more vocal as the games go along.”
Pilling feels she made strides in her game since transferring from Windsor after one season with the Lancers.
“I have definitely worked on my shot a lot with Rao. He spent a lot of time with me during my year off when I red-shirted,” the business major said. “I have also become more of a facilitator and a leader as the years have gone on here. My assists have really improved and I am moving the ball well.”
She is also a much better defender.
“I have always had good on the ball pressure but I have been able to work on my off the ball defence and helping out on stunting,” Pilling said.
She is glad to be back on the court after losing the 2020-21 season to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was very difficult, especially coming off of the year that we had and really wanting to keep that momentum going with the girls,” Pilling said. “I got through it just by appreciating the small things in life and finding joy in training, working out, staying healthy and doing it for myself. My whole life has been training for basketball. It was great for my mental health because it’s not easy for anyone to be stuck inside all the time.”
She describes this year’s version of the Badgers as very different from the one that won a USPORTS silver medal in March 2020.
“We are a lot deeper than we were two years ago. We can go further down the lineup on the bench and we have a lot of pieces,” Pilling said. “We work well together. The thing that is the same is that we still move the ball really well.”
Rao was happy with Wednesday’s win.
“It was closer than it seemed,” he said. “We pulled away at the end a bit and we played better defensively from the second quarter on. I was really happy with that.”
Offensively, the Badgers looked a little ragged.
“There was not a lot of movement and there were a lot of shots we shouldn’t have really taken. We took a lot of quick shots early in the clock and we should have worked the ball around a little better.”
Rao expects a strong response from McMaster on Saturday.
“It is in their gym so they have a bit of an advantage so we have to come out and play the same way. They are a very good team and we need to improve our shooting a bit to stay with them.”
Badgers 94 Marauders 88
The Brock Badgers men’s basketball team pushed its record to 9-0 with a 94-88 victory over the visiting McMaster Marauders (6-2) Wednesday night.
Leading the way for Brock were: Tajinder Lall with 34 points and 12 rebounds; Jesse Barnes with 18 points and 10 boards; and, Isaiah Bujdoso with 11 points.
Leading scorers for the Marauders were Jordan Henry (25), Mike Demagus (23) and Mychael Paulo (20).
Brock is at McMaster Saturday at 3 p.m.
STATS PACK
Badgers 67 Marauders 54
BPSN Player of the Game: Brock’s Sam Keltos with 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
For the Brock Badgers: Keltos 24; Jenneke Pilling 14; Ivana Twumasi 12; Victoria Lawrence 11.
For the McMaster Marauders: Sarah Gates 18; Amy Stinson 9.
Game stats: Shooting percentage: Brock 32.4 per cent, Mac 26.8 per cent. Free throws: Brock 15-18, Mac 6-13. Rebounds: Brock 48, Mac 42. Turnovers: Brock 12, Mac 17.
Up next: Brock is at McMaster Saturday at 1 p.m.
