Barry Wright
The Lambton College ladies basketball program is poised to take the next step in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association West Division, one of its stars says.
Melissa Ellis said the Lady Lions, though currently a sub-.500 team, have been close in many games, suffering a two-point loss to Fanshawe, a four-point setback to St. Clair, and an eight-point loss at the hands of the division-leading Humber Hawks late last month. In that game, Lambton held a one-point lead through three quarters of play.
The squad struggled with chemistry in the first half of the season but has turned the corner recently, said Ellis, a Northern Collegiate grad.
“This semester we've been playing a stronger game as a team. We're getting the hang of playing together.”
If the Lady Lions are to become a contender, Ellis, who played a season of CIS basketball at Halifax-based Dalhousie University before returning to her roots, will play an integral role.
She tied her season-high with 21 points and added 10 rebounds in the loss to Humber, which followed a 14-point, 13-rebound performance in a win over 10th ranked Sheridan the day before.
The solid weekend earned her OCAA Female Athlete of the Week honours.
At press time, the six-foot centre had amassed nine double-doubles this season, led the league in rebounding and is among the league-leaders in blocked shots.
She was also on the cusp of cracking the top ten in scoring, averaging 12.5 points and 12.4 boards per game.
Lambton's leading scorer, Riley Williams, is graduating, but has another year of eligibility remaining, should she choose to return. The other member of the big three, Amanda Orr, will not return to the Lions for the 2015-16 season.
“With some players coming back and more talent coming in, we'll have some good seasons to look forward to,” said Ellis.
Lambton closes out its regular season with back-to-back Saturday afternoon home games.
They host the Niagara Knights on Feb. 14 at 2 p.m., and tip off against the Redeemer Royals on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.