By Daniella Lopez
The Ram’s women’s basketball team defeated the defending U SPORTS national champions, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 80-71 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Oct. 24.
The first quarter started off slow for the Rams who didn’t score their first points until the seven-minute mark, due to the Huskies tight defence. While the Rams shot 50 per cent from the field compared to the Huskies 45.5 per cent, numerous foul calls saw the Rams face a 27-17 deficit after the first quarter.
The Rams started the second quarter strong with a three-pointer from Rachel Farwell. They played with more energy on the defensive end, holding the Huskies to eight points in the quarter.
Rams guard Marin Scotten drilled a three-pointer at the five-minute mark to make it 33-31, giving the home team their first lead of the game. Jayme Foreman drilled back-to-back three-pointers to put the Rams up 41-35 heading into the second half.
Farwell finished the half with 16 points, five rebounds and two steals, while Scotten finished with 10 points and one rebound.
The third quarter started with lots of energy from the Rams on both the offensive and defensive end. A three-pointer from Scotten put the Rams up 51-38 and forced the Huskies into a timeout.
But the Rams went on a shooting drought, only scoring two points in four and a half minutes. This helped the Huskies come within 10 points of the Rams with two minutes left in the quarter. Saskatchewan’s run continued, ending the quarter 55-49.
While the Huskies shot less than 30 per cent compared to the Rams 40 per cent, their play indicated they were looking to cut down the lead.
The fourth quarter started off sloppy for the home team, with a steal and a jump shot by the Huskies bringing the score to 55-51. But free throws from Farwell brought the Rams back up 60-51.
Both teams traded baskets throughout the quarter with the Huskies hitting a three-pointer with less than two minutes left in the game to bring the score 76-69. However, a crucial pair of made free throws from Rams forward Stefanija Mrvaljevic gave the Rams a comfortable 78-69 lead.
The Huskies hustled on both the offensive and defensive end trying to force stops and make shots to try and tie the game, but their efforts were no match for an inspired Rams team.
Farwell finished the game with 21 points on 7-13 shooting and added seven rebounds and three steals. Scotten finished with 20 points on 8-19 shooting and also grabbed three rebounds and two steals.
While it’s only the preseason, defeating the reigning national champions was a statement victory for the Rams. The team is now 3-0 in the preseason and they’ll look to continue their dominance as the regular season approaches.
UP NEXT: The Rams host the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday, Oct. 30 at the MAC. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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