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Voyageur ladies hoping for a bounce back in the new year

Solid start followed by a six game losing skid to close out 2019
Basketball
The Laurentian Voyageurs women's basketball team is mired in a six-game losing streak and hoping to get back on track in 2020. (File)

The Laurentian Voyageurs women's basketball team's search for their winning ways will resume in the new year.

Following an encouraging 2-3 start to their 2019-20 season, the Voyageurs have proceeded to drop six straight games, including a pair this weekend in the nation's capital to close off the pre-Christmas portion of their campaign.

Coach Jason Hurley and company were unable to contain the Carleton Ravens right out of the gate as the OUA East Division leaders raced out to quarterly advantages of 24-12, 45-26, and 66-39, before the visitors closed the gap slightly before the final buzzer, the scoreboard reading 79-58 in favour of the Ravens.

Alyssa Cerino paced the Carleton attack with a 21-point effort, with Kali Pocrnic (16), Emma Kiesekamp (12) and Tatyanna Burke (11) also all hitting double digits, while Danielle Reid (15), Kayla Deschatelets (14) and Bailey Tabin (11) showed the way in a losing cause.

While Laurentian matched Carleton shot from shot from three-point range (both teams went 8/25), the visitors lost ground from elsewhere on the floor (41.8% vs 47.5% - with the Ravens having six more attempts), as well as from the free throw line (13/20 for Carleton vs 4/11 for L.U.).

As well, the Ravens out-rebounded the Voyageurs 40-25, benefitting from a particularly sizeable gap in offensive second chances (16 offensive rebounds to seven for the Voyageurs).

An ultra cold start the next night against the Ottawa Gee Gees doomed Laurentian from the start, as the locals scored only three points in the opening quarter, and just 11 by half-time, trailing 32-11 at the break en route to a 68-41 loss to the 8-2 Gee Gees.

The Voyageurs struggled to contain the Ottawa one-two punch of Brooklynn McAlear-Fanus (19 pts) and Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu (18). Conversely, the L.U. women were topped by Kayla Deschatelets and Bailey Tabin with 14 points apiece, but no one else with more than five points.

With a record of 2-9, the blue and gold are tied for third place in their division with the Nipissing Lakers, four points ahead of the winless Ontario Tech Ridgebacks (0-10).

The Voyageurs resume league play on Jan. 10 and 11, with Ottawa and Carleton making the return visit to Sudbury.


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