Women's Basketball Hold Off Redeemer, Advance to OCAA Quarterfinals
BARRIE, ON - The Georgian Grizzlies are moving on. In a hard-fought opening-round matchup of the OCAA women’s basketball playoffs, Georgian held off a second-half push from Redeemer to claim a 66-60 win on home court. With the victory, the Grizzlies advance to host the Mohawk Mountaineers on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m., with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Georgian controlled the early tempo, jumping out to a 19-9 lead in the first quarter behind efficient ball movement and strong rebounding. While Redeemer found its rhythm in the second and third quarters, outscoring the Grizzlies 42-30 over those periods, Georgian steadied itself in the final frame. A 17-point fourth-quarter effort sealed the win, as the Grizzlies tightened up defensively, limiting Redeemer to just nine points in the final 10 minutes.
Daija Thompson (Whitby, ON) provided a crucial scoring spark off the bench, leading Georgian with 16 points on an efficient 6-for-10 shooting, while also adding three assists and three steals. Sydney Shawyer (Horseshoe Valley, ON) made a big impact from beyond the arc, hitting three three-pointers on her way to 13 points, and Ami May (Raymond, AB) stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, eight rebounds, and a team-high eight assists. The Grizzlies’ depth proved key, with the bench contributing 31 points in the win.
While Redeemer fought back with a strong third quarter, Georgian’s defensive effort and late-game composure made the difference. Now, the Grizzlies turn their focus to Mohawk, with a Final Four berth within reach.
