Lions dropped on hardwood

Gaels defeat York 64-47 in season opener

Jenny Wright (above) was key to the Gaels victory. She scored 15 points in the win
Jenny Wright (above) was key to the Gaels victory. She scored 15 points in the win

Women’s basketball got the season off to a good start this past Saturday, beating the York Lions 64-47 in their home opener.

Despite this seemingly impressive landslide, the players and  Gaels head coach Dave Wilson, were unsatisfied.

“[It was a] 17 point win, but not really our best performance,” Wilson said. 

“Most of the players were upset at their performance in the game, to the point where they felt more like we lost the game,” Wilson said. “We’ve always emphasized execution over outcome … our outcome was fine, our execution wasn’t.”

The Gaels started out strong, scoring eight points in their first three possessions. However, they soon hit a five-minute stretch where they were unable to score.

“We didn’t give up the lead … but we just went ice-cold,” Wilson said.

This rut was abruptly ended by a made shot from Andrea Priamo, along with a steal by Abby Dixon leading to a bucket. The Gaels regained control of the momentum of the game, scoring seven points in the final three minutes of the quarter. On the day, the Lions had 23 turnovers compared to the Gaels’ 13, 10 of which were were steals. Wilson, however, saw the Gaels’ ability to capitalize on these steals as inadequate.

“Our conversion was very poor,” he said. “It is a big concern, because we had a lot of [fast break opportunities].”

“In all 10 [steals] we were in a transition situation to score, and I would say the number of times we scored out of that was a poor percentage.”

Along with poor percentages, both teams were weak from the free throw line. The Gaels shot 43 per cent and the Lions shot 47 per cent. “We’re very much struggling with our foul shooting,” Wilson said. “It’s not a mechanical issue so much as it’s a mental issue. It’s more psychological than anything. Our next stop is turning to a sports mental skills coach.”

Wilson says his players are most definitely self-motivated, but confidence is a completely different question. “We’re currently ranked eleventh in the country, but our players don’t see it that way. They are still unsure of 

their capability.”

Rebounding was strong on the day. The Gaels finished with 22 offensive boards in total, in comparison with the Lions’ 15.

“That was a pleasant result of the game because we put a conscious emphasis on it in practice,” Wilson said. “22 offensive rebounds — that’s a pretty substantial number, so we’re pleased that what we worked on during the week [in practice] was able to translate to the game.”

The Gaels look to improve their overall performance this coming weekend in their next two away games at Laurentian and Nipissing. While they obviously have various tactical plans for different teams, that’s not their mentality 

going into upcoming games. 

“Consistency is the way to the championship,” Wilson said. 

Tags

Dave Wilson, Jenny Wright, women's basketball

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