Recap The Court

Jacob Smith

The Gryphons defeated the Windsor Lancers 74-50 in the first round of the OUA Critelli Cup playoffs, and they now travel to Kingston to play the Queen’s Gaels. Queen’s having received a bye in the first round sat back and watched as their opponent was decided, now these two go face to face with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Where this game is going to be won and lost is inside the paint, let’s start with the Gaels. Going up against the interior defence of Julia Colavecchia and Trinity Papamandjaris has been difficult for any team this season, but if there’s someone in the OUA who’s up for the task, it’s MVP candidate Julia Chadwick.

It doesn’t take much from others for Julia to get going, just pass her the ball and let her work. How Julia is able to work around the paint presence of the Gryphons, and work alongside her pairing Bridget Mulholland to gain the Gaels an advantage inside will go a long way in assisting the flow of the Gaels play.

On the perimeter for the Gaels, they will need to work screens and quick passes to gain separation against the defence of Renee Armstrong and Hannah Bourdon. When Guelph is able to slow a team down in the half court, their defence excels and they allow little free space, so the Gaels guards being able to quickly move the ball and make quick decisions will be vital to not falling into Guelph’s trap.

On the side of the Gryphons, a lot falls on the shoulders of Julia Colavecchia. She is their best three-point shooter, and provides a lot of presence around the rim and on the glass. Her perimeter shooting spacing out the Gaels defence and pulling one of Bridget Mulholland or Julia Chadwick out of the paint can help create more space for the Guards who like to drive to the rim and try and force their way to the foul line.

On the other end of the floor, the Gryphons will need to slow the game down and muddy the waters fore the Gaels and their deep arsenal of weapons. Playing tight around the perimeter to not give Emma Weltz gaps inside and not allow Laura Donovan space to get shots off is important.

Chasing the Gaels off the line and forcing them inside to the strength of the Gryphons defence which is their paint defence, may give the Gryphons the advantage defensively and leave the Gaels off rhythm, creating transition opportunities for Renee Armstrong to get out and run.

The second seed hosts the seventh seed on Saturday night, and the paint will be the place to watch.