The University of Windsor Lancers women's basketball team earned a decisive 68–41 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday (Jan. 31) afternoon at the Toldo Lancer Centre, using a dominant opening half to take full control and cruise to another conference win on home court. Windsor set the tone early and never looked back, holding Laurier to single-digit scoring in two quarters on route to the win. 

GAME FLOW
Windsor came out with energy from the opening tip, building a 20–8 lead after the first quarter behind stifling defense and strong rebounding. The Lancers extended that momentum into the second frame, outscoring Laurier 24–13 to take a commanding 44–21 advantage into halftime. Laurier showed some push in the third quarter, edging Windsor 18–13, but the Lancers responded defensively in the fourth, limiting the Golden Hawks to just two points while closing out the contest with an 11–2 final quarter.

Defense and rebounding proved to be the difference for Windsor. The Lancers held Laurier to 26.2% shooting from the field and just 2-of-16 from three-point range. Windsor also dominated the glass with a 57–44 rebounding advantage, including 21 offensive boards that consistently generated second-chance opportunities. The Lancers forced 24 Laurier turnovers while recording 20 steals on the defensive end. 

STATS
Kali Grootenboer led Windsor with another strong performance, finishing with 11 points and 13 rebounds while adding three steals. Julia Chiarot matched her with 11 points, going a perfect 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Off the bench, Jade Hunte delivered an impressive double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Mackenzie Fineman added 10 points, knocking down two three-pointers. 

Laurier was led by Brittyn Graves, who finished with eight points. Kate White added seven points and nine rebounds, while Keira Aikman chipped in six points and eight rebounds in the loss. 

UP NEXT
With the win, Windsor improves to 15–4 on the season, tying with Guelph for first place in the OUA West following a Guelph loss on Saturday. The Lancers go up north next weekend as they face the Lakehead Thunderwolves at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 6 in Thunder Bay, Ont. The blue and gold's quest for first in the division can be seen live on oua.tv.