WBB | Laurentian Wins Big Against Rival Nipissing

The Laurentian Voyageurs women's basketball team hit the road Wednesday for a clash withtheir northern rivals, the Nipissing Lakers. In a physically demanding game, the Voyageurs prevailed, earning a 60–44 victory.

Playing in a hostile environment, the Voyageurs got out to a rapid start. They took an early 12-4 lead forcing the Lakers into an early timeout. Audrey-Anne Labrèche sparked the early surge with a pair of threes. The Vees continued their strong play throughout the quarter to hold an 18–9 advantage after one. Laurentian looked poised to break the game open after scoring the first seven points of the second frame, but the Lakers responded with ten straight to close the half, narrowing the deficit to just six. 

Laurentian regained control to start the second half, with Emilie Lafond scoring five straight points to stretch the lead back to 11. Nipissing continued to fight, trimming the margin to eight by the end of the third quarter. The Lakers got within five early in the fourth after Nicole Budd converted an old-fashioned three-point play, but that was the closest they would come. The Voyageurs slammed the door with a dominant 16–5 run to end the game, silencing the home crowd and securing a crucial road win. 

Nipissing struggled mightily from the field, shooting just 17.4% overall and 6.9% from deep. Laurentian's shooting numbers—34.5% from the floor and 23.1% from three—were far from perfect, but more than enough given the defensive battle. 

Claudia Pellerin led the way with a monster performance, posting 20 points and 17 rebounds. Lafond added a double-double of her own with 15 points and 12 boards, helping Laurentian improve to 4–5 on the season.

The Voyageurs return home Saturday for a matchup with the York Lions.

- Olly Sankar