WBB | Laurentian Holds Off McMaster for Seventh Win of the Season on Milestone Night for Lafond

Returning home for the first time in 2026, the Laurentian Voyageurs women's basketball team held off a late push from McMaster to secure a 76–67 victory.

Laurentian came out firing, opening the game on a 14–2 run. Emilie Lafond scored six of those early points on a milestone night, as she surpassed 1,000 career points in blue and gold. The Marauders settled in as the quarter progressed and trimmed the deficit to seven by the end of the opening frame. The two teams continued to battle throughout the second quarter, with the Voyageurs taking a 45–35 lead into halftime. Notably, Laurentian's 45 first-half points matched their entire offensive output from last weekend's game against Brock.

The Vees opened the second half strong, as Anika Fermin knocked down a three-pointer to give Laurentian a 13-point cushion. However, offensive struggles followed, with the home side scoring just six more points for the remainder of the third quarter. McMaster capitalized, cutting the deficit to just three heading into the final quarter.

Laurentian restored their lead to double digits after a deep three from Claudia Pellerin with seven minutes remaining, but the Marauders responded with a 10–2 run to pull within two. McMaster eventually tied the game at 63, but that was as close as they would get. The Voyageurs delivered with timely baskets down the stretch to close out the win.

As has been the case all season, Lafond and Pellerin led the way for Laurentian, scoring 24 and 21 points respectively. McMaster received double-digit scoring efforts from four players, but it wasn't enough as they fell to 3–11 on the season.

Laurentian will look to build on the momentum when they host Algoma tomorrow.

- Olly Sankar