Pair of nationally ranked teams clash in final Rams home game of the year

TORONTO - The No. 8 ranked Rams women's basketball team will look to remain undefeated in this Saturday's matchup against the No. 10 Queen's Gaels.

With Saturday being their first home match since the home opener against the very same Gaels on November 5, it will also be the Rams' last game of the calendar year as they look to close the first half of the season with a 6-0 record.

For both teams, this fixture will certainly be the most intriguing thus far this season, as their styles of play contrast significantly and their season-opening matchup being as competitive as it was with the Rams pulling out a 68-65 win. The Gaels sit with a 3-1 record this season, looking dominant following their loss to the Rams as they convincingly defeated the Toronto Varsity Blues and twice the Laurentian Voyageurs.

One statistical clash that stands out in this head-to-head is the Rams having the best three point field-goal percentage defence in the OUA, allowing their opponents just 12 threes made this season on 15% shooting, while the Gaels lead the OUA in three point field goal percentage making 34 on over 34% shooting.

When looking at the Gaels offence, they are the second highest scoring team in the province, scoring almost 81 points per game.

Leading the offence is fourth-year Julia Chadwick who is the highest scoring forward in the OUA and third highest of all players, putting up 19.3 points per game adding over 12 rebounds per game. At guard, the Rams will have Laura Donovan to look out for, as she is averaging 13 points per game on 35% three point shooting with a team-leading 26 attempts.

Chadwick and Donovan were also the leading scorers for the Gaels when they visited the Mattamy in early November, with Chadwick tallying 25 points and 15 rebounds and Donovan adding 15 points. Despite the loss, the Gaels very much tested the Rams high power defence, taking a Mikaela Dodig 10-point fourth quarter to lift the Rams to victory.

Rams guard Dodig certainly shined offensively against the Gaels that night, but it has been her defensive capabilities since then that have made her such an integral part of the Rams backcourt. Currently leading the OUA in steals with 2.8 per game, Dodig's effort on defence has allowed for the wealth of Rams guards to score on the other end more effectively.

The Rams also have the best turnover margin in the province, with their opponents coughing up the ball 160 times to the Rams' 81. Turning defence into offence, there are six players on the Rams roster scoring over five points a game this season, pointing to a fast, fluid, and selfless style of basketball.

A player that will be on the floor on Saturday that the Rams did not have in their season opener, will be two-time OUA All-Star forward Jama Bin-Edward, who made her long-awaited return from injury last week at Ontario Tech.

The Rams and Gaels will tip-off at 3 p.m this Saturday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, with tickets available here. The game will also be available to stream at OUA.tv.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#3 Jama Bin-Edward: F; 5' 10"; 4

#21 Mikaela Dodig: G; 5' 5"; 5

Players Mentioned

#3 Jama Bin-Edward
: 5' 10"; 4
: F

#21 Mikaela Dodig
: 5' 5"; 5
: G

Players Mentioned

#3 Jama Bin-Edward

#21 Mikaela Dodig

Players Mentioned

#3 Jama Bin-Edward

#21 Mikaela Dodig