Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

TMU Athletics & Recreation

THE OFFICIAL HOME OF TMU Bold
THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE TMU Bold HOME OF THE TMU Bold
WBB: Bench huddle
Photo by Josh Kim

Basketball (W) Emile Riga

Final 8 Preview: Rams take on familiar UPEI in quarter-final

TORONTO - Rams women's basketball, the 2022 OUA champions, will be heading to Kingston this Thursday to take on the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers in the U SPORTS Final 8 quarter-finals.

Seeded as the No. 1 seed in the bracket against the No. 8 Panthers, the Rams are coming off an historic 22-point fourth quarter comeback in the OUA finals to finish their OUA campaign with a 17-0 record.
 
Looking east, the Panthers also finished top of their division in the regular season, tallying an 11-2 record in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference. After defeating the Dalhousie Tigers in the AUS quarter-finals, the Panthers were upset by the Cape Breton Capers in the semifinals, 74-54.

Despite the 1 vs. 8 matchup, Rams players and fans may recall UPEI upsetting the Rams in the 2020 U SPORTS Final 8 tournament, with the Panthers topping the Rams 75-70 in a 6 vs. 3 matchup.

The Panthers also share many regular season similarities with the Rams, as both teams led their conference in lowest opponents points allowed per game and highest three point percentage. Stylistically, the Panthers also play heavily through their backcourt, with UPEI's top five scorers being listed as guards. 
 
Most notably, it's been second-year guard, Toronto native, and AUS First-Team All-Star Lauren Rainford getting it done for the Panthers, averaging a team-high of 18.6 points per game and shooting at a league-high 44.1% from behind the arc.

UPEI could not rely on their three-point shooting in their postseason run however, as they shot just 1-17 from three in their semifinal loss to the Capers, an occurrence that the Rams will look to replicate on Thursday.

The Rams have showcased, with the OUA final being the latest example, that they have a tremendous ability to lean on their defensive intensity when shots are not falling on the offensive end. Rams head coach Carly Clarke has implemented a high-press that teams are yet to find an answer for, and will likely make many appearances in Kingston this week.

On offence, the Rams have a plethora of options for scoring, with forward Jama Bin-Edward averaging 18.3 points per game in the postseason and recently claiming the OUA Athlete of the Week award. Bin-Edward's versatility across the floor, her ability to ball handle and create her own shot, and her unparalleled on-ball defence makes her arguably the best player in the nation coming into the tournament. 
 
Two other key pieces to this Rams offence that have east-coast connections are Rothesay, New Brunswick native Rachel Farwell, who averaged a team-high of 11.4 points per game in the regular season, and Mikaela Dodig, who is the point general of the OUA champions and spent four dominant seasons in the AUS with the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds. 

"We'll be reminding ourselves of all of the situations we've been through and had success through this season. We're just trying to focus on that," said Clarke after the finals win this past Saturday when looking ahead to Kingston.

Prior to joining the Rams, Clarke was the head coach of the UPEI Panthers from 2009-2012. 

The Rams and Panthers will tip-off in the first match of the Final 8 tournament at the Queen's Athletics & Recreation Centre this Thursday at 12 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Jama Bin-Edward

#3 Jama Bin-Edward

F
5' 10"
4
Rachel Farwell

#7 Rachel Farwell

F
6' 0"
3
Mikaela Dodig

#21 Mikaela Dodig

G
5' 5"
5

Players Mentioned

Jama Bin-Edward

#3 Jama Bin-Edward

5' 10"
4
F
Rachel Farwell

#7 Rachel Farwell

6' 0"
3
F
Mikaela Dodig

#21 Mikaela Dodig

5' 5"
5
G