Falcons Knock Off Centennial to Advance to Quarters

The Fanshawe women's basketball team (12-5, 3rd West) hosted their first-round playoff crossover game against Centennial (4-11, 6th West) on Saturday afternoon. The Birds came ready to play and took down the visiting Colts at Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre by a score of 91-53 to advance to the quarter-finals. Things were rolling from the opening tip for Fanshawe, as they started the game on an 11-0 run to set an early tone with their fast-paced play. Ashlyn Anderson (6'3''-F) (Latchford, ON) was an early focal point of the Falcons' offence, and for good reason, as she finished the regular season as the OCAA leader in field goal percentage at 56.5%. Anderson dropped nine points on eight shots and added two assists to help Fanshawe close the quarter ahead 26-12. On the night Anderson finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds on 9/15 shooting from the field. The second quarter followed a similar script, with the Falcons outscoring Centennial 24-13 in the frame. Isabella Bertucci (5'9''-G) (Komoka, ON) caught fire, knocking down a three and scoring six of her 12 points in the quarter. A major factor in the Birds' success was the turnover differential, as Fanshawe finished +12 and converted those miscues into 32 points, compared to Centennial's 13. The Falcons entered halftime leading 50-25. The second half saw more of the same, as Fanshawe continued to dominate. Jaimie Stahlbaum (5'11''-F) (Aylmer, ON) took her turn getting buckets out of the break, scoring seven points in the quarter, including a nifty euro-step layup. The halftime break did little to cool off the Birds, who poured in 26 points in the quarter to carry a 76-41 lead into the fourth. In the final frame, the Falcons' bench mob got involved in the scoring, highlighted by efficient shooting from both Chloe Meldrum (5'9''-G) (St. Thomas, ON) and Selena Shaddick (London, ON), who each shot 3/5 in the game. Fanshawe had no issues down the stretch and comfortably closed out Centennial by a final score of 91-53. Following the win, the Falcons will now wait for the result of Sunday's Seneca versus Niagara matchup. If Seneca wins, Fanshawe will hit the road for the quarter-finals; if Niagara wins, the Birds will return to Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre next Saturday for their quarter-final matchup.
Courtesy of: fanshawe.prestosports.com