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Preview: Wolves look for redemption in Final Four meeting with Lancers

THUNDER BAY -- Four months ago, the Lakehead Thunderwolves had the top-ranked Windsor Lancers right where they wanted them through three quarters, only to collapse in the fourth.
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Essa Jacobsen works on her post play Monday night at practice. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- Four months ago, the Lakehead Thunderwolves had the top-ranked Windsor Lancers right where they wanted them through three quarters, only to collapse in the fourth.

The two teams are on a collision course this weekend, this time with a lot more at stake.

The Lancers, the four-time defending national champions, look to continue their drive for five and will host this weekend’s OUA Final Four.

The Thunderwolves (14-5), who with apologies to the Toronto Raptors, have adopted the slogan “We the True North,” are coming off an absolute masterful performance in decimating the McMaster Marauders in the OUA quarterfinals.

The winner Friday earns an automatic berth at nationals and a shot at an OUA title.

For the Wolves, a loss would mean an end to their magical season.

They proved last weekend they’ve got the game to beat anyone in the country, scoring a 33-point win over the No. 8 Marauders.
They have the game to do it again, Williams said Monday prior to practice.

“We all buy into the system,” Williams said.

“That’s the main thing because if you buy in, if you go out there and execute it, it’s going to look like the McMaster game.”
The Marauders played into the game plan, double- and triple-teaming Williams, who was content to dish the ball to an open teammate to fire up a three-pointer.

It worked to a charm.

Katie Ulakovic scored five times from beyond the arc, while Corina Bruni and Bridget O’Reilly also hit multiple bombs.
It’s going to give the Lancers something to think about, Williams said.

“I definitely think it was the best thing about that game. It showed what I’ve been trying to tell people all this year that hey, we have a supporting cast and they’re deadly when they’re on.”

It’s boosted the team’s confidence through the stratosphere, said Ulakovic, the Hammarskjold High School graduate whose LU career comes to end in 2015.

“It gives us really good momentum going into this Final Four weekend because now we know the potential we have and if we play at that level, I have no doubt in my mind that we can win this whole thing,” Ulakovic said.

They key is to not let the Lancers (19-1) get in their heads, to not repeat the mistakes they made in their 80-70 loss in late November.
It’s not the same Thunderwolves team, Ulakovic said.

“We just have to take a look at what we did wrong in that game, because I think we did a lot of things right in the first half and we know we can compete with them. As long as we fix the things that went wrong in that fourth quarter, we’ll be good to go.”

Coach Jon Kreiner, two wins away from his first OUA championship, said the decisiveness of their win might give Windsor a few clues of what not to do to stop Williams.

“Right now we’ve got to find a way to figure out how Windsor’s going to go about defending her. And at the same time it really comes down to defence,” Kreiner said. “We’ve got to have a great defensive plan in store for Windsor.”

The battle, he said, could be won or lost in the paint and Kreiner’s goal is to have Essa Jacobsen do her best to combat Windsor’s Cheyanne Roger and keep her from dominating down low.

Tip-off Friday is 6 p.m. The game can be seen at www.OUA.tv.


 



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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