Aggressive Wolves best Badgers 81-68

Katelyn Andrea must have eaten her Wheaties on Wednesday morning.

The Lakehead Thunderwolves guard, challenged by coach Jon Kreiner to start being more aggressive on the basketball court, exploded for 26 points – including 14 in the first quarter alone – to lead her team to an 81-68 win over the Brock Badgers.

The Thunder Bay native added 15 rebounds, including five off the offensive glass.

It was LU’s first win in three attempts at the Thunder Selects Holiday Classic at the Homburg Centre in Halifax.

In fact, the Wolves scored more points against the Badgers than they did combined in earlier losses this week at the hands of Saint Mary’s and Carleton.

“Everyone’s been telling me to be a little bit more aggressive and look for myself a little bit more than I have been, so I was in that mindset,” Andrea said after the early morning triumph.

“I’ve not felt this way all season. It’s been a long time coming, so I’m glad it finally happened.”

Andrea hit 10-of-13 shots from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Kreiner said he took the third-year forward aside after Tuesday’s loss to Carleton, looking to boost her confidence, not only in the tournament finale, but rolling into the regular season in January.

The Wolves finished 3-5 in the first half, including a pair of losses to the same Badgers squad – albeit missing all-time leading passer Jena Yumol, away from the team for personal reasons.

Kreiner said he told Andrea she played great defence, but added she drifts too much and doesn’t get herself involved enough in the offensive play.

That’s got to change for the Thunderwolves to succeed.

“She scored that three to start the game against Carleton yesterday and she didn’t do anything else offensively,” Kreiner said. “Under a little bit of physical contact sometimes she backs away. Today I wanted her to be aggressive and I didn’t care if she missed her first three shots. Luckily she made her first three shots and had easily the best game of her career.”

He knows teams might start gunning for her after her Halifax performance.

“I said Katelyn, now you have a target on your back and now you can’t back away from that because people are going to want to get after you and defend you. And that’s the whole key. Now you have a choice to make. You’re either going to back down or you’re going step up and rise to that challenge,” Kreiner said.

The Thunderwolves outscored the Badgers 29-18 in the opening quarter and took a 20-point lead into halftime.

Brock made some defensive adjustments at the half, limiting Lakehead to just 28 points in the final 20 minutes, but the Thunderwolves fought off the Badgers third-quarter charge and coasted to the win.

Veteran Melissa Tatti led Brock with 14 points, while Kira Cornelissen picked up 12 points and added nine rebounds.
Jerika Baldin, with 11, and Blair McNaughton, with 10, were the other Lakehead players to hit double digits.

Lakehead returns to action on Jan. 23 on the road against the Algoma Thunderbirds.