THUNDER BAY – Leashja Grant stands alone.
Grant, a heavy favourite to take home OUA women’s basketball most valuable player honours, on Friday furthered her case, grabbing 16 rebounds to set a new U Sports record of 318 to surpass former University of Fraser Valley star Sarah Wiesz, who set the mark in 20 games in 2014-15.
Grant’s 27-point effort gave her 519 points this season, 29 shy of the 548 posted by former LU star Jylisa Williams in her CIS most valuable player campaign, also in 2014-15.
“It feels good, but first and foremost I just want to thank my teammates, because without them I wouldn’t have been able to break a record,” said Grant, who had just five points at the half, but whose final bucket of the night put the Thunderwolves in front for good in overtime, finally able to hold off a pesky Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks squad 60-58 in a preview of Wednesday’s first-round playoff matchup.
Upon further reflection, it’s a pretty amazing accomplishment, the Bahamian-born Grant agreed.
“I just thank God for giving me the ability, but I think I earned it,” she said.
Grant tops the OUA in both offensive and defensive rebounds and is averaging 13.8 boards a night – not to mention her league-best 22.6 points a night over 23 games, including 22 double-doubles.
LU coach Jon Kreiner, who jumped on the chance to land the NCAA transfer whose career in the States was cut short by visa issues, said Grant has performed as advertised in her first of two seasons in Thunder Bay.
“It’s a great mark for her and a great individual effort,” Kreiner said. “But I’m sure she’d take getting this win in overtime tonight.”
Despite behind held without a point for the first five minutes of the opening half, Laurier escaped with a 19-18 advantage, jumping in front in the final minute on an Irena Rynkiewicz trey.
Laurier extended their lead to 38-30 late in the third, but couldn’t maintain it.
The T-Wolves eventually found an extra gear after the break, closing the third on a 6-0 run punctuated by a Nikki Ylagan three-pointer.
Lakehead scored the first eight points of the fourth – Grant collecting back-to-back-to-back buckets – to create a six-point gap.
“I think in the first half we struggled a little bit with our spacing. But for some reason we didn’t let the first half dictate the win,” Grant said. “We came out in the second half wanting to win. I think that was the difference in our energy.”
The never-say-die Golden Hawks (10-13) kept plugging away. Maya Day saved her best for last, scoring twice in the final two minutes to send the game to overtime tied 49 apiece, Lakehead’s Lily Gruber-Schulz unable to find the net in the paint as time ran out in regulation.
A Ylagan three and a pair of free throws by Grant pushed the host squad in front by five to start the extra frame, but Laurier scored three straight hoops, Nicole Morrison’s uncontested lay-up giving her side a 55-54 advantage.
It was their last lead of the night.
Lakehead could have put things away at the charity stripe, but it missed three of four free throws, instead running their opponent out of clock.
Morrison led the visiting side with 15 points. Ylagan had 12 for Lakehead, while Gruber-Schulze finished with eight points and 13 rebounds.
The two teams will meet again on senior’s night on Saturday, once again at the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.
