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Grants drops 41, T-Wolves edge Gryphons

Thunderwolves are 2-0 in 2018, improving to 8-4 with two-point win over Guelph.

THUNDER BAY – If the OUA hasn’t taken notice of Leashja Grant yet, Saturday was her coming out party.

Grant torched the Guelph Gryphons for 41 points in just 27 minutes of court time, adding 16 rebounds for her 12th straight double-double performance as the Lakehead Thunderwolves completed a weekend sweep with a tightly fought 64-62 win at the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.

The Bahamian native added a steal and a pair of blocks for LU, who improved to 8-4 with the victory, tying them with McMaster for second place in the OUA west, a win behind the top-ranked Windsor Lancers.

It was the first 40-point performance for the Wolves since Jylisa Williams turned the trick two seasons ago, a much-needed boost to an offence that got just 11 points from the team’s other four starters combined.

It also made up for a disastrous 0-for-18 night from three-point territory, a rough night for a team that normally prides itself on its ability from beyond the arc.

Grant said the key to her success against the Gryphons (5-7) was her teammates.

“It was pretty phenomenal,” she said. “I just want to give a shout-out to the coaching staff and my teammates for getting me open that good. I didn’t do it by myself,” she said.

It was Grant who keyed a third-quarter comeback, helping to erase a seven-point, 38-31 halftime deficit, scoring four quick baskets to cut the Guelph lead to two, her 11 points in the quarter good for a one-point LU lead after three.

The Gryphons Ivana Vluadinovic gave the visitors one final lead early in the fourth, firing a shot over a foul-challenged Grant, but Guelph’s 52-51 advantage was short-lived, Grant burying a pair of free throws for a one-point lead.

Guard Rachel Webber, whose five steals helped keep the Gryphons honest, said it was fun to watch Grant at work.

“There’s not a lot you can say about her. She’s an unreal player. She dominates the game inside. She can shoot a 15-footer and she can find us sometimes. It’s a game I haven’t seen in a long time,” said Webber, who finished with five points and three assists.

Coach Jon Kreiner joked his star guard “did all right.”

“She put us on her back a little bit and she worked as hard as she could,” said Kreiner, impressed with her ability to hit high-post jumpers with ease.

“But we were also moving the ball better in the second half.”

That opened up space for Grant to operate, Kreiner said.

As good as she was, the Wolves might not have won the game if it weren’t for Webber.

“Rachel is a super woman. She put on her super-woman suit and not only got some big steals for us, but contained and kept people in front of her,” Kreiner said.

Up six with two minutes to go, the Thunderwolves offence went flat, allowing Skyla Minaker to even things at 62-62 with 35 seconds to go. But Grant came through at the line with a pair of free throws that proved to be the difference.

Lakehead heads to Western for a pair next weekend.



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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