A 31-point performance was more than enough for Jylisa Williams to claim the OUA’s single-season scoring record on Friday night.
More importantly the Atlanta native led a furious fourth-quarter comeback, helping the Lakehead Thunderwolves stun the host Guelph Gryphons 77-73. The win appears to have helped the Wolves clinch a first-round playoff bye.
Guelph, fighting for a playoff berth, led 56-47 after three quarters and controlled the scoreboard most of the way.
Corina Bruni, who missed Lakehead’s last game with an ankle injury, added 18 for the Thunderwolves, who improved to 14-4.
Williams entered play with 494 points on the season, 12 shy of tying Jenny Vaughn’s single-season mark, set last season with Western. She now has 525 with one game to go, a Saturday rematch against the Gryphons (7-11).
Lakehead trailed by eight after one quarter and three at the half, but was outscored 21-15 in the third quarter.
The Wolves led 32-29 with 2:07 to play in the second, but the Gryphons took the lead on a Katelyn Yallin jumper and didn’t relinquish it again until the fourth when Williams, who later fouled out, hit a rare three-pointer with 3:19 to go.
The teams traded the lead down the stretch, Barbara Inrig-Pieter hitting a pair of free throws in the final minute to put up by one.
But Williams was fouled going to the hoop and nailed both attempts from the charity stripe, giving LU the lead for good.
Guelph had a chance to tie with four seconds to go, but Yallin’s three-point attempt missed.
Katherine MacTavish led the Gryphons with 19 points.
The win leaves Lakehead and McMaster tied for fourth in the ratings performance index standings at .550.
However, it appears the Wolves clinch fourth based because they outscored McMaster in splitting the season series.The OUA will have to confirm the final standings.
Only games against other playoff teams factor into the playoff RPI standings. The Gryphons, with the loss, were eliminated
from playoff contention at 7-11. They best they can hope is to tie Brock in the standings, but the Badgers (8-11) outscored Guelph by one point in their series this season, each team winning once.
