THUNDER BAY – Charlotte Clifford likely played herself into some major minutes with her pre-season play this week.
The Lakehead Thunderwolves forward had a monstrous afternoon on Friday, scoring 13 points and hauling in 21 boards, including 14 off the offensive glass, despite the team falling 72-61 to the visiting Manitoba Bisons at the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.
“I just kind of crashed as hard as I could and I know where Nikki (Ylagan) and Kielly’s (McDonough) boards are going just from practising with them,” said Clifford, coming off Thursday’s eight-point, 12-rebound performance against the Bisons at the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.
“I just try to go in as hard as I can and then hopefully pick up the rebounds.”
It’s a confidence boosting couple of days, the Cambridge, Ont. native said.
“I’m pretty excited to start the regular season. I’m just going to do the same thing I try to do every game and crash the boards, not with any more or less confidence. I’m just going to go in and play as hard as I can and know that I trust my teammates to kick the ball out to them off the rebound,” the third-year Clifford said.
Coach Jon Kreiner said her performance to date in the pre-season has definitely earned her more playing time when the games start to matter in the OUA standings.
“Charlotte has earned it and will continue that process of developing some things from a conceptual standpoint,” Kreiner said.
“But she’s definitely solidified her role on this team.”
Clifford was happy to hear her coach’s words.
“Hopefully I can just come out and play those minutes every time and he can trust me to play those minutes. I definitely want to be an aggressive rebounder and defender. I’m more of somebody who sets up other people. I’m not really much of a scorer myself,” she said. “But sometimes I pick up the garbage and throw it into the net. It all depends on the game too, whether I have more of defensive role or a screening role – and then obviously rebounding.”
Unfortunately for the Wolves on Friday, Clifford couldn’t do it all.
A poor shooting effort did the host side in.
Lakehead shot just 22-for-83 from the field, and while Ylagan followed Thursday’s 29-point game with a 21-point effort in the rematch, she did it on 8-of-22 shooting.
No other player managed double digits for the Wolves, who trailed by six after one and eight at the half. They cut the deficit in half in the third, down 50-46 after 30 minutes, but never climbed to within five in the fourth.
Kreiner, whose team is missing defensive stalwart Tiffany Reynolds to injury, said the team is trying to figure out everyone’s roles and when Ylagan and Sofia Lluch aren’t having on nights, the Wolves could struggle moving forward
Friday’s contest was one of those games.
“Our point-guard play was not nearly what it was yesterday, and when you’re point-guard play isn’t very good, you’re going to suffer in games like this. So we need to shore that up,” Kreiner said.
Addison martin led the Bisons with 18 points, while Emma Thompson and Taylor Randall chipped in a dozen each.
