THUNDER BAY – Preseason is time to shake the rust off.
The Lakehead Thunderwolves women’s basketball team still have a little work to do before they’re regular-season ready, but that’s OK, said second-year coach Hugo Boisvert after his team only managed to score 15 points in the second half, falling 60-43 on Friday afternoon to the visiting Winnipeg Wesmen in their preseason opener at the Thunderdome.
“There’s a lot of question marks heading into this game. We’ve got some new pieces, and honestly, even for the staff, it’s trying to figure out where the rotation lies and where those pieces fit in. We’ve seen some good things from individuals we know will be able to contribute,” Boisvert said.
Among the newcomers is a familiar face, Alli Read, a Westgate graduate who spent three seasons with the Algoma Thunderbirds, and Sidney Crawford, an Etobicoke, Ont., native who arrives in Thunder Bay via stints at Laurentian University and Humber College.
Crawford, in particular, showed the type of player she can be. The 5-foot-6 guard playing strong a both ends of the court against Winnipeg, scoring nine points in her Thunderwolves debut, which saw her named as one of her team’s starting five.
Boisvert said that’s what he was hoping for when he brought the two veterans aboard as the T-Wolves have just two true rookies on the squad heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
“It’s definitely people who can contribute right away that came in,” Boisvert said. “I thought Kiera (Chow) was good today (too). She played with a lot of energy, a lot of hustle; that’s kind of what we expected out of her.
“It’s just a matter of figuring out where exactly they fit. We do have a lot more depth than last year, that’s one thing we’ve added.”
Led by a 19-point effort by veteran guard Ally Burke, a game that included four three-pointers, the Wolves hung tough with the Wesmen for much of the opening half, at one point taking an 11-10 lead late in the first quarter when Sara Azzolini hit one of two free throws with about 18 second to go in the period.
However, the lead was short-lived.
Winnipeg’s Jasia Hayden, with time ticking down in the half, threw up a desperation three that banked off the glass and fell through the mesh, the Wesmen taking a 13-11 lead in to the second.
Crawford helped the cause, hitting a three-pointer and a second straight basket to close the Wesmen’s lead to 28-25.
Burke late hit a last-minute trey to keep the game within reach and Lakehead hit the half trailing 35-28.
Unfortunately, the balls stopped dropping when the team re-emerged after the half.
The Wesmen rolled out to a 16-point lead in the third and led by as much as 21 points in the fourth.
It wasn’t the result Burke was seeking, but it’s a place to start building and evaluating.
“We were just talking in the change room saying how we’re glad we have these games to get out the mistakes now. We know we’re not playing our best yet, but that’s why these games are important, so we can get ready for the season when it counts,” Burke said.
