Written by Thomas Scott
Another season has ended for the Dalhousie Tigers women’s basketball team, finishing the season winless.
First-year guard Kaitlyn Ferrier was an outstanding scorer in her first year with the Tigers. She won AUS Rookie of the Year and averaged 18.7 points per game, fifth among all scorers in the conference.
Ferrier’s best game came against the UPEI Panthers on November 19 at Dalplex. She scored a game-high 34 points on 24 shots. Fourteen of the guard’s points came in the second quarter, where she shot 6-8 from the field in 10 minutes.
Ferrier closed the season strong, averaging 27.3 points per game in the last three games of the year.
“She works hard, she wants to get better, and she's a great teammate,” says McKay. “We look forward to seeing what she will bring to the program in years to come.”
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The Tigers had another young guard break out. Simona Matic, hailing from Belgrade, Serbia, scored 21 points against the Acadia Axewomen on 15 shots on November 1. She added four rebounds and six assists in the loss. The first-year science major finished fifth in the conference in assists. “She did a tremendous job as a rookie point guard with the amount of pressure on her,” says McKay. Opening the second semester, Dal faced the back-to-back AUS champion SMU Huskies. Second-year guard Sydney Guker-Wickie scored her career-high of 20 points on January 5 at Saint Mary’s University. The following night at Dalplex, Guker-Wickie would once again score a career-high. She scored 22 points on 15 shots in 37 minutes of play. |
Her competitiveness in practice stood out to her teammates before the season started. Through the season, she averaged 12.6 points per game.
“She's a tremendous leader. She has a very good understanding of the game and her team,” says McKay.
“She's 100 per cent bought into what we need to push forward as we move into our season in September,” she says.
The Tigers have just five players past their second year of eligibility, leaving nine players who will continue to build Dal’s young core with recruits. Despite the 0-20 record, McKay is optimistic for next season.
“I found the positive energy that the kids brought everyday inspiring. It motivated me to come to the gym, coach and work hard,” says McKay.
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Ferrier and Matic were both named to the AUS all-rookie team with Ferrier also bringing home the Rookie of the Year title. She would go on to be named the Tigers team MVP and Dalhousie’s Rookie of the Year. Guker-Wickie was named the Tiger of the Year. Anna Parsons, Emma Ward and Katie Wuotila will all cross the convocation stage this year, ending their time in the black and gold. |