Positive attitude needed to keep three-game losing streak from snowballing

It’s said that one should never judge a book by its cover. The Georgian Grizzlies women’s basketball team put their own spin on the old phrase, belying their 1-5 record in a strong 68-43 Saturday win over the George Brown Huskies.

Coming off a frustrating loss against Centennial on Nov. 22, the Huskies didn’t bring the hunger necessary to bounceback. The visiting Grizzlies made George Brown pay for a lack of pressure, especially Georgian star guard Hannah Pearsall, who posted 24 points and six rebounds.

The host’s 43 points were their lowest output of the year, unsurprising considering George Brown’s season-low 22.1 per cent on field goal attempts. There are games when the ball seems destined to stay out; it was the listless performance which Huskies head coach Warren Williams brought greater attention to.

“Making shots is going to be something that comes and goes, but we can always play with more energy, especially on the defensive end, and we just didn’t do that today,” said Williams.

There were flashes from George Brown, to be sure. Angel Mbikay was George Brown’s engine in the second quarter, while Tianna Sullivan led the Huskies with 12 points. The two were on Georgian’s radar, something which will continue when the teams clash again on Dec. 2.

“We were fortunate today, some of their shots didn’t drop that normally do,” said Grizzlies head coach Andrew Broeren. “I think it’ll be the same game plan: team defence, sharing the ball and trying our best to shutdown Tianna and Angel. They’re great players.”

While the reputations of Mbikay and Sullivan precede them, Kiyann Grimaldo is just beginning to make her mark. In addition to her 10 points, the first-year Husky had an impressive 15 rebounds, and seems to be acclimatizing well to the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) game. It takes time to build a program, but with Grimaldo and fellow OCAA rookie Erika Evangelista, George Brown’s cupboard is far from bare.

Of course, the program’s cupboard of the future is little comfort for a now 1-5 Huskies squad. With three matches in the eight days upcoming, George Brown’s three game losing streak could easily snowball into something worse. For Grimaldo, the key is to keep their heads and morale up heading into the next tilt.

“We just try to keep each other up at practice,” said Grimaldo. “I know we always try to motivate each other before practice, we have our team talks, (and) we’re trying to have a team bonding session to keep our spirits up.”