Brock beat the University of Toronto 70-66 at the Goldring Centre on Nov. 7, grinding out a tight finish after leading early.
Brock jumped on the Blues with a huge first quarter, turning a 6-0 hole into a 26-14 lead thanks to hot shooting and a couple of threes. That cushion ended up making a difference, as Toronto chipped away the rest of the night, making the game a nail-biter later on.
Shailah Adams was Brock’s closer. Adams dropped 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting and hit four clutch free throws in the final six seconds to lock it up. Madalyn Weinert added 17 points and six boards, including a smooth third-quarter three that stopped a Toronto push. Vienna Vercesi was perfect from the field (4-for-4) and finished with 10 points and five offensive rebounds, giving Brock extra chances when they needed them. Jamie Addy did a bit of everything, accumulating nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals; while Ava Stranges grabbed seven boards.
Toronto wouldn’t give up easily. Lia Barbieri put up 20 points and 10 rebounds, as Zi Wang battled inside for 13 points and 12 rebounds to help the Blues win the glass 46-40 and edge Brock in second chance points, 16-13. Janet Enge knocked down three triples and finished with 14, sparking a couple of runs that brought Toronto back into the game.
The fourth quarter was tense. Toronto cut the gap to one at 59-58 and even took a 60-59 lead after a jumper with 7:47 left. From there it was back and forth: Weinert answered with a mid-range bucket; both teams traded empty trips and free throws decided the game at the end. With Brock up 66-64 inside the final three minutes, the Badgers got enough stops to hold the line, then Adams stepped to the stripe in the final seconds and iced it.
The box score tells the game’s story. Neither team shot the lights out; Brock finished at 38.8 per cent from the field and 27.3 per cent from three; Toronto was 33.8 per cent and 33.3 per cent. Brock made just enough at the line (12-of-16), and more importantly, took care of the ball. Toronto’s 17 turnovers turned into 19 Brock points, which is basically the difference in a four-point game. Both teams lived in the half court — officially, zero fast break points either way — so every possession felt heavy.
It wasn’t pretty at the end, but it was exciting nonetheless. Brock’s big first quarter gave them room to breathe, while their guards finished it off. For Toronto, the fight and the boards were there; the giveaways and late game execution weren’t. When the season is just starting, we see this happen quite frequently with different teams. When these teams see each other again later in the season, expect another tight one.