“I definitely think that going 2-0 on the weekend helped give us a confidence boost”
After going 18-4 last season, the Gee-Gees struggled out of the gate in 2023. Gone was U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu, who aged out after five seasons; the 6’1” forward was recognized with a Career Achievement Award after the 2022-23 season for her contributions to the program.
But it’s not like the team has a lack of talent. It just took some time for this group to figure out what life after Lefebvre-Okankwu looked like. So after a 1-3 preseason, and a loss to Guelph in their opener, it was time to compete again.
On Nov. 10, the team travelled to Windsor to take on the Lancers. And after limping to just 49 points against the Gryphons, it was a different game at the Toldo Lancer Centre. The Gees stormed out of the gate, racking up 20 points in the first quarter alone. And the team didn’t take their foot off the gas, putting up 20 spots in both the third and fourth quarters as well.
Allie McCarthy poured in three from beyond the arc, part of her 13 total points on the night. 2022-23 OUA Third Team All-Star Natsuki Szczokin racked up 17 points, to go along with four rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Third-year forward Emily Payne continued her breakout season, putting up 15 points on 7-13 shooting from the field, and swatting three shots.
The Gee-Gees finally played the basketball they were capable of playing and took down a previously 2-0 Windsor team, 74-58. But the job wasn’t finished yet. The very next night, the squad would head north to London to take on the Mustangs. The U of O had handled the squad easily last year, 79-63. This was a litmus test of this year’s team: a chance to prove they can be just as good as they were last year.
The team’s biggest contributions to this game would come from an unlikely source. Melina De Iulio, a fifth-year forward, had been a staple on the team for her entire career but had yet to make herself a permanent fixture in the team’s starting lineup, until this year. This isn’t to say a breakthrough from De Iulio’s would be completely surprising — the six-footer had acted as the first or second player off the bench for the Gees last year and averaged nine points per game.
But De Iulio broke through in a big way on Nov. 12. The Burlington native racked up 20 points on the night, and hit two threes on her only two attempts, both from the top of the arc. Her second make of the night came with just over three minutes left in the game, and pushed the Gees 14 points away from the Mustangs, essentially sealing the game.
De Iulio was also perfect from the line, dropping in 8-8 free throws. She added seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and didn’t turn the ball over once on the way to a 67-54 Gee-Gees victory.
The senior acknowledged how big the wins were post-game, but was also focused on avoiding complacency. “I definitely think that going 2-0 on the weekend helped give us a confidence boost,” the forward said. “At the same time, we’re able to look back and learn [from the previous games] to improve our game throughout the season”.
De Iulio also attributed her big game to her teammates. “I don’t think anything really changed from the first two games of the season — my teammates trusted me and were distributing the ball to me, which allowed me to get some good looks. I was also able to draw fouls and get to the line quite a bit that game, so that definitely helped me get into the flow on the offensive end.”
De Iulio and the Gees will welcome the Lakehead Thunderwolves into Montpetit Hall for the team’s home opener Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. The evening matchup will be followed by the men’s home opener. Tickets start at $7 for students. On Saturday, the teams will welcome Brock’s teams; the games will again take place at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
