SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — The Laurier Golden Hawks used a dominant first-quarter performance to power past the Algoma Thunderbirds 61-45 in OUA women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the George Leach Centre.

Laurier (2-0) raced out to a commanding 23-7 lead after the opening 10 minutes and never looked back, building a 35-16 advantage at halftime.

The Golden Hawks led by as many as 25 points before Algoma (0-2) found its footing in the fourth quarter, outscoring Laurier 19-11 to cut into the deficit.

Isabella Cotton paced Laurier with 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting and added five rebounds, while Martina Errazo chipped in with 11 points, three assists, and three steals.

Keira Aikman was a force on the glass again, less than 24 hours after tying the program's single-game rebounds record, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with eight points and three assists.

The Golden Hawks' balanced attack saw eight different players score, with Brittyn Graves contributing 11 rebounds and five points.

Laurier's pressure defence and rebounding proved decisive, as they held Algoma to just 24.6 per cent shooting (17-of-69) and forced 16 turnovers.

Algoma was led by Sadie Grawbarger, who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

Mercedes Mazzuca added 14 points off the bench, while Riya Donnelly finished with seven points and four rebounds.

The Golden Hawks' defensive effort saw the Thunderbirds struggle from long range, with the home side connecting on just 4-of-28 attempts from beyond the arc.

Laurier will look to stay unbeaten when they return to action for their Battle of Waterloo home opener on Hallowe'en against the Waterloo Warriors. The Warriors are coming off a win over York in their first game of the campaign.

Tip-off on Friday at the Laurier Athletic Complex Gym is set for 6 pm and tickets are on sale now!