WATERLOO, Ont. — Laurier showed strong effort on both ends but came up short against a sharp-shooting Laurentian squad, falling 78–46 on Friday night at home.
The Voyageurs came out firing, opening the game on a 5–0 run and hitting three triples in the first quarter to jump ahead 24–11 after 10 minutes. Laurentian shot 47 per cent in the opening frame and finished the night at 41.4 per cent from the field and 33.3 per cent from three-point range.
Laurier got on the board early with a strong take from second-year guard Kiera Aikman, who later added a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 9–5, but Laurentian's perimeter play continued to pace the visitors.
A late first-quarter push, including back-to-back buckets from Emilie Lafond, helped the Voyageurs build separation.
Lafond led all scorers with 16 points and five rebounds, while teammates Audrey-Anne Labreche and Cadence Pecore each chipped in 14.
Post player Claudia Pellerin added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds as Laurentian controlled the paint and the glass, outrebounding Laurier 43–29.
Laurier found rhythm in the second quarter, sparked by third-year guard Kayleigh Rawson, who came off the bench to knock down back-to-back threes and finish with a team-high 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
Rawson said the Hawks focused on competing and staying connected throughout the night.
"We came out, we played really hard, and we were working really hard for every loose ball, and we rotated very well on defence," she said. "We have a lot of good things we can take away from this game, and overall we played really well as a team."
Laurier trailed 41–24 at halftime, with veteran forward Brittyn Graves adding steady scoring inside. Graves finished with 10 points, while Aikman had eight points and six rebounds.
The Hawks continued to push in the second half, opening with another Aikman three before Graves and Kate White hit mid-range shots to steady the offence.
Despite the effort, Laurentian's balanced attack extended the lead to 62–35 through three quarters and closed out the win with a 16-point final frame.
White, who logged 16 minutes in her return, contributed defensively and hit a jumper early in the fourth.
Laurier's manager of women's basketball operations and head coach Megan Reid said she was encouraged by White's play and leadership.
"It's great to have Kate back. A player of her stature and skill level is amazing," said Reid. "It's going to take a while for her to work into the new system since she missed the preseason reps, but a player of her experience and calibre will fit in really well and pick it up quickly."
Laurier shot 30.9 per cent from the floor and 30.4 per cent from three, while Laurentian capitalized on its chances at the line, going 23-for-31 (74.2 per cent). The Voyageurs also held a 28–8 edge in points in the paint and 23–6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Looking ahead, Reid emphasized regrouping quickly for the next match-up.
"Tomorrow's a very different match-up. They match up well with us, so we've got to take care of the ball, run our offence, and be the ones who are disciplined and control the pace when we have the ball."
Up next, the Laurier Golden Hawks (2–2) take on the Nipissing Lakers (1–4) on Saturday at the Laurier Athletic Complex Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Tickets are available at tickets.laurierathletics.com, and the game will be streamed live on OUA.tv.
