Falcons Drop Hard Fought Battle to Mohawk

(London, ON) – The Fanshawe women's basketball team (10-5, 3rd West) welcomed the second-ranked team in the nation, the Mohawk Mountaineers (15-1, 1st West), to the Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre on Wednesday night in the Falcons' final home game of the regular season. In a hard-fought battle, the Birds came up short against the visitors, 69-49.

Before tip-off, the Falcons honoured fifth-year guard Karyn TeBrake (Ottawa, ON), who is in her final year of eligibility. Since joining the Falcons for the 2024-25 season, TeBrake has been a steady presence in Fanshawe's offense, consistently making smart decisions with the ball. Her impact was on full display February 4 against St. Clair, when she tied a program single-game record with nine assists while committing zero turnovers.

The first quarter was low scoring but fast-paced. Both defenses came ready to compete, with 15 combined turnovers in the frame creating back-and-forth action. Ashlyn Anderson (Latchford, ON) controlled the glass early, grabbing eight of her 18 rebounds in the opening quarter. With both teams struggling to find an offensive rhythm, the game was tied at nine heading into the second.

In the second quarter, Mohawk began to separate themselves. The Mountaineers showed why they are ranked second in Canada, outscoring Fanshawe 27-8 in the frame to take a 36-17 lead into halftime.

The Falcons regrouped after the break and found more offensive success in the third. Layla MacKenzie (Camlachie, ON) sparked the Birds with 11 points in the quarter on 4/5 shooting. MacKenzie knocked down four three-pointers in the game and helped cut into the deficit, with Fanshawe trailing 52-37 heading into the final frame.

The comeback attempt ultimately fell short, as the Falcons were unable to sustain consistent offensive momentum. Mohawk closed out the 69-49 victory, clinching the OCAA West Division's top seed.

Despite the loss, the Falcons remain locked into the West Division's third seed and are guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game. Anderson continues to headline a historic season, having already surpassed two single-season records she set last year. She now sits at 200 rebounds and 49 blocks with one game remaining (both program records), and currently leads the entire OCAA in rebounds per game (13.3), field goal percentage (54.8%) and blocks per game (3.3).

Fanshawe will wrap up the regular season on the road against the Niagara Knights (4-11, 7th West) on Saturday, February 14, looking to head into the playoffs on a winning note.

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