Falcons Women’s Basketball Capture National Silver

(London, Ontario) – On Saturday, March 21, 2026, the Fanshawe women's basketball team captured the program's first-ever national podium finish, claiming the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) silver medal. The Falcons matched up against VIU, the champions of the CCAA's PACWEST Conference. In what was a fierce battle between the two best teams in Canada, Fanshawe ultimately came up just short of the National Championship, falling by a score of 72-58. The National Championship tournament was hosted by Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec from March 18-21. 

While the Falcons fell short of the ultimate prize, the women's basketball team still has plenty to be proud of. Not once was the team ranked within the CCAA's top 15 national rankings, nor did many outsiders expect them to even win their own conference, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA). However, this team took the nation by storm, winning the provincial championship, then delivering incredible performances throughout the national championship tournament en route to a silver medal finish.

The Falcons got their tournament started with a matchup against the Douglas Royals of the PACWEST Conference in the quarterfinals. In what was a tightly contested contest, the entire Falcons lineup stepped up to deliver a 67-62 victory over the Royals, with second-year forward Ashlyn Anderson (Latchford, ON) earning player of the game honours for Fanshawe with 12 points, 19 rebounds, six blocks, three steals and three assists.

The Falcons then moved on to face the host of the tournament, the Dawson Blues, in the semifinals. In what may have been the game of the tournament, Fanshawe played spoiler to the host, defeating Dawson 89-78 in overtime. It was in this game where Anderson made her name known across Canada. Earning player of the game honours for the Falcons, Anderson finished with a final stat line of 31 points, 26 rebounds and 10 blocks for a triple-double in what was a legendary performance, cementing herself as one of the best players in the CCAA on the national stage.

The Falcons' final opponent was the PACWEST champion VIU Mariners. An experienced and deep VIU team gave Fanshawe all it could handle and then some, as after taking the first quarter 18-16, the Falcons were unable to maintain the lead and played catch-up for the rest of the game before falling 72-58. Edith Eseme (Milton, ON) was named Fanshawe's player of the game, but she truly excelled throughout the tournament. Eseme, who averaged 5.7 points per game during the regular season, upped her scoring average to 14.7 points per game across the three national tournament games, doing so on an efficient 51.5% shooting from the field.

Both Eseme and Anderson were named CCAA Championship All-Stars for their tournament performances. Eseme averaged 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while Anderson averaged 19.7 points, 19.3 rebounds, 6.3 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals for the tournament.

Another contribution that cannot be understated was the performance of fifth-year senior Karyn TeBrake (Ottawa, ON), who finishes her collegiate career as a national silver medalist. She averaged 7.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game during the tournament, all of which exceeded her regular season averages.

After making a name for themselves this season, nobody will be taking the Falcons lightly during the 2026-27 campaign, and for good reason. With what is expected to be a very similar core of returning student-athletes on Fanshawe's women's basketball team, the Falcons will set their sights on returning to the national stage with a vengeance in hopes of claiming a National Championship.

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