BY THE NUMBERS: Undefeated #5 Gee-Gees travel to Waterloo for matchups with Laurier and Waterloo

January 5, 2023

January 6 & 7, 2023

The Matchups: #5 Ottawa Gee-Gees (9-0, 2nd in the OUA East) vs. Laurier Golden Hawks (4-6, 5^th in the OUA West) & Waterloo Warriors (7-1, 2^nd in OUA West)
Location: Athletic Complex – Waterloo, ON (Friday) & PAC Gymnasium – Waterloo, ON (Saturday)
Tip-off: 6 p.m. (Friday) & 4 p.m. (Saturday)
Watch Live: OUA.tv
Last Meetings: Ottawa def. Laurier 87-50 – Nov. 1, 2019 / Ottawa def. Waterloo 97-61 – Nov. 2, 2019

OTTAWA MAJOR STAT LEADERS

Points (per game): Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu – 16.2 pts.
Assists (per game): Natsuki Szczokin – 3.2 ast.
Rebounds (per game): Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu – 8.2 reb.
Field-goal percentage: Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu – 56.9 per cent
Three-point percentage: Brianna Iannazzo – 36.4 per cent

LAURIER MAJOR STAT LEADERS

Points (per game): Cassidy Hirtle – 17.2 pts.
Assists (per game): Miranda Campbell – 2.9 ast.
Rebounds (per game): Alexa Sawchuck – 5.9 reb.
Field-goal percentage: Katheryn White – 48.3 per cent
Three-point percentage: Cassidy Hirtle – 33.8 per cent

WATERLOO MAJOR STAT LEADERS

Points (per game): Vanessa Hughes – 20.5 pts.
Assists (per game): Kaitlyn Overeem – 4.1 ast.
Rebounds (per game): Summer Pahl – 8.4 reb.
Field-goal percentage: Summer Pahl – 48.5 per cent
Three-point percentage: Vanessa Hughes – 44.3 per cent

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

After an undefeated start to the season, the Gee-Gees are back following a restful December. Ottawa will face off against their foes from Laurier and Waterloo for the first time since Nov. 2019, continuing a path of playing unfamiliar opponents as the OUA returns to a regular schedule for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
For the Ottawa's Brianna Iannazzo, Friday's matchup against Laurier is a homecoming, as she faces the team that she spent four seasons with. Iannazzo starred at Laurier from 2016-20, in 2019-20, Iannazzo was the team's leading scorer with 15.3 points per game.
The Gee-Gees will receive a good test from Saturday's matchup with Waterloo. With a 7-1 record to start the season, the Warriors' lone loss of the regular season was to #3 Queen's. Defensively, a key focus will be on the second highest scorer in the OUA in Vanessa Hughes. It will be essential to keep Hughes off the free throw line, given she leads the OUA shooting an eye-catching 94.4 per cent.