Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – As tough as this season has gone for the MacEwan Griffins women's basketball team, their belief has never wavered.
They know they lack experience as one of the youngest teams in the country – but they always felt they could win – the results just weren't showing.
So, in their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, the Griffins put forward a complete effort and beat the Manitoba Bisons 66-62 to finally taste victory.
Unity Obasuyi led the Griffins with 23 points, while Sofia Makinen scored 13 points and hit some clutch free throws down the stretch, and Samantha Hickey recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
"It was a total team effort," said Griffins head coach Katherine Adams.
"We've known that we're capable of competing and we're capable of winning, and I said to the girls last night in the locke-room that you work too hard to put together performances like we did. Just go out and be you and play basketball and take what comes."
That message was heard loud and clear.
The Griffins held a 22-13 lead after the first quarter and led for all but just 1:40 in the game.
The only time Manitoba held the lead was when they took a 3-2 lead early, and Anna Miko's layup gave them a 5-2 lead.
SWEET VICTORY!
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) February 9, 2025
Samantha Hickey puts it away at the free-throw line and the @MacEwanGriffins celebrate their first win of the season - 66-62 over the @umbisons!#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/ixJq4OVPH4
MacEwan was up 30-25 at the half, and they were getting contributions all throughout their lineup.
With both Toni Gordon and Allie Spenrath in foul trouble, Adams had to rely on some of her younger players to step up – and they did.
Ava Regier hit two big three-pointers and hauled in five rebounds in the first half. Ayla Grady got more minutes running the point, and she finished with three points, four rebounds and two assists in just over 24 minutes in the victory.
What a difference a day makes. In their loss to Manitoba on Friday, they struggled mightily from beyond the arc, when they hit just 2-of-24.
In Saturday's win, they hit a season-high nine treys as Obasuyi led the way with three, while Makinen and Regier had two each.
"Unity (Obasuyi) can score the basketball, and teams know that and key on her, and they did that today, but we had so many others step up," said Adams.
"Everybody found their moment to give us something today."
Raining threes!
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) February 8, 2025
Unity Obasuyi hits from beyond the arc as the @MacEwanGriffins stretch their lead in the third quarter.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/XhrOpRoagf
MacEwan continued to control the game in the second half, but with Gordon and Spenrath getting their fourth fouls midway through the third quarter, Adams turned to rookie guard Morgan Clark, who had yet to see any minutes in the game.
That moment certainly perfectly described how big of a team effort the win was for MacEwan.
With Manitoba pressing to close the gap, MacEwan held a 40-35 lead when Clark entered the game.
She quickly came up with a clutch steal that led to a strong layup for a bucket by Obasuyi at the other end of the floor.
Moments later, she drove to the rim and with two defenders closing in on her, she kicked it out to Makinen in the corner who nailed a trey from the corner.
Then, she teamed up with Obasuyi, who made a sublime pass to Clark on the baseline for a nice layup.
Some solid work in just under six minutes of playing time, and as the third quarter came to a close, the Griffins lead swelled to 48-38.
"That's team basketball. Always stay ready, so when your name gets called," said Adams.
"Morgan is a great defender, she was in the right place in that moment to get a touch and get that steal, which led to some things at the offensive end.
"It was so huge for her to come in and give us that. We were in foul trouble and trying to hang on, and she came on and kept us elevated."
Down 10, Manitoba wouldn't go away as Paige Schatkowsy scored eight of her team leading 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Both Gordon and Spenrath were fouled out in the fourth quarter, but the Griffins continued to get big plays from all down their bench.
Samantha Hickey came up big with a double double (11 points and 11 rebounds), while adding two blocks (James Maclennan photo).
Paige Massier finished with just four points, but she was a menace on defence, forcing some big turnovers in the late stages of the fourth that included one with 40 seconds left to give the Griffins the ball back. Both Makinen and Hickey were money from the free throw line to put the game out of reach in the final seconds.
Grady in the final minutes of the fourth quarter also forced a turnover that led to the Griffins scoring points off the turnover.
Those plays came from players in just their first and second years.
"Those two key defensive possessions where Ayla dropped down in a rotation to get a steal and Paige defensively forced a moving screen... I mean huge. Those were momentum shifts when things hung in the balance," said Adams.
"Those were two players that stepped up in the moment and weren't afraid and gave us everything we needed."
This victory against a solid team like the Bisons will go a long way into next season for MacEwan. They learned a lot of tough lessons this year, and lost some heartbreakers, but this game proved what they've believed all along.
If they keep building, the program will take more steps forward.
"I'm so proud and so happy because I know they deserve it. I see them putting in the work, and getting this win today, they earned. But what excites me even more is the future. Things are looking up, and we're only going to get better," said Adams.
"We talked yesterday about the belief in making these shots and being able to convert on these plays. I've never been around a group that is in the gym working so hard on their craft, and I'm so happy for them, they got to see the fruits of their labour be rewarded."
MacEwan will wrap up their regular season with a weekend series when they visit the Saville Cenre to face the cross-town rival Alberta Pandas on Jan.14-15.
