The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

LEASHJA Grant powered her Lakehead Thunderwolves to an upset win against a nationally ranked U Sports team in Canada.

Grant finished with a dominant 30 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Thunderwolves to a 62-56 win over the No.4 ranked and perennially dominant conference powerhouse, Carleton Ravens.

With the win, the Thunderwolves improved to to 5-1, and snapped the Ravens 53-game home win streak.

Grant put Lakehead ahead for good with eight of her 30 in the fourth quarter. Her pair of free throws gave her team a 54-52 lead with 27 seconds left to play.

Lakehead led 20-15 after the first quarter and 35-29 at the half. Carleton swung momentum in their favour in the third and the teams headed into the fourth quarter tied at 45.

“Leashja was obviously amazing tonight,” Thunderwolves head coach Jon Kreiner said.

“This was a huge win for our programme and for our team after a tough second half against Ottawa. It’s also huge for our team from a learning perspective regarding what it takes to win against the best teams in the country,” he added.

Lakehead now faces a back-to-back this weekend against Queens on November 23 and York on November 24.

On the season, Grant is averaging 20 points and is the conference’s leading rebounder at 12.8 rebounds per game.

Last season, she earned the Female Athlete of the Year and Women’s Basketball Most Valuable Player awards when Lakehead Athletics celebrated the 2017-2018 season at their annual awards gala.

She averaged 22.3 points and 14.1 points per game over the course of the season and was named Ontario University Athletics Player of the Year and a U SPORTS 1st Team All-Canadian.

Grant not only led the conference but also ranked as the second-leading scorer and top rebounder in the country. Grant also holds the U SPORTS record for most rebounds in a single season with 338 in 24 games.