Samantha Hickey had 14 rebounds and two blocks, becoming the third Griffins player to reach 50 Canada West blocks for her career (Husain Dhooma photo).
Samantha Hickey had 14 rebounds and two blocks, becoming the third Griffins player to reach 50 Canada West blocks for her career (Husain Dhooma photo).
November 8, 2025

Griffins recover from slow start, but lack of discipline costs them in 60-53 loss to WolfPack

Program Tickets Box Score Preview

Husain Dhooma
For MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – What started as a slow burn on Friday turned into an intense battle that kept fans on edge until the final buzzer. 

Despite a 60-53 defeat at home to the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, the Griffins showed grit and resilience on their home court at the David Atkinson Gym.

The Griffins opened the first quarter trailing, managing only to score seven points while the WolfPack scored 15. Though the Griffins attempted nearly as many shots as the Wolfpack, the Griffins converted just three field goals in the opening quarter and struggled to find offensive rhythm.

Turnovers also proved costly as the Griffins had more than double of the Wolfpack, inhibiting offensive production.

Head coach Katherine Adams said the slow start came down to tempo rather than a lack of effort.

"We didn't defend without fouling, but we just needed to slow down," Adams said. "We were really sped up and rushed. With our athleticism and speed, we thought we could play fast to generate scoring opportunities, but we were a little too fast and that led to turnovers."

The second quarter featured a clear shift in energy. The Griffins attacked the basket with more confidence, cleaned up mistakes, and shot the ball more efficiently. Forward Unity Obasuyi ignited the offence with 10 points in the quarter and 15 through the first half to help the Griffins to close the gap heading into halftime.

"Unity can score the ball in so many ways and she's so dangerous every time she touches it," Adams added. "Teams have to adjust to her, and she really rallied us to be competitive and close the gap in that second quarter."

Obasuyi led MacEwan with 20 points, while Toni Gordon had 10. Samantha Hickey finished with 14 rebounds and two blocks, becoming just the third player in the Griffins' Canada West history TRU was led by Kylee Koppes (17 points), while Morgan Eichenberger chipped in 15 and Olena Vasylenko had 11.

It's the first win of the season for Thompson Rivers, who improved to 1-3, while MacEwan is still searching for their first 'W', now sitting at 0-5.

At halftime, the Griffins trailed 30-24 but entered the second half with renewed belief. Their defensive intensity ramped up, forcing the WolfPack into more than twice as many turnovers as they had in the previous quarter. The Griffins also outscored the Wolfpack in the third quarter, narrowing the margin while showing greater control at both ends of the court. According to Adams however, discipline remains a point of emphasis that needs to be improved.

"We need to be more disciplined in general," Adams said. "We committed too many fouls and didn't adjust quickly enough to how the officials were calling the game. You can't complain about it. The officials call what they see. And obviously we were not in position today to get stops when we needed to be in position to not foul." said Adams. 

The WolfPack attempted 35 free throws compared with MacEwan's 12, a margin that ultimately shaped the outcome of this game. Nonetheless, the Griffins' defensive adjustments allowed them to keep the game within reach.

"We knew defensively we could turn up the heat and apply more pressure," Adams explained. "We switched between our 2-3 zone and man-to-man to keep them guessing. I thought we had some strong defensive stops, and if you take away some of those late calls, our defensive performance was good enough to win. We just need to find ways to put the ball in the basket."

The WolfPack held on for the 60-53 victory, but the Griffins' resilience and second-half response showed plenty of promise while emphasising new offensive strategies heading into their rematch on Saturday (3 p.m., David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV).

"Finding a way to get the ball inside more will be an emphasis," said Adams. "We need to get more looks at the rim and get a few more players involved in scoring. We'll look at the film and make adjustments to come out stronger tomorrow."