Second-year Husky Zae Sellers was near perfect at the Casa Loma Athletic Centre on Wednesday night in the Huskies' home opener versus the Seneca Sting.
Not only did Sellers lead all scorers with 26 points but she did it on a blistering 80% shooting from the floor, going 4-4 from 2-pt range and 4-6 from beyond the arc in only 30 minutes of play. She was also a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line. Amidst the scoring prowess, the point guard still continued to move the ball effectively on the offensive end, logging a game-high seven assists on the night.
The home team came storming out of the gates with a high pressure offense and full court press that the Sting could not break through, leading to eight Seneca turnovers and a dominating first quarter advantage for the Huskies of 32-14.
The Huskies would not let up, maintaining a strong lead the entire way through the game. Coming out of half time, they would force another seven Sting turnovers in the 3rd quarter alone while riding the hot hands of Sellers (7 points in the quarter) and Ciara Findlayter-Stephenson (10 points in the quarter).
Head Coach Warren Williams expects nothing less from his captain. "Our coaching staff was very pleased with the effort, focus and energy we played with", said Williams post-game. "Ciara continues to be a consistent performer on the court, and Zae really set the tone with her approach offensively and defensively. She continues to be a terrific leader for our program."
As a fifth-year player, Sellers attributes her success so far this season to just relaxing and enjoying playing the game. "In the past, I sometimes would get caught up leading and putting too much pressure on myself to make sure everyone else is ok on and off the floor. And by the time I would look up, I haven't even played my own game. For my last year, I just want to relax and play...while getting those wins of course!"
When asked about her team's performance in this home opener, the captain was impressed. "The main goal not only against Seneca, but for the entire season, is to focus on 'US' and to play 'OUR' game. And we did that really well".
Williams is a coach that takes pride and places a large focus on his team's style of play, a style he hopes will set them apart in the league. "We took another step towards establishing our identity as a team that creates CHAOS. We look forward to continuing making progress towards our goal of performing as a championship program."
A game plan and style which the Huskies executed extremely effectively on Wednesday, scoring 45 points off 32 turnovers and coasting to a 93-55 win over the Sting to put them at 2-0 to start the 2019-20 season.
The Men's side would neither disappoint in the second game of the double header, holding a comfortable lead for most of the night and taking it over the Sting with a final score of 101-84. The Huskies were led by 26 points from sophomore Christian Tabiri on 11-18 shooting, and first-year Husky Naseem Barry who would bank 20 points on 7-11 shooting.
Up next, the Huskies take on the UofT Mississauga Eagles in Mississauga on Wednesday, October 30th. Watch the action on OCAA Live by tuning in on our LiveStream Page! Women tip off at 6pm, Men at 8pm.