OSHAWA, ON - In the qualifying round ahead of the 2023 OCAA Women's Basketball Championship, the Redeemer Royals put an end to the Durham Lords season with a 68-62 loss on Saturday at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre.

The first half was tightly contested, with neither side leading by more than five at any given point. After a 21-21 tie through the opening 10 minutes, both offences slightly cooled off in the second quarter but still kept it tight as the Lords trailed 36-35 heading into halftime.

Coming out for the third quarter, the Royals were able to create some separation after going perfect on seven free throw opportunities to lead by five heading into the final frame.

Durham's defence were able to hold Redeemer to a game-low 15 points in the fourth quarter, however they could not find the spark they needed offensively to close the gap and ultimately lost 68-62.

Daija Thompson (Whitby, ON) ended the afternoon with 22 points, a pair of rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block. Brianna Morrison (Oshawa, ON) was not far behind with 16 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Onika Leveridge (Scarborough, ON) was a force in the paint, grabbing 12 rebounds. She also set up scoring chances on numerous occasions, registering seven assists.

Entering the qualifying stage with a 12-2 record, the Lords had only lost this season to an undefeated Algonquin Wolves side. With their regular season success, they entered the qualifiers ranked 15th in the nation.

The Lords shift their focus to training for the 2023-24 season and the coaches continue their efforts on the recruiting trail.