varsity news
News Release
Durham Lords Media Release
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Lords Women’s Basketball Land Top Recruits
Oshawa, ON – Durham College women’s basketball head coach Tim Baulk (ChPC) unveiled the Lords recruiting class for the 2008-09 season, with three standout athletes set to join the team for next season.
Ready to suit up for Durham next season will be Venice Watson (Toronto, ON) and Nytasha Galick (Shelbourne, ON) after graduating high school. Transferring to Durham College will be Oshawa native Natasha McGann, who spent last season attending UOIT.
“I’m very pleased with this group of new players,” commented Baulk, who will be entering his second season as head coach of the Lords. “Adding this new group of players will allow us to improve our record and keep competitive in the tough East Region for years to come.”
Venice Watson joins the Lords after an excellent high school career with Runnymede Collegiate Institute in Toronto. In four seasons with the Ravens as team captain, Watson was named team MVP following each year. She led her team to a number of tournament finals while assembling a 35-10 regular season record. In 2006-07, the Ravens went on to capture the TDSSAA championship and qualified for the semi-finals of the OFSAA Championship. Last season, the Ravens won the West District Tier II Championship where Watson was named the Most Valuable Player.
“We are very excited to have Venice join the team next season,” said Baulk. “She shows tremendous ability that will help us in our run and gun style of play. She also exhibits excellent leadership qualities which will help us on and off the court.”
Joining Watson in the green and gold next season will be Oshawa native Natasha McGann. Transferring into the police foundations program from UOIT, McGann is eagerly waiting to get back onto the court after taking a year off. She starred at Haliburton High School where she was named the team’s MVP, leading the team as captain as well as on the scoresheet. In 2007, she earned the Camp Olympia Leadership award and guided her team to the Kawartha AA Championship.
“Natasha is a true scorer who will make an immediate impact in the OCAA,” stated Baulk. “Basketball fans should expect her to bring the same excitement to Durham next season as she did throughout high school.”
Baulk also sees improvement on the defensive end of the floor with the addition of Nytasha Galick. With her coaches throughout her club and high school career emphasizing the fundamentals and importance of defense, Baulk will try and translate that into success at the collegiate level and turn the Lords defense into one the best in the province. Galick is familiar with every position on the court which will help out with the team’s depth, something which was lacking in Baulk’s lineup during his first year as head coach.
Baulk added, “This is one of the finest recruiting classes Durham College has had in years. The potential the team has for success is tremendous with the combination of these great athletes and last season’s returning athletes. It will be an exciting season no doubt.”
The team is continuing to work hard during the off-season in preparation for the regular season. In his second year on the bench, it looks as if Baulk has put together a championship contender with the goal of bringing back a provincial title, a feat Durham has only accomplished once which was back in 1997. The 2008-09 schedule will be released later this month.
- 30 -
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca
