Women's basketball: Praise the Paladins; RMC ends 128-game streak

People had been saying the RMC Paladins were on the precipice of finally winning an OUA women's basketball win, in their sixth season in the OUA.

Well, they did it tonight, beating York 64-61, on the road, no less. One can only imagine what it feels like for coach Brad Schur and his players, from the fourth-year players such as Anna Dupuis and Julie-Christine Lasalle, 34-year-old masters student Sharlene Harding (the team's leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points) and the rookies with the youthful enthusiasm, including a pair from the Ottawa area, Samantha Bayne and Abby Edmison. (Bayne was a standout at St. Paul, a perennial qualifier for Ontario's Double-A championship.)

Harding had 25 points and 12 rebounds on 12-of-21 shooting. Edmison added 14 and 10.

RMC has taken their lumps over the past five seasons. There have been some ugly scores — 80-22 vs. McMaster last season, 107-41 vs. Laurentian — and people, with some justification, have questioned their place in the university loop. The only regret is they couldn't have pulled off a win when they had Jennifer D'Onofrio, who pound for pound, was the toughest player in the OUA over her time in Paladins scarlet and white. She played power forward at about 5-foot-6.

York was a little ripe for the taking, since the Lions have had a bit of a lost season, going 4-14 after winning the OUA East the past seasons. RMC capitalized. Let's hope there is more where tonight's win came from. Thanks to Kingston Whig-Standard sports editor Mike Koreen for sending word.