Linking the country ...

Basketball

• Towering Windsor forward Jessica Gordon says she was never approached by her hometown team, the Western Mustangs. Windsor's height, with 6-foot-6 Gordon, 6-5 Iva Peklova, 6-3 Jessica Clemencon, and 6-2 Raelyn Prince ranks favourably with some NCAA D-1 teams. For instance, the No. 10 team in the AP poll, Texas A&M, doesn't have a player above 6-foot-3. (Windsor Star)
  
  
• Former Ryerson forward Ozren Opacic had a nice return to the OUA East, scoring 27 points in Queen's win over RMC. The Gaels scored 112 points, the first time they have hit a hundred since the OUA went to its current 16-team format in 2001-02.

Football

• The World team which meet Team USA later this month includes 17 CIS players: Acadia DB Cameron Wade, St. FX DB Dylan Hollohan, Saskatchewan RB Jeff Hassler, Concordia DL/LB Christian Walcott, Calgary RB Steven Lumbala, Laurier WR Alex Anthony, Saskatchewan OLs Ben Heenan, and Cam Redl, U of S DL Joel Seutter, Ottawa LB Tyler Sawyer, Ottawa DB Soonbum Cha, Western DB Scott Janz, Western DL David Lee, Western LBs Marcus Babic and Jerod McCrory, McMaster T Mike Sewell, McMaster CB Cody Lynch and Laval WR Adam Thibault.
  
  Worth noting: Saskatchewan and Western were the lone schools with four players selected. McMaster and Ottawa each had two (plus Ottawa native Tyler Crapigna was also selected.)
  
  The game will be broadcast Jan. 30 at 1 p.m. on NFL Network.
  

Hockey

• Nipissing coach Mike McParland, whose Lakers have lost eight in a row, was just stating the obvious when he said, "We're happy now because we're playing teams such as RMC, Queen's, Toronto and Ryerson, teams we have more of a chance to beat, teams that we are pretty even with as we showed earlier on in the season," but you wonder if that's bulletin-board material for opponents.
  
  Former Lakehead forward Nathan Breukelman has joined the Lakers, who now have 27 skaters on their roster. (North Bay Nugget)