The OSBA has three incredible matchups in both the Men’s and Women’s divisions this week. To kick things off, the Royal Crown Lions take on J. Addison School in the Women’s East Division on Tuesday afternoon. Later that night, Bill Crothers S.S. takes on Crestwood Preparatory College in a Men’s East Division battle. The Game of the Week (GOTW) schedule concludes with another thrilling showdown in the Women’s East Division as the top two seeds, Capital Courts Academy and Royal Crown, face off on Saturday night in Scarborough.
Royal Crown enters the game at 6-1 and is ranked No. 2 in the East. The Lions have maintained their momentum recently. They beat Bill Crothers S.S., 78-46, last Tuesday and defeated Séminaire St. François, 64-48, on Sunday in Grind Session Canada action. Crown forward Yohana Fami took home player of the game honours against St. François for her 17-point, 10-rebound, and three-assist performance. Fami continues to be a driving force in the Lions' offence and sits seventh in the most recent OSBA Women’s MVP watch list.
J. Addison School holds a 4-4 record and is ranked No. 3 in the East, just behind Royal Crown. The team is coming off tough back-to-back losses against Capital Courts Academy and Louis- Riel but has a chance to bounce back against Royal Crown. J. Addison possesses star power of its own in Sienna P. Thomas, who is currently ranked No. 5 on the OSBA Women’s MVP watch list. Averaging 15.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, Thomas has been key on offence, a role that will be crucial against a strong opponent like Crown. This match up will be a banner night for J. Addison as they celebrate last year’s Trillium division Championship title.
The Colts enter Tuesday’s matchup at 4-5, ranked No. 3 in the East. Bill Crothers is coming off a tough loss last week, falling to Ridley College, 103-73. However, the Colts had an opportunity to bounce back over the weekend in Grind Session Canada action, beating Oakville Prep, 92-77. Bill Crothers guard Jacob McGregor took home Player of the Game honours against Oakville for his 24-point performance in the win. McGregor has been outstanding for the Colts this season, averaging 30.1 points per game and placing him at No. 1 on the OSBA Men’s MVP watch list. This type of production will be necessary to beat a team like Crestwood, which has been tough on defence lately.
Crestwood holds a 3-4 record and is ranked No. 4 in the East, aiming to move ahead of Bill Crothers in the division with a win. After delivering Royal Crown its first loss of the season, Crestwood fell to J. Addison in its next game to drop back below .500. Tonight’s game offers a chance to get back in the win column against another competitor in the East Division. Christopher Tshibola has been the heartbeat for Crestwood on offense this season, as the guard currently averages 22.8 points per game and 4.0 assists, placing him at No. 2 on the MVP watch list. Tshibola had 16 points in the win against Royal Crown and will have to be productive again if Crestwood hopes to take down Bill Crothers.
This matchup will have no shortage of offensive star-power, with the No. 1 and No. 2 players from the OSBA Men’s MVP watch list going head-to-head.
Capital Courts Academy (CCA) enters Saturday’s matchup with an undefeated 7-0 record, ranked No. 1 in the East. The team has dominated its opponents this season, winning those seven games by an average margin of 41.6 points. CCA continues to be a championship contender and is one of only two teams undefeated in OSBA Women’s action this season. Leading the charge is point guard Jahda Denis, who has been efficient on both ends of the floor. As a facilitator on offence, Denis is averaging 4.5 assists per game and is ranked fifth in the league. On defence, she averages 3.8 steals per game and ranks seventh in the league.
Royal Crown holds a 6-1 record and is ranked No. 2 in the East, just behind Capital Courts. The Lions’ only loss of the season came in a hard-fought 83-77 defeat against CCA, which still stands as the smallest margin of victory for Capital Courts. A win in this matchup would be crucial for Crown’s hopes of closing the gap in the standings, as both teams would move to 7-1 if Crown secures the victory. Notably, in the first matchup, Royal Crown was on the road. The Lions have been undefeated at home this season and now get a chance for redemption with their home crowd behind them.
Saturday’s game is a crucial matchup for both teams as they vie for the top spot in the Women’s East Division. Can Royal Crown hand the league leader its first loss of the season, or will Capital Courts stay on top and beat them for the second time this season?
These GOTW matchups feature top teams across both the Men’s and Women’s divisions battling for playoff contention. Fans and supporters are encouraged to tune in to OSBA TV on YouTube to catch all the action live.