A buzz circulated throughout the gym for about four minutes at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre on Friday night.
It came after Fleming College Knight guard Kelly Killoran sank her ninth three-point shot of the game with about that time remaining in the fourth quarter of what would be a 78-41 win over the Durham College Lords in OCAA women’s basketball action.
The win lifted the Knights to a 5-4 record at the close of this segment of the season with second half set to start near mid-January.
The reason for all the excitement was the long ball from the 24-year-old Sarnia native, in her second year at Fleming and a member of the Knights, tied the league record for most threes in a game. She sank eight earlier in the season and set the season mark of 56 last year ago, besting the previous mark of 45, when she was named a league all-star.
Despite the efforts of her teammates, who constantly tried to set her up in the final moments, where she had about five clear tries, the ball wouldn’t drop for the record 10th on 22 overall attempts. She finished with a team high 29 points.
“My teammates really helped me out by setting screens,” said Killoran, in her second and final year of Police Foundations at the college. “It has been a goal of mine and meant a lot to me to tie it. I felt badly because they were trying to get me the ball. I kept trying.”
A consolation for Killoran on Friday was she still has about the same number of games left in the second half of the campaign to take another run at it.
Killoran, whose other asset is her passing, said she began focussing on her shotmaking back in Grade 9 in high school in Sarnia when she was told she didn’t have height or speed and this would be her best attribute.
“It didn’t come naturally because I have worked hard at it and practice at it all the time,” she said.
“I work on a quick release and know my bearings.”
Despite her individual success last year and having another strong year this campaign, she still placed the emphasis on team.
“It was exciting but the main thing was we played well as a team and it was a full team effort (against Durham),” she said. “We have a strong group of girls.”
Killoran went to Carleton University for five years before switching to Fleming. She played three years for the university Ravens but didn’t get as much floor time.
“I came to Fleming because of the academics program and basketball,” Killoran said. “I like basketball because of the team aspect and I am a competitive person.”
Showing their depth as a team, Ruth Holland followed in the team scoring parade on the Knights with 18 points and Janel Lovell sank 13. They are the top three gunners on Fleming. Megan Savoy swished eight while Keriann Sullilvan led Durham with 15.
Fred Batley, Fleming coach with help from Andrew Ross and Kendra Killen, was impressed with the play of everyone, including Killoran.
“It was a great team effort,” he said. “It started with team defence. We are a good three-point shooting team and Kelly has a great shot. She has a nice touch on the ball and takes a lot of shots. I was hoping she would get it. We were all pulling for her. She is real student of the game and is passionate about it.”
Retrieved from The Peterborough Examiner (December 1st, 2012)
