Shoot for the Cure event comes to Guelph this Saturday
 
This Saturday's game between the Guelph Gryphons women's basketball team and the visiting Brock Badgers will also play part of the annual Shoot for the Cure event.  A ceremonial tip off will take place at 1:00 p.m.

Guelph comes into Saturday's game looking to make a late season surge to earn a playoff spot, but will be in tough against the CIS #9 Badgers. The Gryphons are 6-9 on the season and the last time these two teams played the Badgers earned the win.  
 
Guelph currently leads the league in free-throws made and attempted, as well as sitting 2nd in blocked shots per game, in large part due to the efforts of fourth year starters Jasmine Douglas (Guelph, Ont.) and Samantha Russell (Paradise Valley, AZ). Ali Dzikowski(Brantford, Ont.) continues to lead Guelph in scoring averaging 12.7 points per game. Guelph will need to watch their turnovers if they hope to keep up with the unrelenting Badgers.
 
Brock enters the game looking to put a strangle hold on their playoff aspirations. Nicole Rosenkranz leads a balanced scoring attack, averaging 12.7 points while grabbing a team high 7.1 rebounds per game. Emily McKay, the Badgers do-everything guard, has continued to be a guiding force for both the offense and defence, averaging 10.3 points and two steals per game.
 
Now in its fourth year, the fundraising initiative organized by the CIS Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) helps to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and other related cancer charities.

The Shoot for the Cure campaign has proven to be an overwhelming success in its first three years with just under a quarter of a million dollars in donations.

All donations received at the game will go to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

At the 2010 CIS championship last March in Hamilton, the WBCA presented a cheque for $94,650 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, surpassing the $81,512 collected in 2008-09 and $50,320 in the initiative's inaugural season in 2007-08.

In addition to these impressive totals, $21,064 was amassed over the past two years by schools that elected to donate their fundraised money to local cancer organizations.

Events as part of the Shoot for the Cure campaign have been taking place across the CIS throughout the year at regular season games, non-conference matches, tournaments and other special events.

"Our Shoot For The Cure initiative is back for a fourth year and we are excited to try to reach our goal of raising $100,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation," stated UNB head coach and Shoot for the Cure project manager, Jeff Speedy. "We are also going to work very hard to get every single CIS women's basketball team to participate. We believe we can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer and are excited to get back to work."

The fundraising initiative was the brainchild of Rod Gilpin, the long-time bench boss of the Bishop's women's program now in his third season as head coach of the Gaiters' men's team.

In total, more than 35 events will be held throughout the league to raise money for Shoot for the Cure this season.

With files from Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS)