VIU advances after electrifying clash with Dawson

Match 8 - VIU Mariners 76, Dawson College Blues 72

The final match of the day was highly anticipated, as the hometown crowd packed the gym to see their local heroes, the Mariners, play a very talented Blues team from Dawson.

The first quarter was a defensive battle, as nothing looked easy and nothing came easy for either team. They had to work for the points, and no plays were guaranteed to be successful. The second half upped this, as field goals were incredibly hard to come by for both teams, and fouls were plentiful. When both teams reached the bonus, the defenses broke down a bit more and shotmaking became more plentiful. Harriette Mackenzie found herself reaching the line consistently.

The third quarter was another display of excellence from both teams, with hard fought, gritty, tough defense being played by both teams. The Mariners had a bit of a gap to cover after trailing at the half, but their free throw shooting helped them push the needle and get within striking distance. The Blues did not make it easy however, as they fought to preserve their lead, demonstrating great rebounding and free throw shooting of their own. The fourth quarter was one of the most intense of the tournament so far, with shots being fired from all over the court, and several impressive blocks. The Mariners ultimately were able to edge out the Blues, taking advantage of the free throws they had to take down the stretch.

Player of the game representing the hometown crowd was Kayla Gregory, who came off the bench and scored a smooth 13 points to go alongside 7 boards. She exited the floor to chants of her name, as the Mariners faithful much appreciated her hustle and work ethic she showed all night. Dawson shooting guard Aicha Dia scored a massive 22 points, on over 50% shooting. A standout worth mentioning was Harriette Mackenzie, the first year player representing the Mariners who led both teams in scoring with 23, shooting 8 for 18. Mackenzie continues her tournament to remember, being named player of the game in the previous match.

The Mariners will build off this momentum going into the gold medal match, a match certain to pack the gym full of locals, families and VIU students. The Blues will move into the bronze semifinals match, hoping to make the final game of that bracket.

Match 7 - NAIT Ooks 84, MSVU Mystics 72

The first gold bracket semifinal game, and the third game of Saturday saw the NAIT Ooks and MSVU Mystics go head to head in a match that would determine who would be playing for gold on Sunday night. The match was high speed, and full of skill, emotion and toughness from its combatants.

The first quarter was a showcase of excellent team basketball from both sides. The Ooks took an early lead, but the Mystics quickly caught up with a burst of momentum that stemmed from forward Tahlia Jones’ perfectly timed steal and subsequent fastbreak points. The second quarter saw the pace speed up, with the transitional game from both sides being integral. The latter half of the quarter saw a few well executed three point shots, as well as MSVU forward Alisha McNeil impressively hitting a 3, stealing an inbound pass and executing a layup consecutively. Ooks guard Aliyah Johnson also put together a bit of a run herself, hitting 2 layups consecutively, getting a coast to coast basket and collecting an and 1 in the second half of the quarter.

The third quarter saw plenty of firepower and high speed action. If an audience member were to look away for a second, they would have missed a potentially game changing play. In the fourth quarter, free throw shooting was paramount, as the high levels of tension and emotion led to impactful foul calls down the stretch, which led to a high stakes bonus situation. Ultimately, the Ooks were able to show up in the fourth and keep their lead.

The players wearing number 8 on each team got to represent as players of the game. Ooks guard Aliyah Johnson was stellar, putting up 28 points on a staggering 12 for 17 shooting, to go alongside 6 boards and 5 assists to lead her team. A solid performance from Mystics player of the game, wing Katherine Khorovets kept them in the game late, as she put up 17 points off the bench shooting 6 for 12. The Ooks will play tomorrow evening in the gold medal game, while the Mystics will try to make Sunday’s bronze game.

Match 6 - Lakeland Rustlers 68, Humber College Hawks 55

The second match of the second day of tournament play saw the Lakeland Rustlers and the Humber College Hawks going at it for 40 minutes.

The first half saw Lakeland’s Rustlers hold their foot on the gas, making the most of the opportunities presented to them and dazzling their cheering section with highlight reel plays. Rustlers guard Hailey Somers and forward Bilge Topaloglu formed a great duo for Lakeland, each hitting clutch shots and executing the plays to perfection. Somers shot 6 for 7 from the field to finish the quarter with 13 points, while Topaloglu went 7 for 8 with 14. Guard Bethany Montebon was also a standout for the Rustlers, going coast to coast in one of the most impressive baskets of the tournament so far.

Even though the Rustlers maintained their dominance in the second half, the Hawks made sure they had to earn the win. Humber guard Nikki Ylagan drained some shots from deep to close the Lakeland lead, while All Canadian Miea Campbell-Johnson made her presence known on every play, notching 12 rebounds.

The Player of the Game representing the Lakeland Rustlers was Hailey Somers, who put up one of the most efficient and impactful performances of the tournament so far, shooting 7 for 8  with 15 points. Sharpshooter Nikki Ylagan’s 2nd half burst of offense got her the nod, as she made seven 3-point shots to lead her team with 21 points. Not to be overlooked was Rustlers forward Bilge Topaloglu, who built off her aforementioned excellent first half to lead both teams in scoring, with 24 points

The Lakeland Rustlers will move into the bronze semi-final bracket, as they hope to compete in the bronze medal game.

Match 5 - Champlain St. Lambert Cavaliers 76, Okanagan College Coyotes 71,

The opening match of the second day of action of the CCAA Women’s Basketball Nationals was filled with high energy plays, fast paced actions and unpredictable swings in momentum, with both teams getting a chance to showcase why they were among the best in the nation.

The first quarter was dictated by Champlain St. Lambert’s Cavaliers. The Cavaliers hit plenty of silky shots, and plays on both ends of the ball were well executed. A particularly impressive sequence came from Cavalier forward Darah Fleurgin, who drained a smooth shot and denied an Okanagan chance with a highlight reel block in succession.

The Coyotes displayed their resilience, ending the first half tied despite the cold start. Comebacks have been a bit of a theme for the Coyotes in the tournament, as their loss the day before saw them claw their way out of an early rut and put the game in reach, even though it ended in a loss. The third quarter saw the scoring taper off a bit, still ending tied at 47-47.

The stage was set for an intense fourth quarter, and the teams delivered. 3 point shots were being drained by both teams, with one sequence seeing the Cavaliers’ Chloe Oliver drain a stone cold shot, only to be answered by the Coyotes’ Natasha Alfonso mirroring it on the other end. In the end though, the Cavaliers’ clutch free throw shooting and big defensive stops allowed them to win the 4th quarter, and in turn, the game.

Player of the game for the Cavaliers was forward Caitlin Frost, who tallied an efficient 17 point, 11 rebound double double to lead the team. Paloma Niz represented the Coyotes as their player of the game, posting 16 points off the bench.

The Cavaliers look to build off this momentum heading into the bronze semifinal, as medalling is still very much in play for them.