Basketball fans had quite a day of entertainment to kick-start the 2024 Canadian Colleges Athletic Conference (CCAA) Women's Basketball Championship at Lakeland College on Wednesday. Incredible hustle, athleticism and shot making were on display, while each of the victors made it clear they have gold in mind for the week's end in Lloydminster.

Match 1 - Lambton Lions 76 - TKU Eagles 67

The opening game of the tournament featured the Ontario Colleges Athletic Conference champion Lambton Lions facing off against the King's Eagles from Alberta. Early in the first quarter, the Eagles proved valiant on the defensive end, shutting down the Lions' offence and keeping them to the perimeter. Entering the second quarter, both teams called timeouts to regroup, but the Lions closed the Eagle's lead and brought themselves ahead with moments left in the second quarter.

This exciting back-and-forth continued throughout the third quarter, with the Lions using a full-court press to their advantage, helping them secure the lead moving into the fourth quarter. Remaining patient and using offensive opportunities as they presented themselves, Lambton ended the game victorious with a score of 76-67.

The player of the game from the Eagles was #19 Aneilia Ayotte; she helped create opportunities by getting 14 rebounds and scoring 26 points. The POG for the Lions was #11 Breanna Pretty, who led all scorers with 28 points.

The Eagles will move on to play in Game 5, the Bronze quarter-final, tomorrow at 1:00 PM MDT, Lambton punched their ticket to Game 7, the first Semi-final tomorrow at 6:00 PM MDT. 

Match 2 - Géants de Saint-Jean 67 - Douglas Royals 54

There was high energy amongst both teams to start the 3:00 PM quarterfinal matchup between the Géants de Saint-Jean from Québec and the PACWest winning Douglas Royals from British Columbia. The Géants strong defense allowed them to take advantage of offensive opportunities and develop a lead early in the first quarter, 26-12. Douglas was looking for an opportunity to gain momentum leading into the second quarter, which began with a strong push back from the Royals hitting key shots from the three-point line, bringing them within 8 points of the Géants. Saint-Jean answered right back, holding their lead at 39-28 heading into the half.

The third quarter saw the Royals score first with the Géants following suit shortly after. #14 Elisabeth Duchemin from Saint-Jean secured two 3 pointers to bring the lead to 17 points. Despite the valiant effort of the Royals late, the Géants maintained their lead to take the win 67-54.

The player of the game for the Royals was #23 Mackenzie Dalphond who held her own under the rim to come away from the match leading her team in scoring. The POG for the Géants was Duchemin, who was critical coming off the bench in making 4/7 attempts from the 3pt line to secure her team's victory.

The Douglas Royals will face the King's Eagles in the bronze quarter-final tomorrow at 1:00 PM, while Geants de Saint-Jean move forward on the gold side of the bracket against Lambton tomorrow at 6:00 PM MDT.

Match 3 - Lakeland Rustlers 96 - Okanagan Coyotes 55

The first home game for the undefeated hosts and Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Champions, the Lakeland College Rustlers, saw them come up against the wildcard Okanagan Coyotes from British Columbia. With the gym at capacity, the home crowd was electric as Lakeland won the jump ball. Okanagan scored the first points of the game, while pressure was being put on the opposing team by both squads. Scoring opportunities were reduced because of strong rebounding from both teams throughout the first half. The Rustlers led into the second quarter but saw push back from the Coyotes in the opening minutes. The Rustlers went on to hit back-to-back threes, spreading the score once again at the half. 

At the start of the third Okanagan had key players that worked under the rim to generate scoring opportunities. The Rustlers continued to make perimeter shots to keep momentum in their favor. Moving into the fourth quarter, Lakeland had secured a 34-point lead. A final score of 96-55 saw the Rustlers victorious over the Coyotes. 

The player of the game for the Coyotes was #23, Elizabeth Henne; she established herself as a strong force under the rim with 10 rebounds and 17 points. The POG for the Rustlers was #21, Caitlin Shillabeer; making her mark on the score sheet with 19 points, 12 of which came from the three-point line. 

The Okanagan Coyotes move to Game 6 tomorrow, where they will play in the bronze quarter-final at 6:00 PM MDT. The Lakeland Rustlers secured their spot in Game 8, the second semi-final, tomorrow at 8:00 PM MDT.

Match 4 - Champlain St-Lambert Cavaliers 81 - UKC Blue Devils 45

In the last game of the opening day of competition for the CCAA Women's Basketball National Championship, the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association (ACAA) champion UKC Blue Devils from Nova Scotia matched up against the winners of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), the Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers.​​ Saint-Lambert took an uncontested 17-0 lead early in the opening frame. The Blue Devils called a timeout early to regroup, enabling them to stack points late in the quarter. The Blue Devils come into the second with some push back, but the Cavaliers play remained too strong, leading at the half 52-18. 

Defensive pressure in the third quarter made for limited scoring opportunities for both teams and the Cavaliers increased their lead to secure the win at 81-45. 

The player of the game for the Blue Devils was #8 Andrea Hebert; a key defensive player securing 8 rebounds for the team, coupled with 10 points. The POG for the Cavaliers was #4 Denae Skelton; she finished the game with 20 points, with 18 of her points coming from the three-point line.

The UKC Blue Devils will move on to play the Okanagan Coyotes in the bronze quarter-final Thursday March 14th at 3:00 PM MDT. The Ch. Saint-Lambert Cavaliers secured their spot in the second semi-final against the Lakeland Rustlers at 8:00 PM MDT.

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