The energy in the Lakeland College Gymnasium was amped up on Thursday at the 2024 Canadian Colleges Athletic Conference (CCAA) Women’s Basketball Championship. A pair of blowout victories and two hard fought semifinal bouts gave basketball fans plenty to cheer for.

Match 5 - TKU Eagles 80, Douglas Royals 47

The opening game of the second day of the CCAA basketball National Championship showcased the King’s University (TKU) Eagles facing off against the Douglas College Royals in the first bronze-quarterfinal. Both teams brought high energy and intensity into the first quarter as the score stayed close. The Royals needed both timeouts in the second quarter to try and gain some momentum, but the Eagles defense kept them at bay. Strong offensive patterns allowed for scoring opportunities on both ends, but TKU secured the lead with a score of 37-23 at the half. 

To start the second half, the Eagles went on a 7-point unanswered run leading to a timeout call for Douglas. The Royals responded by garnering a few steals to try to shift the game in their favour. The Eagles kept pressing and remained on top to finish the game victorious with a score of 80-47.

The player of the game for the Douglas Royals was #13 Sharlene Siy, who contributed offensively and defensively with 8 points and 4 rebounds. The POG for TKU was #13 Megan Aleman; she established herself as an all-around player in this match, putting up 13 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds.  

The Royals will play in the placement game Friday, March 15th, at 3:00 pm. The Eagles will move on to play in the bronze semi-final at 8:00 pm.

Match 6 - UKC Blue Devils 72, Okanagan Coyotes 56

CCAA women's basketball action continued with the second Bronze Quarter Final match between the UKC Blue Devils and the Okanagan Coyotes. Starting in the first quarter, each team established themselves as scoring threats. UKC capitalized on fast break opportunities, whereas Okanagan relied on offensive rebounding. The game remained close, going back and forth, until UKC called a timeout, giving them momentum to go on an unanswered 8-point run to end the half. The score after twenty minutes of play was 29-15 for UKC. 

UKC continued to bring energy into the second half, forcing Okanagan to make costly turnovers by pushing the game's pace. Both teams called all timeouts in the fourth quarter to regroup. The match ended with the Blue Devils and Coyotes shooting in bonus, shooting 75% and 63%, respectively, from the free throw line. The final score was 71-55 for UKC. 

The player of the game for Okanagan was #7 Ali Martineau; with 12 points and 5 rebounds for her team. The POG for the Blue Devils was #5 Jenna Bain; she led her team in scoring with 17 points and secured 7 steals. 

The Coyotes will face the King’s Eagles in the placement game on Friday, March 15th, at 3:00 pm, while UKC will play in the bronze semi-final at 6:00 pm.

Match 7 - Lambton Lions 62, Géants de St-Jean 47

In game seven of the CCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, the Géants de Saint-Jean faced off against the Lambton Lions. The semi-final started with even scoring, each team pushing the pace and utilizing their strengths. Into the second quarter, Géants tried timeouts to get momentum going their way, but it was the Lions who responded, scoring 12 points to the Géants 5. The score at the half was 31-23, Lambton.

At the start of the half, the Géants built momentum, pressuring the Lions and making offensive moves. Saint-Jean tied the game going into the fourth quarter, hitting a crucial 3-point shot and forcing turnovers. After a back-and-forth battle throughout the beginning of the fourth, the Lions pulled away, holding the Géants to 6 points in the quarter to win 62-47. 

The player of the game for the Géants de Saint-Jean was #10 Sophie-Anne Bouffard; she scored 14 points and secured 7 rebounds. The POG for the Lambton Lions was #8 Avery Bathe-Mindard; she was a key player in the Lions success coming off the bench, scoring 12 points. 

Saint-Jean will move on to the bronze semi-final on Friday, March 15th, at 6:00 PM MDT, where they will face the UKC Blue Devils. The Lambton Lions have punched their ticket to the Championship Final on Saturday, March 16th, at 6:00 PM MDT.

Match 8 - Lakeland Rustlers 64, Champlain St-Lambert Cavaliers 54

In the final game of Day Two Lakeland College Rustlers faced off against the Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers in the second semi-final of the CCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. A sold-out crowd was in a frenzy for several minutes before the opening jump ball. Both squads took the first quarter to settle into the game, while the second frame saw the Rustler's strong defense limit scoring chances for the Cavaliers, as the home side maintained their lead with a score of 31-22 at the half. 

Both teams continued to push back entering the second half, but Lakeland continued to pull ahead in the back half of the third quarter. The intensity increased in the fourth as the Rustlers barely held a ten-point lead over the Cavaliers. While Saint-Lambert outscored Lakeland in the fourth, it was not enough, as the lone unbeaten team in the CCAA took the contest by a score of 64-54. 

The player of the game for the Cavalier's was #21 Caitlin Frost, earning 18 points and 10 rebounds for her team. The POG for the Lakeland Rustlers was #11 Hailey Somers, leading her team to qualify for the gold medal game with 21 points.

Ch. Saint-Lambert will move on to the bronze semi-final on Friday, March 15th, at 6:00 PM MDT, where they face off against the King’s Eagles. The Lakeland Rustlers have secured their spot in the Championship Final on Saturday, March 16th, at 6:00 pm MDT, where they will play against the Lambton Lions for the opportunity to claim national gold.

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