CONSOLATION FINAL: CIS championship: Capers crush Laval, finish fifth

Photo credit Michael P. Hall / Written by Robert Hilson
 
HAMILTON (CIS) – Three-time all-Canadian Kelsey Hodgson capped off her exceptional university career with a 37-point performance to lead the No. 6-seeded Cape Breton Capers to a convincing 86-49 win over the No. 5 Laval Rouge et Or in the consolation final for fifth place of the CIS women’s basketball championship, Sunday morning, at McMaster University’s Burridge Gym.
 
Championship web site (complete stats): http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb
 
Atlantic conference Cape Breton was defeating Quebec champion Laval in the CIS fifth-position duel for the second straight year. The Capers prevailed 67-56 a year ago in Regina.
 
Hodgson, a forward from Fredericton, has led the nation in scoring each of the past two seasons, including a 22-point-per-game average in 2009-10. The two-time AUS MVP had 24 at the half and 36 after three quarters against Laval as she finished 12-for-20 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free throw line en route to Cape Breton player-of-the-game honours.
 
Fellow graduating senior Karmen Brown of Calgary added 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in the win, while Kari Everett of Stilesville, N.B., tallied 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
The Capers shot a sizzling 62.1% from the floor in the first half and finished with a 57.9% success rate. They led 20-14 after the opening quarter, 46-30 at the half and 69-46 after 30 minutes of play.
 
Cape Breton put an exclamation point on its domination in the fourth frame outscoring their QSSF rivals 17-3 and holding Laval scoreless for the first 6:53 of the period.
 
“Offensively and defensively we maintained focus,” said 11-year Cape Breton head coach Fabian McKenzie. “We had two fifth-year kids that were going to end with a bang and they did it well.”
 
Laval received 11 points apiece from second-team all-Canadian Chanelle St-Amour of Montreal and Élyse Jobin of Moncton, N.B., both sophomore guards. Jobin was named Rouge et Or game MVP.
 
Graduating senior Myriam Lamarre of Quebec City finished her CIS career with six points, four rebounds and one steal in 31 minutes of court time.
 
“We had a ton of turnovers early on and they built a quick 15-point lead, and we never recovered,” said Linda Marquis, in her 25th season leading the Rouge et Or. “We’ll just have to forget this one.”
 
NOTES: Cape Breton returns to Sydney, N.S., with a 2-1 CIS championship record including a 70-54 loss to No. 3 Saskatchewan in the quarter-final round and a 65-59 win over No. 7 Ottawa in the consolation semifinals... Laval returns to Quebec City with a 1-2 mark including a 69-54 opening-round loss to No. 4 Regina and a 66-58 victory over No. 8 McMaster on Saturday...
 
STAT LEADERS
 
Cape Breton
Points: Kelsey Hodgson (37), Karmen Brown (18), Kari Everett (14)
Rebounds: Kari Everett (9), Karmen Brown (6), Stephanie Toxopeus (6)
Assists: Jahlicon Kirnon (4), Karmen Brown (4)
 
Russell Athletics player of the game: Kelsey Hodgson
 
Laval
Points: Élyse Jobin (11), Chanelle St-Amour (11), Marie-Michelle Genois (8)
Rebounds: Ève Marquis-Poulin (5), Myriam Lamarre (4)
Assists: Marie-Pascale Nadeau (3)
 
Russell Athletics player of the game: Élyse Jobin
 
SCHEDULE & RESULTS
 
Friday, March 12
 
Quarter-final #1: Windsor 64, Ottawa 46
Quarter-final #2: Saskatchewan 70, Cape Breton 54
Quarter-final #3: Simon Fraser 94, McMaster 76
Quarter-final #4: Regina 69, Laval 54
 
Saturday, March 13
 
Consolation #1: Cape Breton 65, Ottawa 59
Consolation #2: Laval 66, McMaster 58
Semifinal #1: Windsor 82, Saskatchewan 60
Semifinal #2: Simon Fraser 69, Regina 55
 
Sunday, March 14 
 
Consolation final (5th place): Cape Breton 86, Laval 49
12:00 Bronze medal: No. 3 Saskatchewan vs. No. 4 Regina (Cable 14 & SSN Canada)
15:00 Championship final: No. 2 Windsor vs. No. 1 Simon Fraser (TSN2)
 
 
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