Final CIS Western Regional: Laurier advances to CIS Final 8 with win over Cougars

Photo credit Jamie Wilson

REGINA (CIS) – Wilfrid Laurier’s women’s basketball team advanced to the Final Eight after defeating the Regina Cougars by an 82-67 score on Saturday night in the CIS West Regional final at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

CIS championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb

The first half was an incredibly close back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than four points at any point during the opening 20 minutes. Laurier’s Mallory Kohlmeier led all scorers with 14 points through the first two quarters, which featured 11 lead changes and seven tied scores.

All that changed in the second half, as Laurier – which had shot just 24% from the field in the first quarter – suddenly couldn’t miss. The Golden Hawks went on a 14-4 run over a span of just 2:36 early in the third quarter to build up a 13-point lead and led by as many as 17.

Kohlmeier scored 10 points in the third alone, as Wilfrid Laurier went 4-for-5 from three-point land, shot 59% from the field, and outscored the hometown Cougars by a 27-15 margin in the quarter.

Down 17 again early in the fourth quarter, the Cougars mounted a rally with nine consecutive points to slice the deficit back down to single digits. A long three-pointer by Carly Graham brought the Cougars to within eight with just under three minutes left, but Wilfrid Laurier scored the game’s final seven points to become just the second team to hand Regina a home loss this season.

Kohlmeier added a late free throw to give her a game-high 25 for the Golden Hawks, while Christa Mancino chipped in with 21. Kimberly Yeldon, who played just two minutes during Friday’s regional semifinal against UQAM, scored 14 and added seven rebounds in 18 minutes on the floor for Laurier.

Lindsay Ledingham led the Cougars with 16 points, while Graham had 13 and Joanna Zalesiak scored 11 to go along with a game-high seven assists.

Both teams will now await Sunday’s announcement from the CIS, which will determine where Wilfrid Laurier is seeded in next week’s Final Eight and which team will be the recipient of the available at-large berth.

The Cougars, Carleton, and Western Ontario – all losers of regional finals on Saturday – will be among the teams considered for the at-large berth.
 
STAT LEADERS

Wilfrid Laurier
Points: Mallory Kohlmeier (25), Christa Mancino (21), Kimberley Yeldon (14)
Rebounds: Renata Adamczyk (8), Mancino (8)
Steals: Adamczyk (6)

Regina
Points: Lindsay Ledingham (16), Carly Graham (13), Joanna Zalesiak (11)
Rebounds: Danielle Schmidt (6)
Assists: Joanna Zalesiak (7)

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (Central Standard Time)

Friday, March 11
18:15 Semifinal #1: Regina 83, Victoria 73
20:00 Semifinal #2: Wilfrid Laurier 61, UQAM 51

Saturday, March 12
19:00 Final: Wilfrid Laurier 82, Regina 67

-CIS-