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CIS women's basketball Saturday roundup: Gee-Gees claim OUA title; UBC breaks Cougars' streak to take Canada West title
| StFX | 66 | Acadia | 70 | Final | |
| AUS semifinal 1 | |||||
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ANTIGONISH - The sixth seeded StFX X-Women came up just short in their bid for the 2012 Subway AUS Championship game Saturday evening in Antigonish, NS, losing to the first seeded Acadia Axewomen 70-66 in semi-final action. The Axewomen advance to Sunday’s championship game where they will face the second seeded Cape Breton Capers. Acadia received great contributions from three of their top performers in the regular season. Stephanie Chapman poured in a game high 20 points for the Axewomen, while Kristy Moore and Emma Duinker also had strong showings, collecting 15 points apiece. Chapman was named Subway AUS Player of the game, collecting 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in the victory. AUS Rookie of the Year Vanessa Pickard had a team high 17 points for the X-Women, along with three rebounds, three assists and one block as she was named the Subway AUS Player of the Game for StFX. Donisha Young collected 14 points and three rebounds, and Jocelyn Moore scored 10 points to provide secondary scoring for the blue and white. The X-Women started the game very strong and continued the momentum they gained from a quarter- final victory over Memorial the previous night, establishing a 14-10 lead after the first quarter. The hometown X-Women fans played a crucial part in the opening surge, as the X-Women were hitting timely shots. The seventh ranked team in the country would not go away however, as the Axewomen pressed and pressed and kept the second quarter tight, as both teams squared off with 16 points each in the second frame. The X-Women were able to hold the fourth ranked scorer in the AUS conference, Emma Duinker to only two points in the first half as the score stood at 30-26 for the blue and white at half-time. The second half started out with a lot of intensity, as it was a ping-pong matchup with both teams going basket for basket trying to get the edge. Emma Duinker started to pick up the pace for the Axewomen, but she was matched by the resilient play of Vanessa Pickard as the two scorers began to put on a show. Acadia narrowly edged the X-Women in scoring 22-21 in the third quarter as the score was very tight at 51-48 in StFX’s favor after three quarters. The Axewomen proved why they were the top team in the AUS conference in the fourth quarter, as they outscored the X-Women 22-15 and were able to squeeze out a narrow 70-66 victory in a game that went right down to the wire. The X-Women ran out of time and real estate in the final seconds of the game, due to smothering defense from the Axewomen. Looking at the numbers, The Axewomen shot 35.8% from field goal range, 21.4% from the three point line and 79.2% from the free throw line. The X-Women were 34.8% from field goal range, 30.0% from three point range and 60.0% from the free throw line. The X-Women’s Cinderella run came to an end Saturday evening, as they were eliminated with the loss to the Axewomen, who move on to Sunday’s Subway AUS championship game against the second seeded Cape Breton Capers. The Capers defeated the sixth seeded Dalhousie Tigers 71-66 in the second semi-final game. Tomorrow’s championship game can be viewed at www.ssncanada.ca, tip-off is at 2:00 pm. Source: StFX Sports Info
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| Brock | 58 | Carleton | 51 | Final - OT | Box Score |
| OUA bronze | |||||
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OTTAWA - More than just pride was at stake at the OUA women’s basketball bronze medal game, as the Brock Badgers and the Carleton Ravens battled for a guaranteed spot into the CIS regionals round. A back-and-forth match ensued, with the Badgers leading by just one point heading into the final quarter of play. And in the end, Brock managed to win in a 58-51 overtime upset. The game got off to a slow start as both teams struggled to get into a rhythm on offence. With neither team shooting well, the Ravens relied on their free throw shooting to take an early 4-0 lead in the game. The Badgers were the first team to wake up on the offensive end, as good ball movement and a solid transition game gave Brock an 18-10 lead after the first quarter. Brock forwards Andrea Polischuk (Brantford, Ont.) and Nicole Rosenkranz (Niagara Falls, Ont.) contributed with multiple baskets in the paint. But the nationally fifth-ranked Ravens squad didn’t back down, as they started the second quarter on a 11-4 run to cut the deficit to just one point by the five minute mark of the frame. Carleton forward Ashleigh Cleary (Kemptville, Ont.) led the Ravens’ charge with 10 points in the first half, but the Badgers still had a four-point lead at the intermission. Brock shot 39 per cent in the first 20 minutes of play, while the Ravens countered with 29 per cent shooting from the field. Just a few minutes into the third quarter, Carleton guard Alyson Bush (Ottawa, Ont.) suddenly caught fire, as she scored eight straight points by herself to give the Ravens their first lead since early in the first quarter. A late basket and a free throw by Brock guard Kayla Santilli (Brantford, Ont.) meant that the Badgers would have a slim 43-42 lead at the end of three quarters. The defensive struggle continued into the fourth quarter, as the two teams were tied at 46 with just over four minutes left in the game. With less than a minute to go, Carleton forward Genavieve Melatti (Brampton, Ont.) split her free throw attempts, giving the Ravens a 50-48 advantage. With her team on the brink of defeat, Brock guard Emily McKay (Toronto, Ont.) drove to the hoop for a crucial lay-up, forcing overtime. And in the extra session, McKay hit another big lay-up, to put the Badgers ahead for good. Brock’s Samantha deJong was named the player of the match after leading her team with 12 points and nine boards. The game will be available on Rogers Cable 22 tape delay, starting at approximately 10:30 p.m. tomorrow night. Source: Ottawa Sports Info |
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| UFV | 65 | Saskatchewan | 71 | Final | Box Score |
| Canada West bronze | |||||
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REGINA – The Saskatchewan Huskies
finished third at the Canada West Final Four after holding off
Fraser Valley for a 71-65 victory on Saturday night at the Centre
for Kinesiology, Health & Sport on the campus of the University
of Regina. Source: Regina Sports Info
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| Dalhousie | 61 | Cape Breton | 77 | Final | Box Score |
| AUS semifinal 2 | |||||
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ANTIGONISH, N.S. - The second seeded Cape Breton Capers were able to prove their worth Saturday evening in Antigonish, NS, defeating the sixth seeded Dalhousie Tigers by a 77-61 final score in Subway AUS Women’s basketball semi-final action at the Oland Center. AUS conference MVP Cassie Cooke continued her excellent season, scoring a game high 21 points to pace the Capers. The Tigers were the team who came to play in the opening half, as they wanted to prove all of their doubters wrong and continue to take down teams ahead of them in the standings, coming off an 80-53 win the night before over the third place Huskies. Dalhousie played very strong defense and were able to hold the Capers to only 10 points in the first quarter as they led 12-10 after ten minutes of play. The second quarter was much of the same for the Tigers, as they continued to hold the Capers to limited opportunities and force turnovers as they held a 15-12 point edge in the second quarter. The score was 27-22 in favor of the Tigers at halftime as they were looking like a serious threat to upset Cape Breton. The rest at halftime was the best thing that could have happened for the Capers, as they regrouped mentally and showed why they were the second best team in the AUS conference this season. The Capers outscored the Tigers in convincing fashion, 31-12 in the third frame, which included timely three pointers from Tanira McClurkin and Cassie Cooke. Cape Breton took the lead and were up 53-39 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was closer, but the Capers still held the edge while outscoring the Tigers 24-22. Ultimately the third quarter was the Tigers un-doing as the high scoring offense of the Capers proved to be too much to handle. The final score was 77-61 for the Capers. Stephanie Toxopeus was the Subway AUS Player of the Game for Cape Breton as she collected 18 points, and 14 rebounds. Cooke scored 21 points and had five rebounds and nine assists, while Jahlica Kirnon contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of steals for Cape Breton. Courtney Thompson was named the Subway AUS Player of the Game for the Tigers as she racked in a team high 17 points and also had two rebounds and two steals. Keisha Brown provided secondary scoring for the Tigers, totalling 15 points and five rebounds. Looking at the numbers, the Capers shot 37.7% from field goal range, 44.4% from the three point line and 61.1% from the free throw line. The Tigers were 37.5% from field goal range, 0% from three point range and 52.0% from the free throw line. The second seeded Cape Breton Capers move on to face the top seeded Acadia Axewomen in the Subway AUS championship game Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm in Antigonish, NS. Source: StFX Sports Info
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| Windsor | 40 | Ottawa | 89 | Final | Box Score |
| OUA final | |||||
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OTTAWA - For the third time in four years, uOttawa and Windsor’s women’s basketball teams met in the OUA championship game, with the provincial title on the line. In the 2009 championship game, Windsor won 68-51, while in 2010, the Gee-Gees were soundly defeated on home court, 83-55. On March 3, it was time for the Gee-Gees to return the favour, as Ottawa won their first OUA women’s basketball title since the 2003–04 season. And the Gee-Gees won in an unexpected 89-40 blowout as uOttawa dominated their rivals in every facet of the game. Ottawa was ranked sixth in the CIS coming into the game, while Windsor was ranked second. Windsor, the defending CIS champions, will have one last chance to qualify for the CIS Final 8, via the CIS regionals. “We’ve had a couple of good starts like that this year. But I think this is the first time we’ve maintained what we started. We played 40 minutes of solid basketball with everybody contributing, and there was no one player that was the dominant player,” said Gee-Gees head coach Andy Sparks. “It was definitely a team contribution. It’s what we’ve been looking for.” Rookie point guard Kellie Ring (Ottawa, Ont.) helped the Gee-Gees get off to a quick start as she scored on Ottawa’s first two offensive possessions. After fifth-year centre Hannah Sunley-Paisley (Toronto, Ont.) scored to stretch the lead to 6-0, Windsor was forced to take a timeout, less than three minutes into the match. But the Gee-Gees’ run did not stop there as fourth-year forward Jenna Gilbert (Ottawa, Ont.) and fifth-year forward Bess Lennox (Ottawa, Ont.) hit back-to-back treys to stretch the lead to 12-0. After Windsor finally responded with a three-point play, Gilbert scored five more points, including another three-pointer. The six-foot-tall forward hit three treys in the first quarter alone, as Ottawa took a 28-12 lead after one. Ottawa’s dominant start continued into the second quarter, as the Gee-Gees stretched the lead to 23 points midway through the frame. With Sunley-Paisley on the bench, Lennox and fifth-year guard Teddi Firmi (Kitchener, Ont.) led the way for the Garnet and Grey on offence. The two crafty veterans made a big difference on the defensive end as well, and Windsor struggled to get good shot attempts. At halftime, the Gee-Gees held a commanding 46-16 lead, and limited Windsor to 15 per cent shooting from the field. The Gee-Gees did not let up after the intermission, as Ottawa scored the first eight points of the third quarter, ending any hopes of a Windsor comeback. Another Gee-Gee three-pointer, this time by second-year guard Laura-Émilie Cyr (Montreal, Qué), increased Ottawa’s cushion to 42 points, late in the quarter. uOttawa put the final touches on an OUA gold medal victory in the fourth quarter, with Ring providing a bulk of the offence. With the final result no longer in doubt, the Gee-Gees inserted some of their younger players into the game, and they performed just as well as their more experienced teammates. Fans at Montpetit Hall began to celebrate; the Gee-Gees had won their first championship banner of the 2011–12 varsity season. “Going into Calgary, it’s so good to know that my team can dominate with me on the bench. It was awesome to watch. To beat the reigning national champions like that, it makes me feel like we can go all the way,” said Sunley-Paisley. “It’s an awesome way to go out. The only thing better than this would be to win nationals.” The game will be available on Rogers Cable 22 tape delay, starting at 9 p.m. tomorrow night. Ottawa will now play host to the CIS East regionals, next weekend. Source: Ottawa Sports Info
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| UBC | 78 | Regina | 59 | Final | |
| Canada West final | |||||
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REGINA – The UBC Thunderbirds survived a mid-game surge by
the No. 1-ranked Regina Cougars and claimed the Canada West
women’s basketball championship with a 78-59 win on Saturday
night at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport. Source: Regina Sports Info |
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