by Scott McLean, SFU Sports Information
Photo courtesy Michael Tchao / SFU Athletics: The Clan won their final Canada West game on Saturday, before moving to the NCAA next season.
BURNABY, B.C. - Canada West Player of the Year Robyn Buna (Kelowna, B.C.) was perfect, and the No. 1 Simon Fraser University Clan were equally dominant, claiming the 2010 Canada West championship with a one-sided 92-62 win over the No. 4 Regina Cougars on Saturday night.
Both the Cougars and the Clan have qualified alongside the University of Saskatchewan Huskies for the 2010 CIS national championship, which will be held next weekend in Hamilton, Ontario.
The game was a rematch of the 2009 CIS National Championship final, which the Clan won over the Cougars 68-62. Saturday's match-up had a completely different feel, as Simon Fraser was dominant from the outset.
Buna didn't miss a beat or a shot on Saturday night, finishing the game 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 at the free throw line for a game high 20 points. The Clan opened the game on a tear, leading 30-18 at the end of the first quarter, and never trailed during the entire 40 minutes of the game. The fourth year senior and 2010 Canada West Player of the Year was surprised to learn of her perfect feat.
"I had no idea, I was more focused on the two fouls I took early," said Buna, who played in her final game in the West Gym on Saturday. "I don't think I have ever had a perfect game, but I guess it's a good time to do it. Knowing this was [the Clan's seniors] last game on this floor, in front of our families and fans, we wanted to play hard and win. We still have a week to go, and looking ahead next weekend is going to be equally challenging."
The Clan, which led by 18 at the half (50-32) and by 23 at the end of the third quarter (72-49), had five players finish in double figures. Fourth-year seniors Kate Hole (St. Albert, AB) and Matteke Hutzler (Napanee, Ont.) each finished with 15 points respectively, while freshman point guard Kristina Collins (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) added 11 points, and Canada West Defensive Player of the Year Katie Miyazaki (Richmond, B.C.) added 10.
For the Cougars, Joanna Zalesiak finished with a team high 17 points, while Lindsay Ledingham added 12 in the loss. The Cougars shot 39 per cent from the floor compared to the Clan's 58.6 per cent performance and were out rebounded 37-to-26.
"I thought we played well in the first half, and I thought our seniors played like it was their last game on this court," said SFU head coach Bruce Langford after the game. "We understood that we needed to be focused and bring a certain level of intensity and I felt that they lived up to that expectation."
The Clan will leave on Tuesday for the CIS national championship, marking it nine straight seasons under head coach Bruce Langford that SFU has qualified for CIS Nationals. This will also mark the final trip for Simon Fraser, as the Clan will move to the NCAA next season.
Game Notes
The win marked the final game for six dressed seniors on Saturday
night, as Buna, Hole, Hutzler alongside Laurelle Weigl (Stony
Plain, AB), Brea McLaughlin (Toronto) and Lisa Tindle (Vancouver)
all played in their final games in the West Gym.