Photo credit Michael P. Hall / By Shawn Whiteley
HAMILTON (CIS) – Two-time reigning CIS scoring champion
Kelsey Hodgson tallied eight of Cape Breton’s final 10 points
including back-to-back three pointers with under two minutes left
in the game to lift the No. 6-seeded Capers to a 65-59 win over the
No. 7 Ottawa Gee-Gees in the first consolation semifinal of the CIS
women’s basketball championship, Saturday afternoon, at
McMaster University’s Burridge Gym.
Championship web site (complete stats): http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb
Cape Breton has a chance to finish fifth at the event for the
second straight year. The AUS champions will face either No. 5
Laval or No. 8 McMaster Sunday at 10 a.m.
With Ottawa leading 44-40 after three quarters, Cape Breton worked
their way to the charity stripe 26 times in the final frame
connecting 17 times (65.4%) for the victory.
Hodgson, a fifth-year senior and two-time first-team all-Canadian
from Fredericton, led the Capers with 21 points including a trio of
treys.
Fellow fifth-year veteran Karmen Brown of Calgary contributed with
16 points including 12 from the charity stripe, and a
tournament-high 16 rebounds for the double-double earning Russell
Athletics player of the game honours for the winners.
Also in double figures in scoring for Cape Breton was senior Kari
Everett of Stilesville, N.B., who finished with 16 points and eight
rebounds.
“We wanted to play on Sunday, that was our goal. It’s
not the final we wanted to play in, but we still get to play on
Sunday,” said Cape Breton head coach Fabian McKenzie.
“Karmen and Kelsey didn’t their CIS careers to end
today and it showed.”
Pacing Ottawa was OUA East player of the year and second-team
all-Canadian Hannah Sunley-Paisley of Toronto, who led all players
with 25 points going 10-for-19 from the field and 5-for-6 from the
charity stripe. The 6-foot-1 centre, who was named Gee-Gees game
MVP, also pulled down eight boards and added three steals and three
assists.
The Capers went to the free throw line a season-high 39 times to
Ottawa’s 11 connecting on 71.8% (28-for-39). Cape Breton also
out-rebounded the Gee-Gees 40-35.
Trailing 14-12 after the opening quarter, 29-28 at the half and
44-40 after 30 minutes, Cape Breton finally took the lead 54-52
with 3:06 remaining when Brown went 2-for-2 at the line.
After a basket by Gee-Gees guard Kelley Weir (Ottawa) tied the
affair again at 54-54, Hodgson hit from beyond the arc with 1:39 to
go and again with 1:07 left to make it 60-54 Capers. The two-time
AUS MVP added three free throws in the final minute to help seal
the victory.
GAME NOTES: At the 2009 CIS national championship Cape Breton
defeated Laval 67-56 in the consolation final... The Capes best
finish at the Nationals was in 2006 when they lost 56-53 to the UBC
Thunderbirds in the championship final… Cape Breton opened
the 2010 championship with a 70-54 loss the No. 3 Saskatchewan
Huskies on Friday... Ottawa dropped their opening game 64-46 to the
No. 2 Windsor Lancers... Ottawa returns home with an 0-2 record at
the Nationals for the second straight year.
STAT
LEADERS
Cape Breton
Points: Kelsey Hodgson (21), Kari Everett (16), Karmen Brown
(16)
Rebounds: Karmen Brown (16), Kari Everett (8)
Assists: Kari Everett (3)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Karmen Brown
Ottawa
Points: Hannah Sunley-Paisley (25), Emilie Morasse (9)
Rebounds: Hannah Sunley-Paisley (8), Jade Fair (7)
Assists: Hannah Sunley-Paisley (3), Emilie Morasse (3)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Hannah Sunley-Paisley
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
15:00 Consolation #2: Loser QF #3 vs. No. 5 Laval
18:00 Semifinal #1: No. 2 Windsor vs. No. 3 Saskatchewan (Cable 14
& SSN Canada)
20:00 Semifinal #2: No. 1 Simon Fraser vs. No. 4 Regina (Cable 14
& SSN Canada)
Sunday, March 14
10:00 5th place: No. 6 Cape Breton vs. TBD
12:00 Bronze medal (Cable 14 & SSN Canada)
15:00 Championship final (TSN2)
-CIS-