Photo credit: Michael P. Hall / Written by Andy
Watson
HAMILTON (CIS) – The defending champion and top-seeded Simon
Fraser Clan qualified for their fifth national final in nine years
with a 69-55 win over the No. 4 Regina Cougars in the second
semifinal of the CIS women’s basketball championship,
Saturday night, at McMaster University’s Burridge
Gymnasium.
Championship web site (complete stats): http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcqNjjkkjjc
The Clan will face the second-ranked and OUA champion Windsor
Lancers in their quest for a second consecutive Bronze Baby trophy
Sunday at 3 p.m., live on TSN2. Simon Fraser has never repeated as
CIS champion having claimed the national banner in 2002, 2005, 2007
and 2009.
Regina will play No. 3 Saskatchewan for bronze at noon.
Windsor beat Saskatchewan 82-60 in Saturday’s early
semifinal.
SFU and Windsor met twice in pre-season, but the Lancers were
missing depth in forward Raelyn Prince and guard Laura Mullins in a
Western Canadian swing. The Clan won both games, 81-78 on Oct. 24
and 69-50 on Oct. 25, both times on their home court in Burnaby,
B.C.
“They (Windsor) are playing way better, it will be a good
game,” said Simon Fraser head coach Bruce Langford, who
troops had defeated Regina 68-62 in last year’s CIS final and
92-62 in last Saturday’s Canada west title match. “I
think it makes a lot of people happy to have the top two seeds
playing for the national title.”
Langford said his team will need to play better to win their third
game against the Lancers this season.
“I think we played really well last weekend, but this weekend
we have not been our best,” Langford said. “Despite
that, this weekend we've shown some grit and character. We need to
step it up tomorrow against Windsor.”
Langford's first title with the Clan was in his first season at the
helm in 2002 in Hamilton. In the Clan's last year in the CIS,
Langford would like to make this national tournament a perfect
bookend to his CIS career.
Strong defence and physical play allowed the taller Clan squad to
advance. Their bench was also a key factor, outscoring the Rams
33-9 with non-starters.
Fifth-year arts major Lisa Tindle of Vancouver, was named game MVP
for the winners following a 17-point effort, including five hits
from beyond the arc, while post Kate Hole of St. Albert, Alta.,
added 15 points
“They were running a box-and-one defence and then when they
switched to a triangle and two, we were able to run up the score
faster when you shoot threes," Hole said. "It's a credit to our
team to stay composed and bounce back."
Leading 12-9 after the first quarter and only 29-25 at the half,
the Clan exploded to lead by as much as 13 points in the third
quarter, which ended 48-40 for SFU.
Guard Joanna Zalesiak of Gorzow Wielkopolski, Poland, was named the
Russell Athletics player of the game for the Cougars with a
game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Regina shot just 30.9% on the game and despite staying close early,
committed too many turnovers to stay with the defending
champions.
The Clan scored 23 points off 24 Regina turnovers and dominated in
the paint with a 34-18 scoring edge.
Reigning CIS player of the year Robyn Buna of Kelowna, B.C., who
scored a tournament-high 27 points in Friday’s quarter-finals
against McMaster, was held to just three points, coming on the
Clan's first shot in the fourth quarter. Hole said Buna, despite
her scoring woes, still contributed.
"She is still a floor general," Hole said. "Tindle stepped up, she
got stronger as the game went on. Here's someone who's been
fighting adversity all year. She postponed surgery so she could win
a final national championship."
Hole said the team with its experience and drive is ready for
Windsor in the final.
"Having been in these big key situations, we are ready," she said.
"But they have an extremely talented group of girls and are
well-rounded offensively and their perimeter game is good. It
should be a good fight."
"But our goal is to win, and it's not going to be easy for either
team."
GAME NOTES: SFU hopes to extend to 19 the streak of consecutive
national titles won by Canada West teams since the second of
back-to-back triumphs by Laurentian in 1991... Windsor, which
finished fourth a year ago in its lone previous CIS championship
appearance, is the first OUA team to advance to the gold-medal game
since York in 1997...
STAT
LEADERS
Simon Fraser
Points: Lisa Tindle (17), Kate Hole (15), Katie Miyazaki (8),
Laurelle Weigl (8), Matteke Hutzier (8)
Rebounds: Katie Miyazaki (8), Matteke Hutzier (7), Nayo
Raincock-Ekunwe (7)
Assists: Robyn Buna (4)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Lisa Tindle
Regina
Points: Joanna Zalesiak (18), Lindsay Ledingham (11), Brittany Read
(10)
Rebounds: Joanna Zalesiak (10), Brittany Read (7), Carmen Stewart
(7)
Assists: Stacey Walker (3)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Joanna Zalesiak
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
10:00 5th place: No. 5 Laval vs. No. 6 Cape Breton
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)
-CIS-