By Andy Watson
HAMILTON, Ont. – It was close early, but the top-seeded Simon
Fraser Clan rode a wave of experience, exploiting their size
advantage inside the paint to win their first back-to-back Bronze
Baby trophies and fifth title in team history with a 77-56 win over
the No. 2 Windsor Lancers in the final of the CIS women’s
basketball championship at McMaster University’s Burridge
Gymnasium, on Sunday afternoon.
Championship web site (complete stats): http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXufSNbLKg
It is the 19th straight national title for a school from the Canada
West conference (including the now-defunct Great Plains conference)
and Simon Fraser’s fifth in nine straight championship
appearances.
“We had talked in the pre-game about how my first national
championship was won on this court,” said Simon Fraser head
coach Bruce Langford, who took over the program one year after it
joined CIS in 2000-01. “We were down 12 or 14 in that game,
and when we came out nervous, I just reminded the players that this
is a special event and a special day and to not get down. In this
game we stayed poised.”
CIS player of the year and tournament MVP Robyn Buna, a fourth-year
forward from Kelowna, B.C., led the Clan with 17 points along with
two steals and an assist. She said this was the perfect way to end
her CIS career, as one of seven Clan players on this roster to win
a third ring.
Centre Matteke Hutzler of Napanee, Ont., guard Lisa Tindle of
Vancouver, guard Brea McLaughlin of West Vancouver, post Laurelle
Weigl of Stony Plain, Alta., forward Kelsey Horsting of Langley,
B.C., and post Kate Hole of St. Albert, Alta., also became
three-time champions.
“It was the best way to finish my career,” said Buna,
who opened the tournament on Friday with a 27-point performance
against host McMaster. “I think we were all playing a little
tight. We were apprehensive, it’s the national
final.”
“But 10 years from now, I won’t think about whether or
not we won but how hard we worked together to accomplish this
goal.”
Windsor’s Russell Athletics player of the game Jessica
Clemençon paced the Lancers with 14 points but only pulled
down three rebounds. The native of St. Rambert, France, was the CIS
rookie of the year this season, and was the lone Lancer named to
the all-tournament team.
Buna credits balanced scoring and the ability to score on back-door
cuts for the Clan’s victory to keep the Bronze Baby in the
Canada West conference. The last three national finals have
featured two Canada West teams, and the last non-Canada West school
to make the final was Cape Breton in 2006, 56-53 losers to UBC.
Windsor was the first Ontario team to play for the Bronze Baby
since York lost to Manitoba 73-52 in the 1997 championship game in
Thunder Bay, Ont. The last Ontario squad to win the championship
was Laurentian, 79-72 winners over Regina in 1991 in Ste. Foy,
Que.
Lancers head coach Chantal Vallée, in her fifth season at
the helm, said she was pleased with the effort and getting one step
closer to winning a national title.
“We started out really well, playing to our strengths,”
Vallée said. “But after opening up with a 15-6 lead,
we missed a couple of open layups. Then Iva Peklova got into foul
trouble and we missed some rebounds and we were not quite
ourselves.”
“But Simon Fraser responded right away after we got the
lead,” Vallée said. “The closer you get to
tasting gold the more disappointed you are in a loss.”
In a game broadcast nationally on TSN2, the Clan weathered an early
lapse before going on a 20-3 run over eight minutes into the second
quarter to lead 39-27 at the half.
In the opening quarter, the No. 1 Clan took an early lead, but the
Lancers built a nine-point lead led by the strong play of forwards
Peklova of Prague, Czech Republic, and Bojana Kovacevic of Windsor
midway through the quarter. But foul trouble to Peklova and guard
Shavaun Reaney of Sherwood Park, Alta., allowed Simon Fraser to
exploit a size advantage and their bigs allowed them to close the
quarter on a 14-3 run to lead 20-18 after the first frame.
Peklova picked up her third personal foul early in the second
quarter, and the Clan extended their lead to 26-18 forcing
turnovers and scoring in transition, continuing on their run.
Down by 12 at the half, the Lancers made a valiant effort to regain
the lead, pulling the spread to eight points as Simon Fraser got
into foul trouble of their own in the third quarter. They put
Windsor at the line 12 times and sent the Lancers into the bonus
with over four minutes left in the period. But the OUA champions
only connected on seven opportunities from the charity stripe, and
Simon Fraser re-established the cushion, leading 59-43 at the end
of the third period.
Hutzler scored a jump-shot to stretch Simon Fraser’s lead to
20 points, at 67-47, their biggest of the game. Buna was the first
to check out, as Langford honoured his seniors, subbing her off
seconds after draining a three to give her 17 points on the
day.
“I thought we were deeper and we set a goal of controlling
the boards and I thought we did that quite well,” Langford
said of the 34-20 edge in rebounding. “We knew there would be
ups and downs but we handled it when we got down and played with
great intensity when the game got physical.”
Weigl was named the Clan game MVP following a 16-point,
five-rebound effort, while Hole contributed 11 points and seven
board and was selected a tournament all-star.
Kovacevic and Peklova had 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the
losing cause.
Scoring By Quarter
1
2
3
4 T
Simon
Fraser
20
19
20
18 77
Windsor
18
9
16
13 56
GAME NOTES: Rounding out the 2010 championship all-star team were
guard Jill Humbert of bronze medallist Saskatchewan, and guard
Joanna Zalesiak of fourth place Regina... Saskatchewan’s
Lindsay DeGroot earned the R.W. Pugh Fair Play award... The last
team to repeat as national champion was Manitoba in 1996 and
1997... Le Clan had captured its first four CIS titles with
gold-medal wins over Regina (68-62) in 2009, Alberta (72-68) in
2007, Winnipeg (70-60) in 2005 and Laval (66-51) in 2002... The
Bronze Baby trophy remains in BC for the eighth straight year
following triumphs by SFU, UBC (2008, 2006, 2004) and Victoria
(2003)... Simon Fraser reached the 2010 final thanks to a 94-76
quarter-final victory over No. 8 McMaster on Friday and a 69-55
semifinal win over No. 4 Regina on Saturday... Windsor defeated No.
7 Ottawa 64-46 in the opening round and No. 3 Saskatchewan 82-60 in
the semis... The Clan beat the Lancers twice in non-conference
action this season prevailing 81-78 on Oct. 24 and 69-50 the next
day, both times at home in Burnaby, B.C... SFU finished the season
with a 31-1 overall record versus CIS competition... Simon Fraser
lost 63-61 at Victoria in its second last game of the regular
season, on Feb. 13...
STAT LEADERS
Simon Fraser
Points: Robyn Buna (17), Laurelle Weigl (16), Kate Hole (11)
Rebounds: Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (10), Matteke Hutzier (7), Katie
Miyazaki (7), Kate Hole (7)
Assists: Laurelle Weigl (4), Katie Miyazaki (3), Kristina Collins
(3)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Laurelle Weigl
Windsor
Points: Jessica Clemençon (14), Bojana Kovacevic (12), Iva
Peklova (11)
Rebounds: Iva Peklova (9), Bojana Kovacevic (5)
Assists: Shavaun Reaney (7)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Jessica Clemençon
CHAMPIONSHIP
ALL-STARS
Tournament MVP: Robyn Buna, Simon Fraser
R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Lindsay DeGroot,
Saskatchewan
Tournament all-stars:
Robyn Buna, forward, Simon Fraser
Kate Hole, post, Simon Fraser
Jessica Clemençon, post, Windsor
Jill Humbert, guard, Saskatchewan
Joanna Zalesiak, guard, Regina
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
Consolation final (5th place): Cape Breton 86, Laval 49
Bronze medal: Saskatchewan 78, Regina 67
Championship final: Simon Fraser 77, Windsor 56
-CIS-