CIS women's basketball Saturday roundup: Windsor wins 5th OUA title; Saskatchewan claims Canada West banner

Source: Laurier Sports Info  

OTTAWA - It took double overtime, but the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's basketball team was able to claim the OUA bronze medal and a berth into the CIS National Championship as they defeated the Carleton Ravens 70-65 on Saturday afternoon at the Ravens Nest.

Whitney Ellenor of Pickering, Ont., tied the game up with 52.9 seconds left in regulation after the teams traded buckets through the last couple of minutes of the frame. The basket would eventually force overtime as Carleton was unable to capitalize on their final possession.

"They started switching on screens a little bit, so it gave me a bit of a height advantage inside," commented Ellenor post-game on her team high 21-point performance. "I think having a bit more speed on some of their post players helped me out, as well."

Sophomore Kaitlyn Schenck of Kitchener, Ont., also had a strong game as she was able to net several key baskets helping the momentum shift to the purple-and-gold.

"In the locker room, it was all about grinding down on defence and making sure we got those stops," said Schenck when asked about the ability to slow down the Carleton offence. "When we get those rebounds, it really helps our transition game and helps us get the easy baskets."

Schenck was named Laurier's player of the game as she finished with 16 points, five rebounds and two steals.

The first overtime frame was evenly matched with both groups trading buckets to end at 63's. The second overtime, however, is where the Hawks were able to gain some extra momentum and widen their lead. Several missed shots combined with Carleton fouling allowed for the Hawks to create the gap.

"I think perseverance was a big characteristic tonight. Carleton's a tough team," commented head coach Paul Falco post game. "I thought the game could have gone either way, so you have to give them a lot of credit."

Carleton was led by OUA East Player of the Year Elizabeth Roach of Ottawa, who earned the only double-double of the contest with 20 points and 19 rebounds. She also picked up her team's player of the game honours.

Early in regulation time, the teams traded baskets in a low scoring affair as both teams shot under 35%. It was 9-6 for the Hawks after the first frame and the second saw Carleton outscore Laurier 13-10 to tie up the contest at 19's.

Samantha Jacobs of Enniskillen, Ont., was a key defensive contributor for Laurier from a rebounding perspective, grabbing 13 including 12 defensive. Lee Anna Osei of Toronto, also added pressure on the Ravens and ea rned a pair of steals and a block.
The victory gives the Hawks their highest finish in the OUA since they earned silver back in the 2003-04 season. The medal is the third that the purple and gold have won in their history, adding to a bronze that they took home in 2002-03.

Laurier last attended the CIS Championship in the 2010-11 season when they finished fifth. This year's event will take place in Windsor and will start next week.

"It's great. It's especially great for our seniors," said Falco when asked about the win and moving on to the Nationals. "We've got four girls who were in Windsor three years ago for nationals and we're extremely motivated to get back and finish their careers there. It's a great accomplishment and it's going to be a good experience for our younger girls and we're looking forward to playing the top teams in the country."

Check back with laurierathletics.com for information on the Golden Hawks at the national championships.

Source: Jonathan Lane for UPEI Sports Information

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - The Saint Mary's Huskies took care of business in the first of the two semifinal games Saturday night at the Subway AUS women's basketball championship.
 
The Huskies jumped out to a 20-14 point first quarter lead thanks in large part to the outside shooting of first team all-star, Rachelle Coward, and the play making of league MVP, Justine Colley.
 
The Tigers' Courtney Thompson did all she could to keep Dalhousie close, scoring 11 of the team's 14 points in the opening period.
 
A multitude of threes for Saint Mary's, nine in the first half, extended their lead to 16 going into halftime. Coward led the way for the Huskies connecting on four of six shots from beyond the arc for 12 points.
 
Dalhousie's, Thompson continued to impress, scoring 15 of the team's 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
 
The third and fourth quarters were controlled by the Huskies as the outcome was never in doubt. Saint Mary's would add three more triples in the second half, accounting for 36 of their 73 total points.
 
Dalhousie outscored Saint Mary's in the final quarter but the game was out of reach as the Huskies punched their ticket to the championship game, winning 73-53.
 
Player of the game for Dalhousie was Courtney Thompson for the second game in a row. She finished the game with 21 points, 14 rebounds and two steals.
 
Saint Mary's top scores were all-stars Rachelle Coward and Laura Langille, each with 20 points. Subway Player of the Game honours were awards to Justine Colley who once again filled the stat sheet with 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocked shots.
 
The Huskies will play the second-seeded StFX X-Women in Sunday's championship game at 2 p.m.

Source: Adam Ali, Windsor Sports Info

WINDSOR, Ont.- The Windsor Lancers women's basketball team claimed its second-straight conference banner on Saturday evening at the St. Denis Centre, defeating the Queen's Gaels 73-48 in the OUA Final, presented by ArcelorMittal Dofasco.

Windsor claims its fifth OUA title in the last six seasons, and joins Toronto and Laurentian as the only women's basketball programs to have claimed at least five Ontario conference championships since it was first awarded in 1971-72. The Lancers improve their OUA Final record to 5-1 over the last six years.

Miah-Marie Langlois recorded a game-high 25 points and tallied eight assists, six rebounds and two steals, earning herself the Porter Airlines player of the game honour. Jessica Clemencon scored 21 points and added eight rebounds for Windsor, who extends its playoff winning streak to 12 games. Korissa Williams tallied 14 points and rookie Cheyanne Roger grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

Veterans Liz Boag and Jenny Wright each scored a team-best 17 points for the Gaels who last won the conference title in the 2000-01 season. Queen's joins Windsor at the St. Denis Centre next weekend for the CIS Final 8 national championships, as will the Laurier Golden Hawks who earned the final OUA berth by defeating Carleton in double-overtime in the bronze medal match earlier on Saturday.

The Lancers jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the opening quarter. After a slow start in the first two minutes, Williams notched back-to-back transition lay-ups off a pair of Gaels turnovers. Langlois then went to work, as the OUA defensive player of the year followed a running jumper down the middle with a baseline fade-away. Another mid-range jumper from the Windsor native gave the women a commanding 17-3 lead at the 3:30 point of the first.

Williams made good on another transition basket on a fast-break outlet from Kristine Lalonde. Clemencon nailed a deep two at the buzzer, and led all players with eight first-quarter points as Windsor took a 23-7 lead into the second.

The Gaels offence came alive early in the second, as Wright's three-pointer helped the visitors go on a mini run. The Kingston, Ont. native then picked up two more points on a strong drive to the basket while being fouled and converted her ensuing free-throw to cap off an 8-2 run.

However, Clemencon continued her potent perimeter shooting, knocking down two more jumpers to stem the Gaels tide. Boag picked up her first three-pointer of the game, but Langlois responded with two more baskets of her own to keep Windsor's offence rolling through the first half.

Boag followed another three with a lay-up, but Clemencon responded with a basket and foul shot. The St. Rambert, France native polished off an impressive first half with a jumper on Windsor's final second quarter possession, as Windsor took a 43-27 lead into the locker rooms.

Clemencon finished the half with 19 points, as the Lancers shot just under 53% from the field. Queen's was led by Boag's 12 points and worked at a 34.6% efficiency.
Windsor used a 10-2 run through the first five minutes of the third quarter to extend its lead. Langlois polished off the Lancers streak with two speedy penetrations inside to put the home team up 24. The offense slowed for both squads in the second part of the third, as the teams combined for just 18 points in the quarter, and the Lancers maintained a 20-point advantage heading into the final period.

The three-time defending CIS champions only padded their lead in the final 10 minutes of play to earn their second conference championship in as many years, and will look to add a fourth straight national title to their trophy case next weekend at the St. Denis Centre. Windsor shot 42.3% in the championship, compared to 31.6% from the Gaels. The Lancers also won the glass battle, totalling 52 boards to 33 from Queen's.

The CIS Final 8 begins next Friday, March 14 at the St. Denis Centre. Stay tuned to GoLancers.ca for all championship schedule updates.

Source: Paul Cartledge; with files from Nicole Betker

EDMONTON - For the third time in team history, and second in four years, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies are champions of Canada West basketball, following a 67-56 victory over the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades on Saturday night in the gold medal game of the conference Final Four tournament at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton.

The Huskies last won on home court in 2010-11, winning their first conference title in 2005-06. The title also marks the 100th in history for Huskie Athletics varsity programs. In their fourth-straight year at the tournament, the Cascades earn conference silver but will also head to the CIS national championship with the Huskies, going next week in Windsor.

Canada West MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Dalyce Emmerson guided the Huskies to the win, recording a double-double with 19 points and an impressive 22 rebounds. The third-year post missed a triple-double by two blocks, tallying eight in the matchup. Fourth-year point guard Kabree Howard led the Huskies in scoring with 20 points and added six assists.

Nataliia Gavryliuk led the Cascades with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Sarah Wierks tallied a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Nicole Wierks added another 10 points for Fraser Valley.

While the teams went point for point in the earlygoing, Saskatchewan found a groove near the end of the opening quarter, knocking back the long ball with ease while the Cascades dealt with fickle gravity, sophomore guard Kaitlyn Brink having her layup sit on the rim for a full second before leaving the Abbotsford, B.C. native scoreless from the field in the first 10 minutes.

Up 17-14 to start the second, the Huskies continued their three-ball success with Desarae Hogberg before Gavryliuk converted three straight from downtown and netted seven straight points later in the quarter to help Fraser Valley take a 34-30 lead into halftime.

After Nicole Wierks extended UFV's lead to six at the start of the third frame, Saskatchewan went on a 12-0 run.
Fraser Valley could never recover from the Huskies takeover, Saskatchewan outscoring the Cascades 37-22 in the second half for the championship win, Emmerson cementing the victory with a jumper off the glass with 59.9 seconds left on the clock.

Both Saskatchewan and Fraser Valley qualify for the CIS Championship in Windsor, March 14-16. It will be the Huskies seventh trip to the CIS Championship in the last nine seasons. Seeding and schedule for the CIS event will be released Sunday.

Source: Jonathan Lane for UPEI Sports Information

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - In the second semifinal game, StFX was able to put an end to UPEI's season in what would be a nail biting over time victory.
 
Another huge local contingent was out to support their hometown Panthers and were treated to an entertaining, high-octane bout.
 
StFX struck first, jumping out to an 8-0 lead, with UPEI not scoring a field goal until the four-minute mark of the first quarter.
 
The Panthers were able to compose themselves and clamp down on defence forcing StFX into four straight turnovers near the end of frame. UPEI closed out the first with four threes and held StFX scoreless for the final five minutes trailing 20-19 going into the second quarter.
 
Foul trouble was the story of the second quarter for both teams. X-Women first team all-star Lia St. Pierre and second team all-star Kolbi Roper were forced to the bench with three first half fouls apiece, while UPEI's Amy Gough sat with three of her own and five other players had two each.
 
At the midway point of the game, the second seeded X-Women had a slight edge, 37-35, with defensive player of the year Rebecca Sheehan leading the way, dropping in 13 points on five of nine shooting.
 
The Panthers' bench was the story of the second half. Julie Hatcher came of the bench to hit back to back threes, giving the Panthers a four-point lead six minutes into the second half.
 
UPEI would force St. Pierre to the bench with her fourth foul while they outscored StFX 21-14 in the quarter to lead going into the last quarter.
 
First-year players Kiera Rigby and Candace Smith provided a spark for the Panthers in the final quarter as they stretched the lead to eight with four minutes gone by.
 
StFX would not back down however, going on a run of their own to take a 67-66 lead at the 5:00 mark.
 
The final minutes of the quarter were back and forth with neither team unable to close the door at the free throw line and StFX holding on to a slight advantage 71-69.
 
With 10 seconds to go in UPEI's season, Laura Power executed a beautifully crafted out-of-bounds play to tie the game at 71 forcing overtime.
 
The two teams traded three pointers in the extra period but StFX's firepower proved to be too much for UPEI to overcome in the end as their season ended with an 86-82 loss.
 
Player of the game honors for the Panthers went to Danielle MacDonald who led the team with 21 points. UPEI's bench scored 46 points to StFX's 17 and was the catalyst for the Panthers whenever they were falling behind.
 
The starters led the way for StFX with four players scoring in double digits led by Subway Player of the Game, Rebecca Sheehan, who led all scorers with 22. She also added 10 boards, three assists, a block and a steal.
 
The top two seeds will face off, as StFX will look to hand Saint Mary's their first loss of the season in the championship game, Sunday at 2 p.m.

Source: Paul Cartledge, Alberta Sports Info

EDMONTON - Earning their 10th bronze medal in team history, and third in six years, the University of Alberta Pandas kept their chances for the CIS Final 8 Tournament "wild card" berth alive with a 55-50 victory over the University of Regina Cougars in the bronze medal game of the conference Final Four tournament, Saturday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre.

The wild card will go to either No.2 ranked Saint Mary's or No.3 ranked Alberta. Saint Mary's plays in the AUS final on Sunday. If they win that game, Alberta will get the wild card and head to nationals that start next week in Windsor.

Fourth-year forward Saskia van Ginhoven had a game-high 16 points for Alberta while fourth-year guard Sally Hillier recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Guard Janine Guijt, part of the Canada West All-Rookie Team, put up a dozen points for the Cougars, sophomore forward Charlotte Kot netting nine points and 15 boards for the visitors while third-year post Alyssia Kajati also fell just short of a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.

First-quarter struggles plagued both teams in the bronze medal game, neither squad shooting over 20% from the field in the opening 10 minutes and underperforming from the charity stripe. Still, the Pandas worked their way to a 10-4 lead midway through the frame but Regina inched their way back, tying things up at 12 to enter the second.

The Cougars then pushed ahead, only to have Alberta deadlock the score again, and twice, as Hillier put up four points the second time around to knot the game at 22 before nailing two free throws to put the Pandas up by two at the end of the first half.

With the wild card berth at stake for both teams, there was plenty to play for in the final 20 minutes, Alberta looking hungrier with a 46% shooting percentage in the third, compared to Regina's 15%, as van Ginhoven led the offence with eight points in the quarter while fourth-year post Megan Vande Kraats spearheaded the defence with four blocks.

Extending their lead to 41-33 to open the final frame, Alberta looked poised to claim victory over last season's Canada West champions but the Cougars regained the lead with a 12-3 run, topped off by a brilliant long bomb pass by third-year guard Kehlsie Crone to Guijt, finding a deuce on an off-balance finger roll layup.

The Amsterdam, Netherlands native had 10 points in the fourth quarter, including her team's final points of the game when her last layup got the Cougars to a 50-48 score with just under two minutes remaining, but an Andria Carlyon deuce in the paint, bookended by Hillier scores, put Alberta back on top for good, Canada West First Team All-Star Carlyon clinching the victory with two buckets from the charity stripe with six seconds left.

Alberta awaits the result of Sunday's AUS final to see if their season gets extended to the CIS Final 8 tournament or ends with Canada West bronze.