Capers, Panthers earn victories at Debbie Ruiz Memorial

By Corey LeBlanc                             

Sydney, NS – On the strength of a 13-0 run early in the second quarter, which ballooned their first-half advantage to more than 20 points, the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers earned what turned out to be a nail-biting 67-60 victory over the University of Windsor Lancers on Friday evening at Sullivan Field House.

The visitors rallied in the second half, climbing to only a four-point deficit in the final quarter, but the hometown Capers were able to seal the deal. 

With the win, the host Capers improved to 2-0 in the four-team round-robin Debbie Ruiz Memorial basketball tournament, while the Lancers dropped to 0-2. 

In the first quarter, the Capers scored the opening five points on a three-pointer from Hannah Smith (Bedford, NS) and a lay-up from guard Chermensa van la Parra (Rotterdam, Netherlands), but the Lancers answered on pair of baskets from Harriet Carey (Townsville, AUS), including a shot from beyond the arc.

In a low-scoring opener, CBU rattled off eight consecutive points – keyed by a pair of hoops from fifth-year point guard MacKenzee Ryan (Glace Bay, NS) to take a 13-5 edge.

Ignited by six points from sophomore forward Kiyara Letlow (Toronto, ON) and the playmaking of MacLeod – not to mention the team defensive effort that led to several Lancer cough-ups – the Capers opened the second quarter on a 13-0 spurt, which ended on another three-pointer from Smith to make it 26-6.

The Lancers tried to chip away at the large deficit, outscoring the Capers 11-8 in the final minutes before halftime, with the exclamation point coming on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from halfcourt by Maggie Denys (Chatham, ON).

CBU headed to the locker room with a 34-17 lead.

Early in the third quarter, after muscling in a lay-up down low, drawing the foul, and making the free-throw, Letlow extended the Caper advantage to 44-23.

For the Lancers, center Kali Grootenbeor (Thunder Bay, ON) started to take charge inside, while scoring six points for the visitors. 

Midway through the stanza, after Carey made one out of two free throws and Mariame Dehkissia (Sherbrooke, QC) drained a three-pointer for the Lancers, they trailed 46-33.  

With just less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Reine Ndome (Laval, QC) sank a shot from downtown to slice the Caper advantage to 48-36, but van la Parra answered – on the ensuing play – with a three-pointer. 

Off a CBU miss underneath, the Lancers drove down the court, with Ndome hitting another three-pointer as time expired.

Heading to the fourth quarter, the Capers continued to hold a double-digit edge – at 52-42.

With the first points of the final 10 minutes of regulation, a Grootenbeor feed to Carey for a reverse lay-up, Windsor shaved the CBU lead to less than double digits for the first time since early in the second quarter. 

With under two minutes remaining, trailing by seven points, Sofia Kennedy (Christchurch, NZ) sank a three-pointer to shave the CBU edge to 62-58.

With Windsor looking to draw even closer, the Capers came up with a strong defensive stand, which led to a Lancer shot-clock violation. 

Letlow led the Capers with a game-high 20 points while completing a double-double with 10 rebounds. 

Ryan finished with 17 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Smith also hit double figures with 10 points.

MacLeod – the Subway player of the game – collected eight points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while helping lead the CBU defensive effort.  

For the Lancers, Grootenbeor – with 12 points, off the bench – and Carey, with 11, led the scoring attack. Carey also chipped in six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot. 

Before tip-off, CBU head coach Fabian McKenzie – who is starting his 24^th season leading the program – presented the Debbie Ruiz Always a Champion Memorial Scholarship for this season to van la Parra. 

At halftime, a pair of former Caper standouts were recognized for being named to the list of top 100 players of the century by U SPORTS. Kelsey Hodgson and Alison Keough – multi-time all-stars and award-winners, at both the AUS and national levels – were presented with their awards by John Ryan, CBU's director of athletics and student life.

Hard-fought battle

In the first game of the day, the UPEI Panthers defeated the Mount Royal University Cougars 64-61.

The Panthers took an 8-4 edge in the opening four minutes of the first quarter, keyed by a pair of three-pointers from lefty sharpshooter Alicia Bowering (Orangeville, NS).

In a back-and-forth stanza, the Cougars received key baskets from Jenessa Ramsoomair (Leduc, AB) and Tanis Metcalfe (North Vancouver, BC) to power their offense.

Late in the quarter, after corralling a long rebound near the sideline, Elisa Plaschka (Brockville, ON) found Grace Lancaster (Fall River, NS) under the hoop for an easy UPEI lay-up.

The Panthers led 18-12 after the first quarter.

Sparked by another Bowering three-pointer, UPEI started the second quarter with a 9-2 spurt and took a double-digit edge at 27-14.

The Cougars answered with a 9-0 run – one keyed by a right-handed spinning half-hook from Maddison Hooper (Perth, AUS), as she glided into the lane, a turnaround bank shot from Brittany Janzen (Cochrane, AB) and a three-point basket from Hooper – to slice the UPEI lead to 27-23 with just more than three minutes remaining in a low-scoring second quarter. 

Led by a basket from veteran guard Lauren Rainford (Toronto, ON), the Panthers finished the first half on a 6-1 run to take a 33-24 lead to the locker room at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Cougars came out on a 7-0 spurt, one launched by a corner three-pointer from Hooper.

Bowering broke the streak – with a three-pointer – and then nailed another one to give her Panthers a 39-31 advantage midway through the period.

On the strength of back-to-back steals and lay-ups from Megan Wellingtonhurts (Louisville, KY), Mount Royal trimmed the deficit to three points, trailing 39-36, but Sydney Whitlock (Charlottetown, PE) answered with a three-pointer from the wing. 

After a rainbow shot from beyond the arc from Devin Lawlor (Millcove, PE), UPEI stretched their edge to 46-38.

At the buzzer, Jordan Blaskin (Calgary, AB) banked in a deep three-pointer for the Cougars, which trimmed the Panthers lead to 49-47 heading to the fourth quarter.

Rainford opened the scoring in the final 10 minutes with a drive and left-handed lay-up but then was assessed a technical foul. The Cougars missed the opportunity at the charity stripe.

After a corner three-pointer from Jamie Lalor (Red Deer, AB), Mount Royal took a razor-thin 52-51 lead.

The teams traded hoops until the midway point of the fourth quarter when Ramsoomair forced a Panther turnover and then made a contested lay-up off the drive to knot the contest at 57-57, while Metcalfe regained the Cougar two-point edge seconds later with an interior move to the basket.

On a Metcalfe baseline jumper with less than three minutes remaining, the Cougars were up 61-58.

The Panthers replied with five consecutive points on a nifty assist to Plaschka – off the spin – from veteran forward Karla Yepez (Quito, Ecuador), who then completed an old-fashioned three-point play – the hoop and the harm – to make it 63-61 for the Panthers. 

The Cougars has a couple of opportunities to tie the contest, but the Panthers came away with the three-point victory.

Bowering – who finished with five three-pointers – led the Panthers with 16 points, while Lauren Rainford (11) and Devin Lawlor (10), off the bench, also scored in double figures.

Yepez – the Subway player of the game – chipped in seven points, seven assists, and four rebounds in 32 minutes on the court.

Metcalfe topped the Cougars with a game-high 17 points while completing a double-double with 11 rebounds. She also had two assists.

Ramsoomair chipped in eight points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal, while Blaskin added nine points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Both teams boasted balanced offensive attacks, with the Cougars and Panthers having 10 and nine players, respectively, score points. 

With the Panther victory, after two games played in the round-robin tournament, both teams are 1-1.

Honouring a champion

The Debbie Ruiz Memorial honours the late CBU alumnae who played for the Caper women's basketball program from 2004-2007, before serving as an assistant coach in 2008. The two-time Atlantic University Sport (AUS) all-star was a driving force for the Capers when they won the conference title in 2006, along with the program's first U SPORTS (then CIS) medal (silver). 

Ruiz, a native of Montreal, graduated from CBU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. Before her tragic passing from cancer in 2016, she had established a stellar reputation as an inspirational leader and community champion – specifically in helping girls get involved in sports.

Proceeds from the annual three-day tournament go to the Debbie Ruiz Always a Champion Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Back in action 

The Debbie Ruiz Memorial will wrap up Saturday with a doubleheader at Sullivan Field House.

The Panthers and Lancers will tip-off at 1 p.m. ADT, with the host Capers and Cougars hitting the hardwood at 3 p.m. ADT.

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