ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8

Alan Hudes

Coordinator, Communications

U SPORTS

Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242

Cell: 647-991-5343

David Conlin

University of Victoria

Off: 250-721-8410

Cell: 250-418-5633

Consolation SF 2: 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8
Cougars eliminate host Vikes to move on to consolation final
VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The No. 5 Regina Cougars knocked off the host Victoria Vikes in their 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 consolation semifinal on Friday, putting up 46 points in the second half on their way to a 78-64 victory.

The win pits the Cougars against the Canada West champions Saskatchewan in the consolation final, which will take place on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m., while the Vikes exit their first national tournament since 2004 without a victory.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/index

U SPORTS Rookie of the Year Kyanna Giles led the Cougars in a trio of statistical categories on Friday night, registering 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. That clutch performance earned her Regina’s Player of the Game award.

Second-year guard Avery Pearce tied with Giles in scoring on the final boxscore, who finished with 14 points and three rebounds. Third-year forward Christina McCusker and fifth-year guard Katie Polischuk both had 13 points, while Sara Hubenig followed Giles with six rebounds to go along with five assists.

“We said all along that if we could get them into the half-court that we would be okay — when we got into trouble is when we gave them an offensive rebound or in transition,” said Regina head coach Dave Taylor. “As soon as we made them play half-court offence, we were pretty comfortable that we could stop them.”

In what turned out to be the final game of her U SPORTS career, fifth-year forward Jenna Bugiardini led the Vikes in scoring with 25 points and added six rebounds through 32 minutes. Bugiardini was named Victoria’s Player of the Game, a fitting send-off for an athlete who has given her all to the Vikes program.

“That will be a hole to fill for sure,” said Victoria head coach Dani Sinclair of Bugiardini graduating. “She is efficient – sometimes you don’t notice it when you are watching her play but then you look at the stat sheet and she is always producing. It was so special for her and the other two to have an opportunity to play in a national tournament.”

Victoria got off to another slow start on Friday night, shooting 33.3 per cent from the field, and Regina took advantage, knocking down 52.9 per cent of their shots and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Fifth year Katie Polischuk led the Cougars with five points in the first quarter to help her team take a 21-17 lead into the second frame.

But the Vikes adjusted between quarters, tightening up their defence to hold Regina to a 25 per cent success rate from the floor. The result was a much closer game heading into the second half, with the score at 32-31 Regina at the break.

Still, the Cougars were able to limit Victoria’s shooting success in all four quarters, as the Vikes never hit more than 40 per cent of their shots. Regina finished with a 52-37 edge on the boards, including a 33-20 edge in their own zone.

“We had a big rebounding advantage but I still thought we gave up too many offensive rebounds,” said Taylor. “When we rebound we’re just way better, it makes such a big difference.”

For Sinclair, it was a tough end to a long-anticipated tournament.

“In terms of the game, it was disappointing obviously,” she said. “We wanted to extend our season, especially with how great the crowd has been here and all the support we’ve received so it’s disappointing for it to finish.”

The battle of Saskatchewan will be on full display beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, when Regina takes to the court against their provincial rival. That game can be watched live on USPORTS.LIVE..

STAT LEADERS

Official Boxscore: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

REG: 21-11-23-23: 78
VIC: 17-14-16-17: 64

Regina Cougars
Points: Kyanna Giles (14), Avery Pearce (14), Katie Polischuk (13), Christina McCusker (13)
Rebounds: Kyanna Giles (9), Sara Hubenig (6), Ainsley MacIntyre (6)
Assists: Kyanna Giles (6), Sara Hubenig (5)

Player of the game: #9 Kyanna Giles

Victoria Vikes
Points: Jenna Bugiardini (25), Amira Giannattasio (19), Nicole Karstein (7)
Rebounds: Marissa Dheensaw (7), Jenna Bugiardini (6), Amira Giannattasio (6)
Assists: Jenna Krug (6)

Player of the game: #13 Jenna Bugiardini

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PT)

Thursday, March 9
12:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.3 Queen’s (60) vs. No. 6 Cape Breton (51) (USPORTS.LIVE)
2:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No. 2 Saskatchewan (59) vs. No. 7 Laval (69) (USPORTS.LIVE)
6:00 p.m. Quarter-final 3: No. 4 McGill (72) vs. No. 5 Regina (62) (USPORTS.LIVE)
8:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 1 Carleton (77) vs. No. 8 Victoria (66) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Friday, March 10
6:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Cape Breton (51) vs. Saskatchewan (65) (USPORTS.LIVE)
8:00 p.m. Consolation 2: Regina (78) vs. Victoria (64) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 11
2:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Queen’s vs. Laval (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)
4:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: McGill vs. Carleton (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)
7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan vs. Regina (USPORTS.LIVE)

Sunday, March 12
10:00 a.m. Bronze (USPORTS.LIVE)
1:00 p.m. Final (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

About U SPORTS

Twitter: @USPORTSca
Facebook: @USPORTSCanada
YouTube: @USPORTSca
Instagram: @USPORTSca
Snapchat: @USPORTSca

-U SPORTS –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy
Manager, Communications
U SPORTS
Cell: 647-871-7595
ksainteloy@usports.ca

Alan Hudes
Coordinator, Communications
U SPORTS
Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242
Cell: 647-991-5343
ahudes@usports.ca

David Conlin
University of Victoria
Off: 250-721-8410
Cell: 250-418-5633

Semifinal 1: 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8

Laval upsets Queen’s, will play for first Bronze Baby in program history

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The Laval Rouge et Or came out like a team possessed on Saturday afternoon, charging to a 45-29 half-time lead over the Queen’s Gaels on their way to a 78-67 victory in their ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 semifinal at the CARSA Performance Gym.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/index

The Rouge et Or move on to the final on Sunday, where they will play the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal between Carleton and McGill at 1:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet Now. The Gaels will match up with the loser of that game with a chance to take home bronze..

For a team that entered the tournament seeded seventh after earning the wild-card berth, earning a trip to the national final was a particularly special accomplishment.

“This group is really focused now, they want to win and are engaged in the game plan so we are happy,” said Laval head coach Guillaume Giroux.

Third-year guard Claudia Émond followed her on the boxscore with 17 points and was named Player of the Game for her efforts. Laval was led on offence by fourth-year forward Raphaëlle Côté, who registered a double-double with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds to go with three assists.

“I’m a good shooter and in the first they let me shoot,” said Côté. “Those are shots I have to take and I did.”

The Rouge et Or experienced a slight power outage on offence in the fourth quarter, shooting just 30.8 per cent from the field, but their consistency through the first three quarters carried them to victory. Laval shot 50 per cent from the floor in both the first and third quarters and 46.7 per cent in the second.

“We struggled a bit more in the second half,” said Giroux. “We allowed 38 points too. We have to fix that and make sure that doesn’t happen tomorrow.”

After a slow start in their quarter-final on Thursday, the Gaels came out stronger on Saturday, hitting 43.8 per cent of their shots in the first quarter. But Queen’s ran into trouble in the second frame, which saw Laval outscore them 23-12.

“In the first quarter they burned us really badly from the three-point line and as we squeezed out they penetrated the whole second quarter to score at the rim or get fouled,” said Queen’s head coach Dave Wilson.

“It was a great adjustment by coach Giroux.”

Gemma Bullard had a big game for Queen’s on offence, registering 17 points to lead the Gaels in scoring. Teammate Robyn Pearson had a strong game on the boards, grabbing 11 defensive boards and 13 rebounds total.

“That’s the beauty of having veterans … they remain calm in the face of the storm and bring the energy even when you’re getting crushed a little bit,” said Wilson when asked about Bullard.

With the victory, Laval will have a chance to play for their first Bronze Baby in program history on Sunday. That game will take place at 1:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet Now.

STAT LEADERS

Official Boxscore: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

LAV: 22-23-17-16: 78

QUE: 17-12-22-16: 67

Laval Rouge et Or

Points: Raphaëlle Côté (19), Claudia Émond (17), Jane Gagné (14)

Rebounds: Raphaëlle Côté (11), Jane Gagné (5)

Assists: Claudia Émond (4), Raphaëlle Côté (3), Jane Gagné (3)

Player of the game: Claudia Émond

Queen’s Gaels

Points: Gemma Bullard (17), Emily Hazlett (15), Andrea Priamo (9)

Rebounds: Robyn Pearson (13), Bridget Mulholland (4), Abby Dixon (4)

Assists: Emily Hazlett (3)

Player of the game: Gemma Bullard

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PT)

Thursday, March 9

12:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.3 Queen’s (60) vs. No. 6 Cape Breton (51) (USPORTS.LIVE)

2:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No. 2 Saskatchewan (59) vs. No. 7 Laval (69) (USPORTS.LIVE)

6:00 p.m. Quarter-final 3: No. 4 McGill (72) vs. No. 5 Regina (62) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 1 Carleton (77) vs. No. 8 Victoria (66) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Friday, March 10

6:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Cape Breton (51) vs. Saskatchewan (65) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Consolation 2: Regina (78) vs. Victoria (64) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 11

2:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Queen’s (67) vs. Laval (78) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

4:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: McGill vs. Carleton (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan vs. Regina (USPORTS.LIVE)

Sunday, March 12

10:00 a.m. Queen’s vs. Loser of Semifinal 2 (USPORTS.LIVE)

1:00 p.m. Laval vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

About U SPORTS

Twitter: @USPORTSca 

Facebook: @USPORTSCanada 

YouTube: @USPORTSca

 Instagram: @USPORTSca

Snapchat: @USPORTSca

-U SPORTS –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy

Manager, Communications

U SPORTS

Cell: 647-871-7595

Alan Hudes

Coordinator, Communications

U SPORTS

Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242

Cell: 647-991-5343

David Conlin

University of Victoria

Off: 250-721-8410

Cell: 250-418-5633

Semifinal 2: 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8

McGill sets up first all-RSEQ national final with victory over Carleton

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The No. 4 McGill Martlets survived a late push from the No. 1 seeded Carleton Ravens at the ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS women’s Final 8 on Saturday, setting up the first all-RSEQ final in U SPORTS women’s basketball history with a 66-60 semifinal victory.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/index

The semifinal was the second of the day at the CARSA Performance Gym in Victoria, after the Laval Rouge et Or beat the Queen’s Gaels 78-67 to advance to the final. Laval and McGill will be the first two RSEQ teams to meet in the final since the first U SPORTS national championship was played in 1972.

“I think that’s great. When you’re starting out that’s not what you’re looking for; you’re looking for an opportunity to extend your season,” said McGill head coach Ryan Thorne when asked about the historical significance of Sunday’s matchup.

“The significance of it being an all-Quebec final, it just speaks to the strength of our conference and I think that’s great as well.”

Carleton and McGill went right down to the wire on Saturday night, with the Ravens drawing within two points in the final minute of the fourth quarter. But late free throws from Frederique Potvin helped seal the deal for the underdog Martlets.

“Carleton was able to shut us down in certain areas but then we were able to do the same to them,” said Thorne. “Everyone just made sure that they didn’t get good clean looks and I think that was important and sealed the deal for us.”

Fourth-year centre Alex Kiss-Rusk led the way for the Martlets with a double-double, dropping 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to go with two blocks and a steal. She was named McGill’s Player of the Game for the second time in the tournament.

“She gives us great strength inside,” Thorne said of his 6-foot-4 veteran. “She is unselfish so when she sees and opportunity she will take it but if she sees a teammate open she gives it to them.”

Potvin also had a strong game for McGill, dropping 16 points to go with four rebounds. Jennifer Silver and Marie-Love Michel each had strong games on the boards, picking up six and five rebounds, respectively.

For the Ravens, fourth-year forward Catherine Traer led the way with 16 points, followed by teammates Jenjen Abella and Heather Lindsay with 13 apiece. Abella tied Lindsay and Nicole Gilmore for a team-high five rebounds, earning the title of Carleton Player of the Game.

McGill out-rebounded the Ravens 41-32 while forcing 12 turnovers. Post-game, Carleton head coach Taffe Charles credited McGill for limiting his team to 36.7 per cent shooting from the field.

“They did a decent job of taking us out of what we wanted to do,” said Charles. “They knew that if they let us catch the ball that they would have a tough time covering people. We had free-throws we didn’t make and andones we didn’t make and at this level you have to make those and we just didn’t.

“It’s a tough lesson to learn at this time of year.”

The Ravens will get a chance to end their tournament on a high note when they take to the court against the Queen’s Gaels with a chance to win bronze. That game starts at 10:00 a.m. PT and can be watched live on USPORTS.LIVE.

McGill and Laval will face off for the Bronze Baby at 1:00 p.m. with Sportsnet cameras rolling. Catch the gold medal game on Sportsnet 360 or Sportsnet Now.

STAT LEADERS

Official Boxscore: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

CAR: 10-18-16-16: 60

MCG: 15-14-20-17: 66

Carleton Ravens

Points: Catherina Traer (16), Jenjen Abella (13), Heather Lindsay (13)

Rebounds: Jenjen Abella (5), Heather Lindsay (5), Nicole Gilmore (5)

Assists: Jenjen Abella (4)

Player of the game: Jenjen Abella

McGill Martlets

Points: Alex Kiss-Rusk (24), Fredeerique Potvin (16), Marika Guerin (8), Jennifer Silver (8)

Rebounds: Alex Kiss-Rusk (13), Jennifer Silver (6), Marie-Love Michel (5)

Assists: Frederique Potvin (4), Alex Kiss-Rusk (3), Jennifer Silver (3)

Player of the game: Alex Kiss-Rusk

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PT)

Thursday, March 9

12:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.3 Queen’s (60) vs. No. 6 Cape Breton (51) (USPORTS.LIVE)

2:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No. 2 Saskatchewan (59) vs. No. 7 Laval (69) (USPORTS.LIVE)

6:00 p.m. Quarter-final 3: No. 4 McGill (72) vs. No. 5 Regina (62) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 1 Carleton (77) vs. No. 8 Victoria (66) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Friday, March 10

6:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Cape Breton (51) vs. Saskatchewan (65) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Consolation 2: Regina (78) vs. Victoria (64) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 11

2:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Queen’s (67) vs. Laval (78) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

4:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: McGill (66) vs. Carleton (60) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan vs. Regina (USPORTS.LIVE)

Sunday, March 12

10:00 a.m. Queen’s vs. Carleton (USPORTS.LIVE)

1:00 p.m. Laval vs. McGill (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

About U SPORTS

Twitter: @USPORTSca

 Facebook: @USPORTSCanada 

YouTube: @USPORTSca

 Instagram: @USPORTSca

Snapchat: @USPORTSca

-U SPORTS –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy

Manager, Communications

U SPORTS

Cell: 647-871-7595

Alan Hudes

Coordinator, Communications

U SPORTS

Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242

Cell: 647-991-5343

David Conlin

University of Victoria

Off: 250-721-8410

Cell: 250-418-5633

Consolation Final: 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8
Regina recovers from tough first quarter to claim fifth over Saskatchewan

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The battle between two teams from Saskatchewan took a surprising turn on Saturday night, as the Regina Cougars fought back from a 23-3 first-quarter deficit to pull off a 79-76 victory in the ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 consolation final.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/index

“I was not happy with our first quarter so I benched my starters,” said Regina head coach Dave Taylor of his team’s turnaround. “We talked at the quarter break about ‘Is this how we want to end our season.’ I challenged them, told them what I thought about that quarter and how I thought they should feel.”

Second-year Regina guard Avery Pearce hit what turned out to be the game-winning three-pointer with just under a minute left in the contest. That basket helped Regina flip the script on Saskatchewan just a week after the Huskies got the better of the Cougars in the Canada West conference final.

The win against a tough, young provincial rival helped secured Regina a fifth-place finish at the tournament, one year after the team finished sixth in the country.

“There’s a lot of respect, a lot of these players play together on provincial teams and Lisa Thomaidis does a great job with that program,” said Taylor of the provincial rivalry between the two teams.

“It’s a great rivalry,” added Thomaidis. “It’s the reason we are two of the best teams in the country and continuing to be that way is because there is a lot of talent on both teams. We battle hard and that makes us better.”

In the last game of her U SPORTS career, fifth-year guard Katie Polischuk finished with a game-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. It was a fitting send-off for an athlete who ranks seventh all-time in University of Regina history with 1,133 career points in 95 Canada West games played.

Unsurprisingly, Polischuk was named Regina’s Player of the Game.

“I’m happy for her,” said Taylor of Polischuk. “She’s been struggling a little bit, taking good shots but tonight they started going down for her. I’m just thrilled that she got to end her university career with that.”

Megan Lindquist earned Player of the Game honours for Saskatchewan after putting up 18 points and seven rebounds, all of which came in her own end. The fourth-year forward was followed on the boxscore by teammates Sabine Dukate and Summer Masikewich, who had 17 and 13 points, respectively.

Second-year guard Megan Ahlstrom added five boards for the Huskies in a game that saw Regina edge Saskatchewan 51-40 in the rebound column.

After shooting 50 per cent from the field in the first quarter, the Huskies fell flat on offence, shooting 20 percent in the second quarter and 15.4 percent in the third. The Cougars, on the other hand, bounced back from hitting 15.8 per cent in the first quarter to shoot 50 per cent from the floor in both the second and fourth quarters.

“They have a lot of offensive weapons and you knew it was a matter of time before they started knocking down some threes,” said Thomaidis. “Unfortunately I thought we gave them too many open looks to get them going.”

STAT LEADERS

Official Boxscore: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

REG: 10-23-20-26: 79
SASK: 26-12-16-22: 76

Regina Cougars
Points: Katie Polischuk (21), Christina McCusker (10), Sara Hubenig (10)
Rebounds: Kyanna Giles (10), Katie Polischuk (7)
Assists: Katie Polischuk (4), Sara Hubenig (3), Michaela Kleisinger (3)

Player of the Game: Katie Polischuk

Saskatchewan Huskies
Points: Megan Lindquist (18), Sabine Dukate (17), Summer Masikewich (13)
Rebounds: Megan Lindquist (7), Megan Ahlstrom (5), Summer Maskiwech (13)
Assists: Megan Lindquist (4), Libby Epoch (4)

Player of the game: Megan Lindquist

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PT)

Thursday, March 9
12:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.3 Queen’s (60) vs. No. 6 Cape Breton (51) (USPORTS.LIVE)
2:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No. 2 Saskatchewan (59) vs. No. 7 Laval (69) (USPORTS.LIVE)
6:00 p.m. Quarter-final 3: No. 4 McGill (72) vs. No. 5 Regina (62) (USPORTS.LIVE)
8:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 1 Carleton (77) vs. No. 8 Victoria (66) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Friday, March 10
6:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Cape Breton (51) vs. Saskatchewan (65) (USPORTS.LIVE)
8:00 p.m. Consolation 2: Regina (78) vs. Victoria (64) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 11
2:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Queen’s (67) vs. Laval (78) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)
4:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: McGill (66) vs. Carleton (60) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)
7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan (76) vs. Regina (79) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Sunday, March 12
10:00 a.m. Queen’s vs. Carleton (USPORTS.LIVE)
1:00 p.m. Laval vs. McGill (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

About U SPORTS

Twitter: @USPORTSca
Facebook: @USPORTSCanada
YouTube: @USPORTSca
Instagram: @USPORTSca
Snapchat: @USPORTSca

-U SPORTS –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy
Manager, Communications
U SPORTS
Cell: 647-871-7595
ksainteloy@usports.ca

Alan Hudes
Coordinator, Communications
U SPORTS
Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242
Cell: 647-991-5343
ahudes@usports.ca

David Conlin
University of Victoria
Off: 250-721-8410
Cell: 250-418-5633
vicvikes@uvic.ca

Bronze Medal Game: 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8

Ravens claim bronze over Queen’s in OUA Championship rematch

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The No. 1 Carleton Ravens finished the 2017 ArcelorMital Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 on a high note on Sunday, defeating the Queen’s Gaels 53-43 to claim bronze at the CARSA Performance Gym in Victoria.

It was a rematch of the OUA Final for the two teams after the Ravens downed the Gaels by a score of 49-41 in front of a sell-out crowd of 1,904 in Kingston, Ont.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/index

“It was a very tough environment out there,” said Carleton head coach Taffe Charles. “They were looking to get an upset and they played very well. They tested us, they changed things up on us and they were a desperate team.”

Carleton outscored Queen’s 18-8 in the first quarter before struggling with just 16 points through the second and third quarters. But the Ravens found their offence again in the fourth quarter, putting up 19 points while holding the Gaels to seven.

“In the second quarter we kind of started to panic a little bit,” said Charles. “We kind of got in at halftime and I talked to the team about there being 40 minutes and they have to do this for 40 minutes.”

Catherine Traer was named Player of the Game for Carleton after scoring a game-high 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting to go with five rebounds and two assists.

“It was a really big character game… it shows really our character,” said Traer. “Yesterday everybody was down (after losing in the semifinal) but we decided to unite as a team and bring our all today.

“We’ve played Queen’s. We know Queen’s and there is that rivalry. We wanted to do everything we could to make sure we would go out with a bronze medal.”

A former Ottawa Gee-Gees player, Traer was solid for Carleton all season, averaging 14.6 points per game with a career-high success rate of 41 per cent from the field on her way to an OUA First Team All-Star selection.

Also turning in strong games for Carleton were third-year guards Nicole Gilmore and Elizabeth Leblanc. Gilmore finished the season with a double-double on the strength of 11 rebounds and 12 points, while Leblanc had 10 rebounds and six points .

Playing in the final game of her U SPORTS career, fifth-year Gael Robyn Pearson was named Player of the Game for Queen’s after registering six points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Despite being high impact, Sunday’s bronze medal battle was a low-scoring one that saw the two teams struggle to find consistency on offence. The Gaels shot just 25.9 per cent from the floor and the Ravens weren’t much better, finishing at just 28.6 per cent for the game.

Carleton outrebounded the Gaels 52-38, including a 36-29 margin in defensive boards. It was a just the performance that the Ravens needed against a team that averaged 73.7 points per game during the regular season while limiting their opponents to just 56.2 points per game while on defence.

“There’s two things they have done all season long which is why they have been so good,” said Queen’s coach Dave Wilson, the 2017 U SPORTS Coach of the Year.

Their defence is really tough, it’s difficult to get good looks and they do a great job of switching out on people and keeping pressure on the ball.”

Despite the loss, Wilson was happy with the way his team performed in 2016-17.

“It was a great year for us overall,” said Wilson. “We set goals, made strides and were able to get almost all the way to the goal we set for ourselves. We look at this as an opportunity from which to build going forward.”

STAT LEADERS

Official Boxscore: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

CAR: 18-8-8-19: 53

QUE: 8-15-13-7: 43

Carleton Ravens

Points: Catherine Traer (18), Nicole Gilmore (12)

Rebounds: Nicole Gilmore (11), Elizabeth Leblanc (10), Catherine Traer (5)

Assists: Jenjen Abella (3), Catherine Traer (2)

Player of the Game: Catherine Traer

Queen’s Gaels

Points: Andrea Priamo (8), Robyn Pearson (6), Marianne Alarie (6)

Rebounds: Robyn Pearson (6), Andrea Priamo (5)

Steals: Marianne Alarie (3), Bridget Mulholland (3)

Player of the game: Robyn Pearson

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PT)

Thursday, March 9

12:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.3 Queen’s (60) vs. No. 6 Cape Breton (51) (USPORTS.LIVE)

2:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No. 2 Saskatchewan (59) vs. No. 7 Laval (69) (USPORTS.LIVE)

6:00 p.m. Quarter-final 3: No. 4 McGill (72) vs. No. 5 Regina (62) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 1 Carleton (77) vs. No. 8 Victoria (66) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Friday, March 10

6:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Cape Breton (51) vs. Saskatchewan (65) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Consolation 2: Regina (78) vs. Victoria (64) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 11

2:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Queen’s (67) vs. Laval (78) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

4:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: McGill (66) vs. Carleton (60) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan (76) vs. Regina (79) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Sunday, March 12

10:00 a.m. Queen’s (43) vs. Carleton (53) (USPORTS.LIVE)

1:00 p.m. Laval vs. McGill (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

About U SPORTS

Twitter: @USPORTSca 

Facebook: @USPORTSCanada

 YouTube: @USPORTSca

Instagram: @USPORTSca

Snapchat: @USPORTSca

-U SPORTS –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy

Manager, Communications

U SPORTS

Cell: 647-871-7595

Alan Hudes

Coordinator, Communications

U SPORTS

Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242

Cell: 647-991-5343

David Conlin

University of Victoria

Off: 250-721-8410

Cell: 250-418-5633

Gold Medal Game: 2017 ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8

McGill pulls away from Laval late to win first women’s basketball national championship in school history

VICTORIA (U SPORTS) – The McGill Martlets outscored the Lava Rouge et Or 24-14 in the fourth quarter to cement their lead and claim a 66-55 victory in the ArcelorMittal Dofasco U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 National Championship game at the CARSA Performance Gym in Victoria.

“Our slogan this year was ‘Together We Rise’ and now we have risen to the top, with a U SPORTS National Championship,” said Martlets head coach Ryan Thorne.

Fourth-year centre Alex Kiss-Rusk was named both the Championship MVP and Player of the Game for McGill for her dominating performance of 15 points and 20 rebounds.

“She was the MVP of our team and she brought that with her to this situation so this was definitely a great opportunity for her,” said Thorne.

Kiss-Rusk and her 20 rebounds were a big part of the Martlets out-rebounding Laval 52-32 in the contest.

“Huge factor,” said Laval head coach Guillaume Giroux when asked how important the rebounding margin was in the game. “We managed to deal with that a bit better when we played them in the season but they killed us on the glass, on both sides.”

The Martlets’ rebounding advantage was key both offensively and defensively, their 13 offensive rebounds in the game led to 18 second-chance points compared to just the four that the Rouge et Or managed.

“Our size is greater than theirs,” said Thorne. “If they want to look for a bunch of three-point shooting, they have to get smaller so I knew that if we did a good job on the glass we could be successful.”

Laval’s 55 points in the game was 14 less than in any other game they played in the tournament, something that Giroux attributed to a tough Martlet defence.

“We were a little cold but you have to give them credit because our separation was not huge. They got on us a bit more and we had to do our layups through contact and we weren’t able to make those,” said Giroux. “We missed a couple of easy ones but they also forced us to rush some shots and that made it difficult.”

While Kiss-Rusk was the focal point of the Martlets’ offence, the depth on McGill also shone, with Marika Guérin, Frédérique Potvin and Jennifer Silver all scoring in doubledigits.

“That’s what this team is built on, we’ve never focused in on one player, we have some strengths but overall we were just unselfish,” said Thorne. “We like each other, work with each other and know that we can’t do it unless we work together.”

Jane Gagné was named the Player of the Game for the Rouge et Or, scoring a team-high 13 points in her 35 minutes on the court. Justine Guay-Bilodeau added 10 points for Laval in the final game of her university career.

“I’m really proud of our girls,” said Giroux. “When I got the job the job two years ago, if you told me I would be playing here in our second year I would have been really happy with that.

“All the credit goes to the girls, they worked really hard, believed in what we do and I’m really happy that we have such a good future.”

The win gives the Martlets their first-ever women’s basketball national championship and a spot in the history book, as the winner of the first U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 Championship.

Championship MVP

Alex Kiss-Rusk, McGill Martlets

Championship All-Star Team

Catherine Traer, Carleton Ravens

Robyn Pearson, Queen’s Gaels

Alex Kiss-Rusk, McGill Martlets

Jane Gagné, Université Laval

Frédérique Potvin, McGill Martlets

STAT LEADERS

Official Boxscore: http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

LAV: 16-8-17-14: 55

MCG: 14-14-14-24: 66

Laval Rouge et Or

Points: Jane Gagné (13), Justine Guay Bilodeau (10),

Rebounds: Claudia Émond (6), Gabrielle Girard (5)

Assists: Sarah-Jane Marois (5)

Player of the Game: Jane Gagné

McGill Martlets

Points: Alex Kiss-Rusk (15), Marika Guérin (14), Frédérique Potvin (12)

Rebounds: Alex Kiss-Rusk (20), Jennifer Silver (7), Marie-Love Michel (6)

Assists: Alex Kiss-Rusk (5)

Player of the game: Alex Kiss-Rusk

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times PT)

Thursday, March 9

12:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.3 Queen’s (60) vs. No. 6 Cape Breton (51) (USPORTS.LIVE)

2:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No. 2 Saskatchewan (59) vs. No. 7 Laval (69) (USPORTS.LIVE)

6:00 p.m. Quarter-final 3: No. 4 McGill (72) vs. No. 5 Regina (62) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 1 Carleton (77) vs. No. 8 Victoria (66) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Friday, March 10

6:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Cape Breton (51) vs. Saskatchewan (65) (USPORTS.LIVE)

8:00 p.m. Consolation 2: Regina (78) vs. Victoria (64) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 11

2:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Queen’s (67) vs. Laval (78) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

4:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: McGill (66) vs. Carleton (60) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan (76) vs. Regina (79) (USPORTS.LIVE)

Sunday, March 12

10:00 a.m. Queen’s (43) vs. Carleton (53) (USPORTS.LIVE)

1:00 p.m. Laval (55) vs. McGill (66) (Sportsnet 360/SN Now)

About U SPORTS

Twitter: @USPORTSca

 Facebook: @USPORTSCanada 

YouTube: @USPORTSca

 Instagram: @USPORTSca

Snapchat: @USPORTSca

-U SPORTS –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy

Manager, Communications

U SPORTS

Cell: 647-871-7595

Alan Hudes

Coordinator, Communications

U SPORTS

Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242

Cell: 647-991-5343

David Conlin

University of Victoria

Off: 250-721-8410

Cell: 250-418-5633