The Saskatchewan Huskies successfully defended their U Sports national women’s basketball championship on Sunday, securing a 77-68 win against the University of New Brunswick Reds in Quebec City.
A crucial moment in the match occurred with 3:11 remaining in the final quarter when Logan Reider sank a vital three-pointer just as the shot clock was about to expire, extending the Huskies’ lead to six points. This basket appeared to deflate the UNB players.
“Our experience and some key scores really made the difference today,” remarked Lisa Thomaidis, head coach of the Huskies, who has just completed her 27th season with the team. “UNB deserves credit, and it took us a while to adjust our defense, but our collective toughness and resilience got us through.”
Reider topped all scorers with 19 points, which included four three-pointers.
Saskatchewan began the match strongly, capitalizing on several missed opportunities from UNB to establish a 25-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. Although the Reds found their rhythm in the second quarter, they still ended the half trailing 44-32.
The Atlantic Conference champions surged in the third quarter, even taking a 45-44 lead after a remarkable 13-0 run. The Reds dominated many facets of the game and forced Saskatchewan into numerous turnovers. Nevertheless, the Huskies held a narrow 52-50 advantage heading into the final quarter.
As the game progressed, the teams continued to swap leads. While the Huskies maintained a slight edge, UNB was pressing the match upon them. However, the Reds squandered too many scoring opportunities, allowing Saskatchewan to seize crucial chances late in the game, ultimately leading to their triumph and the coveted Bronze Baby trophy.
Maya Findell was the second-leading scorer for the Huskies, contributing 17 points and demonstrating accuracy at the free-throw line, hitting nine of her eleven attempts.
Huskies 20-0 in regular season
Kylee Speedy led the UNB team with 16 points.
Speedy and Reider were recognized as players of the game for their respective teams.
The Huskies, who were the Canada West champions, finished the regular season with an undefeated 20-0 record before falling to the Calgary Dinos in the Western final.
Seeded fifth in Quebec, the Huskies secured victories over the UBC Thunderbirds and then narrowly defeated Laval in the national semifinal.
On the other hand, UNB was seeded second by U Sports, defeating the Carleton Ravens in the quarterfinals and eliminating the Calgary Dinos in the semifinals.
For Erin McAleenan, the head coach of UNB, earning the silver medal is a significant accomplishment, especially since the team had not reached the championship title game since 1976.
“This marks the sixth medal in our school’s history, and we are incredibly proud of this achievement, but we will be back,” McAleenan expressed to reporters. “We received tremendous support from both the Reds and UNB communities, and we hope the success of our program becomes as popular as our hockey team.”
Dinos grab bronze
Kourtney Oss led the Calgary Dinos with 18 points and 20 rebounds, guiding the team to a 66-59 bronze-medal win over Laval Rouge et Or on Sunday.
Christine Geraldo contributed 14 points, while Pollyanna Storie added 13, helping the Dinos to a 39-34 lead at halftime.
Sabrine Khelifi was the top scorer for Laval with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Lea-Sophie Verret and Elodie Lajoie each scored nine points.
The U Sports national women’s championship is set to return to the Maritimes next year, with Halifax scheduled to host the event from March 11 to 14, 2027.
Slim lead for Carleton men entering 4th quarter
The Carleton Ravens have reason to celebrate.
With a stellar 35-point performance from Aubrey Dorey-Havens, the Ravens clinched the U Sports men’s basketball championship with a 78-75 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters on Sunday in Calgary.
Nelson Cilien added 10 points and four rebounds, while Tyler Brown contributed nine points and five rebounds for the Ravens, who went into halftime trailing 35-34 but took a 57-56 lead heading into the final quarter.
Etienne Gagnon was the standout for the Gaiters, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while both Charles Robert and Reggie Jean Seraphin added 14 points each.
The Carleton University Ravens triumphed over the Bishop’s University Gaiters 78-75 in the U Sports men’s basketball gold medal match, achieving their record-extending 18th title, with Aubrey Dorey-Havens leading the way with a game-high 35 points.
In the bronze medal game, Shadynn Smid scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Renoldo Robinson contributed 18 points and six assists, leading the Victoria Vikes to victory over the Toronto Metropolitan Bold in the bronze medal final.
Ethan Boag added 12 points for the Vikes, who were ahead 44-43 at halftime and outscored the Bold 18-11 in the final quarter.
Gabriel Gutsmore led the Bold with 20 points, while Deandre Goulbourne had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Aaron Rhooms added 14 points and eight rebounds.
The championship all-star team included Aybrey Dorey-Havens and Cedric Mbiaba from Carleton, Geoffrey James from Victoria, Aaron Rhooms from Toronto Metropolitan, and Charles Robert from Bishop’s.
