The Atlantic University Sport (AUS) women’s basketball playoffs got underway at the Scotiabank Centre Thursday in Halifax. The opening matchup saw Cape Breton University take on the Seahawks from Memorial University.
The last time these two teams met, Cape Breton pulled out a 61-45 victory on the road. With a semifinal spot on the line and the Saint Mary’s Huskies waiting on the other side, the pressure was on.
Memorial found themselves in trouble early after a few turnovers turned into several threes for the Capers. The Seahawks trailed big at the end of the first quarter by a score of 27-11.
Kelia Pond got things going for the Seahawks with a pair of three pointers in the second quarter. The Capers were relentless, however, and went into halftime almost doubled up on the opposition. The score was 46-25, with things looking bleak for the number four seed.
Colleen Keane and Valentina Primossi led the way for the Capers in the first half with 11 points each. What helped the Capers gain a big lead was the play of their bench, who put up a combined 12 points.
After the teams exchanged shots in the third quarter, Memorial came out firing in the fourth. With three huge shots from distance, they cut the lead down to a mere nine points with seven minutes to go.
The Seahawks pushed hard to narrow the gap all the way to a five-point deficit, where they got two great looks for three at the end. Both shooters were unable to hit and the ball was turned over. With an odd choice not to foul at the end, the Capers advanced to the semifinal with a 62-57 win. This victory coming despite nearly blowing a lead greater than 20 points.
Colleen Keane led the way for the Capers with 16 points. “We can take a lot from that game, particularly that we need to learn how to close out a game,” said Keane.
Capers’ head coach Fabian McKenzie said his team played well, especially with the team’s inexperience in the AUS postseason. McKenzie admits the team is in for tough challenge come Saturday.
“We need to go to church and keep working hard,” said McKenzie. “We played a tough one against them a little while back and will expect more of the same on Saturday.”
The Capers will meet Saint Mary’s in semifinals on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
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