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Lancers finish tremendous season with a silver medal at CIS Championships
The Lancers captured the CIS National Silver Medal at the 2010 CIS Championships.
3/14/2010 5:28:03 PM
HAMILTON (CIS) - The No. 2 Windsor Lancers Women's Basketball team was defeated 77-56 by the top-seeded Simon Fraser Clan in the final of the CIS Women's Basketball Championship at McMaster University's Burridge Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
Championship web site (complete stats): http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wbkb
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXufSNbLKg
It was close early, but Simon Fraser rode a wave of experience, exploiting their size advantage inside the paint to win their first back-to-back Bronze Baby trophies and fifth title in team history.
CIS player of the year and tournament MVP Robyn Buna, a fourth-year forward from Kelowna, B.C., led the Clan with 17 points along with two steals and an assist.
“It was the best way to finish my career,” said Buna, who opened the tournament on Friday with a 27-point performance against host McMaster. “I think we were all playing a little tight. We were apprehensive, it’s the national final.”
Windsor’s Russell Athletics player of the game Jessica Clemençon paced the Lancers with 14 points. The native of St. Rambert, France, was the CIS rookie of the year this season, and was the lone Lancer named to the all-tournament team.
The Lancers were the first Ontario team to play for the Bronze Baby since York lost to Manitoba 73-52 in the 1997 championship game in Thunder Bay, Ont. The last Ontario squad to win the championship was Laurentian, 79-72 winners over Regina in 1991 in Ste. Foy, Que.
Windsor head coach Chantal Vallée, in her fifth season at the helm, said she was pleased with the effort and getting one step closer to winning a national title.
“We started out really well, playing to our strengths,” Vallée said. “But after opening up with a 15-6 lead, we missed a couple of open layups. Then Iva Peklova got into foul trouble and we missed some rebounds and we were not quite ourselves.”
“But Simon Fraser responded right away after we got the lead,” Vallée said. “The closer you get to tasting gold the more disappointed you are in a loss.”
In a game broadcast nationally on TSN2, the Clan weathered an early lapse before going on a 20-3 run over eight minutes into the second quarter to lead 39-27 at the half.
In the opening quarter, the No. 1 Clan took an early lead, but the Lancers built a nine-point lead led by the strong play of forwards Peklova of Prague, Czech Republic, and Bojana Kovacevic of Windsor midway through the quarter.
Foul trouble for Peklova and guard Shavaun Reaney of Sherwood Park, Alta., allowed Simon Fraser to exploit a size advantage and their bigs allowed them to close the quarter on a 14-3 run to lead 20-18 after the first frame.
Peklova picked up her third personal foul early in the second quarter, and the Clan extended their lead to 26-18 forcing turnovers and scoring in transition, continuing on their run.
Down by 12 at the half, the Lancers made a valiant effort to regain the lead, pulling the spread to eight points as Simon Fraser got into foul trouble of their own in the third quarter. They put Windsor at the line 12 times and sent the Lancers into the bonus with over four minutes left in the period. However, the OUA champions only connected on seven opportunities from the charity stripe, and Simon Fraser re-established the cushion, leading 59-43 at the end of the third period.
Hutzler scored a jump-shot to stretch Simon Fraser’s lead to 20 points, at 67-47, their biggest of the game. Buna was the first to check out, as Langford honoured his seniors, subbing her off seconds after draining a three to give her 17 points on the day.
“We set a goal of controlling the boards and I thought we did that quite well,” Langford said of the 34-20 edge in rebounding. “We knew there would be ups and downs but we handled it when we got down and played with great intensity when the game got physical.”
Weigl was named the Clan game MVP following a 16-point, five-rebound effort, while Hole contributed 11 points and seven board and was selected a tournament all-star.
Kovacevic and Peklova had 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Lancers.
Windsor's silver medal performance was a two spot jump from last season's fourth place finish, and is the best team finish at the CIS National Championships in program history.
Scoring By Quarter
1 2 3 4 T
Simon Fraser 20 19 20 18 77
Windsor 18 9 16 13 56
GAME NOTES: Rounding out the 2010 championship all-star team were guard Jill Humbert of bronze medallist Saskatchewan, and guard Joanna Zalesiak of fourth place Regina... Saskatchewan’s Lindsay DeGroot earned the R.W. Pugh Fair Play award... The last team to repeat as national champion was Manitoba in 1996 and 1997... The Bronze Baby trophy remains in BC for the eighth straight year following triumphs by SFU, UBC (2008, 2006, 2004) and Victoria (2003)... Windsor reached the national final by defeating No. 7 Ottawa 64-46 in the opening round and No. 3 Saskatchewan 82-60 in the semis... The Clan beat the Lancers twice in non-conference action this season prevailing 81-78 on Oct. 24 and 69-50 the next day, both times at home in Burnaby, B.C... SFU finished the season with a 31-1 overall record versus CIS competition...
STAT LEADERS
Simon Fraser
Points: Robyn Buna (17), Laurelle Weigl (16), Kate Hole (11)
Rebounds: Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (10), Matteke Hutzier (7), Katie Miyazaki (7), Kate Hole (7)
Assists: Laurelle Weigl (4), Katie Miyazaki (3), Kristina Collins (3)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Laurelle Weigl
Windsor
Points: Jessica Clemençon (14), Bojana Kovacevic (12), Iva Peklova (11)
Rebounds: Iva Peklova (9), Bojana Kovacevic (5)
Assists: Shavaun Reaney (7)
Russell Athletics player of the game: Jessica Clemençon
CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-STARS
Tournament MVP: Robyn Buna, Simon Fraser
R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Lindsay DeGroot, Saskatchewan
Tournament all-stars:
Robyn Buna, Simon Fraser
Kate Hole, Simon Fraser
Jessica Clemençon, Windsor
Jill Humbert, Saskatchewan
Joanna Zalesiak, Regina
SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Friday, March 12
Quarter-final #1: Windsor 64, Ottawa 46
Quarter-final #2: Saskatchewan 70, Cape Breton 54
Quarter-final #3: Simon Fraser 94, McMaster 76
Quarter-final #4: Regina 69, Laval 54
Saturday, March 13
Consolation #1: Cape Breton 65, Ottawa 59
Consolation #2: Laval 66, McMaster 58
Semifinal #1: Windsor 82, Saskatchewan 60
Semifinal #2: Simon Fraser 69, Regina 55
Sunday, March 14
Consolation final (5th place): Cape Breton 86, Laval 49
Bronze medal: Saskatchewan 78, Regina 67
Championship final: Simon Fraser 77, Windsor 56
- Courtesy of the CIS -
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