Cougars win game two and three onto ACAC Final Four

The Mount Royal Cougar women’s basketball team were at Concordia University College Friday, hoping to stave off elimination in game two of their three game series against the hometown Thunder.

After losing 75-65 in game one and never having held the lead, the Cougars needed to regroup quickly to keep their season from coming to an abrupt end.

And regroup they did.

The Cougars took game two at Concordia 61-68 before returning home to Kenyon Court to win game three 73-69, completing an unbelievable comeback to put them in the ACAC final four.

Recognizing the need to shut down the perimeter shooting of the Thunder, the Cougars played stifling defence in game two while holding the Thunder to just 33 per cent shooting.

After being burnt for 22 in game one by the Thunder’s slippery guard Kaylie Mattiussi, the Cougars came in with a new game plan, smothering Mattiussi and holding her to just three points as she was unable to make a field goal, going 0-for-7 from the floor.

Nikki Golding led the Cougars with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, Celeste Clarke had 13 and Emily Larson had 12. Rookie Danica Rybachuk has been making her presence felt so far in the playoffs, as she had another great game, going 5-of-8 from the floor for 12 points in just 24 minutes of action.

Although not one of her best shooting days, Jamie Morck was a beast on the glass Friday, pulling down 11 boards to go along with 8 points.

The two teams were tied at the half, and the Thunder held a slim two-point lead entering the fourth quarter. That lead would slowly disappear as the Cougars turned up the intensity, outscoring the Thunder 17-8 in the fourth. They would take the 68-61 decision, forcing a third and final game.

Game three at MRU was electric, and Joe Enevoldson’s girls were prepared, no longer looking like the team that lost 72-45 to the Thunder in the final game of the regular season.

Instead, this new and improved Cougar team had a newfound confidence, and were ready on Saturday for the biggest test of their season.

Led again by Nikki Golding, who had a game-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, the Cougars opened up a 19-15 lead after one quarter of play. Celeste Clarke was pushing the pace, feeding her teammates on the wings and in the paint as she finished with a game-high seven assists.

The Cougars extended their lead in the second quarter as Emily Larson found her shooting touch. The Mount Royal women took a 38-30 lead into the locker room at half-time.

Larson finished the game with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Jamie Morck finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, and Danica Rybachuk finished with 10 points including a pair of three pointers.

Looking to extend their lead in the third quarter, the Cougars came out flat and quickly surrendered their lead as the Thunder began to find their range - entering the fourth quarter, the Thunder held a 52-50 lead.

Showing amazing resiliency, the Cougars fought back in the fourth quarter, refusing to quit and outworking the opposition in front of a boisterous home crowd. The Cougars outscored the Thunder 23-17 in the fourth quarter for a 73-69 win and a berth in the final four.

The Cougars will await the result of tonight’s third game between the SAIT Trojans and Augustana Vikings. Should the Trojans come out on top, they would host the ACAC’s Final Four championship from Friday, March 4 through Sunday, March 6.

If the Trojans are downed, the Final Four would move to Mount Royal, being the number two seed in the south. More details to follow on Tuesday.